Rep. Small introduces new bill in New Mexico House

The new bill, authored by State Rep. Nathan Small in the New Mexico House, aims to address general issues of public peace, health, safety and welfare, according to the New Mexico General Assembly.

The bill, introduced as HB 354 during the 57th general assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 4, was formally listed with the short title: ’Public Peace, Health, Safety & Welfare’.

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

In essence, this bill states that it relates to the public peace, health, safety and welfare but does not set out any specific programs, requirements, funding provisions or regulatory changes. The text provided consists only of the standard enacting clause used to begin New Mexico legislation and does not include substantive sections creating laws, amending statutes or establishing an effective date. Based on the available language, the bill appears to be a placeholder or incomplete draft rather than a fully developed legislative proposal.

Nathan Small, the chair of the House Appropriations & Finance Committee and the chair of the Legislative Finance Committee, proposed another 18 bills during the 57th general assembly. He is also a member of the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee, a member of the House Printing & Supplies Committee, an advisory member of the Legislative Education Study Committee, a member of the Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force Committee, an advisory member of the Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee, and an advisory member of the Water & Natural Resources Committee.

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.