New Mexico House bill authored by Rep. Hochman-Vigil to add judgeship in 2nd Judicial District passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil aims to expand judicial capacity in New Mexico’s 2nd Judicial District by increasing the number of district judges, following approval in both chambers, according to the New Mexico Legislature.

HB 95 passed both chambers as of Wednesday, Feb. 18, clearing the House by a vote of 65-0 and the Senate by a vote of 40-0.

In the House, 40 Democrats and 25 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 24 Democrats and 14 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Dayan Hochman-Vigil introduced the bill in the New Mexico House on Friday, Jan. 16 during the 57th Legislature.

Hochman-Vigil graduated from Colorado College in 2006 with a BA and again in 2011 from University of New Mexico with a JD.

Hochman-Vigil, a Democrat, was elected to the New Mexico State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 15th House district, replacing previous state representative Sarah Maestas Barnes.

According to the New Mexico Legislature website, the bill’s title was officially listed as: ‘Additional Second Judicial District Judgeship’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill increases the number of district judges in New Mexico’s 2nd Judicial District to 31 and provides funding to establish the new judgeship. It appropriates $451,400 from the general fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts for fiscal year 2027 to cover costs including salaries and benefits for the judge and staff, as well as furniture, equipment and supplies. Any unspent funds at the end of fiscal year 2027 will revert to the general fund.

In New Mexico, the legislative process involves multiple steps: a bill is introduced in either the House or Senate, assigned to a committee for review, debated and voted on in both chambers, and, if approved, sent to the governor for signature or veto. The Legislature meets annually, commencing on the third Tuesday in January, with 60-day sessions in odd-numbered years and 30-day sessions in even-numbered years. While numerous bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully navigate the process to become law. You can read more about bills and other measures here.