New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico House Bill HB264 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	HOUSE BILL 264
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30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
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33	33	STATE
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35	35	OF
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39	39	MEXICO
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41	41	-
42	42	FIRST SESSION
43	43	,
44	44
45	45	2025
46	46	INTRODUCED BY
47	47	Patricia Roybal Caballero
48	48	AN ACT
49	49	RELATING TO STATE EMPLOYEES; PROVIDING FOR A FUTURE INCREASED
50	50	MINIMUM SALARY, ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL RATES AND PAID PARENTAL
51	51	LEAVE; PROVIDING FOR STATE EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION;
52	52	AMENDING AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978.
53	53	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
54	54	SECTION 1. Section 10-7-9 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1974,
55	55	Chapter 10, Section 2) is amended to read:
56	56	"10-7-9. MINIMUM SALARY RATE.--
57	57	A. Every state employee and every person regularly
58	58	employed at a state educational institution named in Article
59	59	12, Section 11 of the constitution of New Mexico
60	60	[constitution], except student employees as defined by the
61	61	[board of educational finance ] higher education department ,
62	62	shall receive a salary at a rate equal to at least [four
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90	90	hundred dollars ($400) per month ] fifteen dollars ($15.00) per
91	91	hour.
92	92	B. On July 1, 2026 and on July 1 of each successive
93	93	year, the minimum salary rate shall be adjusted by multiplying
94	94	the minimum salary as of July 1, 2025 by a fraction, the
95	95	numerator of which is the consumer price index ending in
96	96	September of the previous year and the denominator of which is
97	97	the consumer price index ending September 30, 2025; provided
98	98	that the minimum wage rate shall not be adjusted downward as a
99	99	result of a decrease in the consumer price index.
100	100	C. To the extent any provision of this section
101	101	conflicts with a current collective bargaining agreement
102	102	negotiated pursuant to the Public Employee Bargaining Act, the
103	103	provisions of this section shall not apply.
104	104	D. As used in this section, "consumer price index"
105	105	means the consumer price index, not seasonally adjusted, for
106	106	all urban consumers, United States city average for all items,
107	107	or a successor index, as published by the United States
108	108	department of labor for a twelve-month period ending September
109	109	30 each year."
110	110	SECTION 2. A new section of Chapter 10, Article 7 NMSA
111	111	1978 is enacted to read:
112	112	"[NEW MATERIAL] STATE EMPLOYEE ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL
113	113	RATES.--
114	114	A. Notwithstanding any statute or rule to the
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143	143	contrary, state employees shall be eligible for annual leave
144	144	accrued at rates that are competitive with other public sector
145	145	employers.
146	146	B. Effective July 1, 2026, every state employee
147	147	shall accrue annual leave at the rate of:
148	148	(1) four and sixty-two hundredths hours per
149	149	pay period if the employee has less than three years of
150	150	cumulative employment;
151	151	(2) five and fifty-four hundredths hours per
152	152	pay period if the employee has three years or more but less
153	153	than seven years of cumulative employment;
154	154	(3) six and forty-six hundredths hours per pay
155	155	period if the employee has seven years or more but less than
156	156	fourteen years of cumulative employment; and
157	157	(4) seven and thirty-nine hundredths hours per
158	158	pay period if the employee has fourteen years or more of
159	159	cumulative employment.
160	160	C. To the extent any provision of this section is
161	161	more restrictive than a current collective bargaining agreement
162	162	negotiated pursuant to the Public Employee Bargaining Act, the
163	163	provisions of this section shall not apply.
164	164	D. As used in this section, "state employee" means
165	165	an employee as defined in Section 10-9-3 NMSA 1978; provided
166	166	that the coverage of service exemptions set forth in Section
167	167	10-9-4 NMSA 1978 shall apply."
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196	196	SECTION 3. A new section of Chapter 10, Article 7 NMSA
197	197	1878 is enacted to read:
198	198	"[NEW MATERIAL] STATE EMPLOYEE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE.--
199	199	A. Notwithstanding any statute or rule to the
200	200	contrary, effective July 1, 2026, state employees shall be
201	201	eligible for paid parental leave of at least twelve work weeks
202	202	of fully paid parental leave to eligible employees following
203	203	the birth or adoption or upon gaining custody of a child. If
204	204	both parents, including a domestic partner of a parent, are
205	205	eligible employees, each parent or partner shall receive paid
206	206	parental leave.
