The 2016 30-day legislative session opened on Tuesday, January 19th. The thirty-day session is limited by the state constitution to bills dealing with state budget issues, issues that the Governor asks the Legislature to address (her “call”), and bills vetoed by the Governor in the previous session. If a bill is introduced that is not in one of those categories, it will not be considered germane and will not be allowed to move through the process. The limitation does not apply to constitutional amendments or memorials.
The 112-member legislature has 70 members in the House of Representatives and 42 members in the Senate. Currently, Republicans outnumber Democrats 37-33 in the House and the Democrats hold a 24-18 advantage in the Senate. The 2016 session ends at noon on February 18 and the Governor has until March 9 to act on legislation approved by the Legislature.
Two NMMS priority bills have been introduced:
SB121 (Ingle) Out-of-State Healthcare Providers-Access to Care for New Mexicans