207	207	B. To the extent any provision of this section
208	208	conflicts with a current collective bargaining agreement
209	209	negotiated pursuant to the Public Employee Bargaining Act, the
210	210	provisions of this section shall not apply.
211	211	C. As used in this section, "state employee" means
212	212	an employee as defined in Section 10-9-3 NMSA 1978; provided
213	213	that the coverage of service exemptions set forth in Section
214	214	10-9-4 NMSA 1978 shall apply."
215	215	SECTION 4. A new section of Chapter 10, Article 7 NMSA
216	216	1978 is enacted to read:
217	217	"[NEW MATERIAL] STATE EMPLOYEE REMOTE WORK POLICY.--
218	218	A. Notwithstanding any statute or rule to the
219	219	contrary, state agencies shall implement a remote work program
220	220	to enhance recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce
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249	249	from rural areas of New Mexico. Additional benefits of a
250	250	successful remote work program include:
251	251	(1) stable and reliable job opportunities for
252	252	rural New Mexico residents and enhanced workforce retention and
253	253	talent recruitment; and
254	254	(2) increased diversity, equity, inclusion and
255	255	accessibility with the state as an employer.
256	256	B. The remote work location is an approved
257	257	designated duty station other than the official employer work
258	258	site in New Mexico.
259	259	C. Position eligibility for both hybrid and
260	260	full-time remote work shall be based on applicable job
261	261	functions, nature of the work performed, operational needs and
262	262	a strategic analysis of the employer's needs.
263	263	D. Employees in remote work positions shall be
264	264	current full-time residents of New Mexico.
265	265	E. Evaluation of remote work employees shall be
266	266	based on identification and completion of applicable job
267	267	functions. While remote working, an employee is expected to
268	268	maintain the same hours of work and productivity, performance,
269	269	communication and responsiveness standards as when working at
270	270	the regular work site.
271	271	F. To the extent any provision of this section
272	272	conflicts with a current collective bargaining agreement
273	273	negotiated pursuant to the Public Employee Bargaining Act, the
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302	302	provisions of this section shall not apply.
303	303	G. As used in this section, "state employee" means
304	304	an employee as defined in Section 10-9-3 NMSA 1978; provided
305	305	that the coverage of service exemptions set forth in Section
306	306	10-9-4 NMSA 1978 shall apply."
307	307	SECTION 5. Section 10-9-13 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1961,
308	308	Chapter 240, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:
309	309	"10-9-13. RULES--ADOPTION--COVERAGE.--Rules promulgated
310	310	by the board shall be effective when filed as required by law.
311	311	The rules shall provide, among other things, for:
312	312	A. a classification plan for all positions in the
313	313	service;
314	314	B. a pay plan for all positions in the service;
315	315	C. competitive entrance and promotion tests to
316	316	determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of applicants
317	317	to perform the duties of the position for which they apply.
318	318	Such rules shall also provide for the awarding to those
319	319	applicants having a passing grade of two preference points for
320	320	each year of residency in New Mexico not to exceed a total of
321	321	ten preference points;
322	322	D. exemption from competitive entrance tests for
323	323	those professional persons applying for classified positions in
324	324	the service who possess recognized registration or
325	325	certification by another state agency;
326	326	E. a period of probation of one year during which a
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355	355	probationer may be discharged or demoted or returned to the
356	356	eligible list without benefit of hearing;
357	357	F. the establishment of employment lists for the
358	358	certification of the highest standing candidates to the
359	359	prospective employers and procedure to be followed in hiring
360	360	from the lists;
361	361	G. hours of work, [holiday and ] including allowance
362	362	for part-time and alternative work schedules, holiday
363	363	schedules, competitive leave accrual rates and paid parental
364	364	leave;
365	365	H. dismissal or demotion procedure for employees in
366	366	the service, including presentation of written notice stating
367	367	specific reasons and time for the employees to reply thereto,
368	368	in writing, and appeals to the board;
369	369	I. the rejection of applicants who fail to meet
370	370	reasonable requirements as to age, physical condition,
371	371	training, experience or moral conduct; [and ]
372	372	J. employment of any apparently qualified applicant
373	373	for a period of not more than ninety days when an emergency
374	374	condition exists and there are no applicants available on an
375	375	appropriate employment list as provided in Subsection F of this
376	376	section. The applicant, if employed, shall be paid at the same
377	377	rate as a comparable position covered by the Personnel Act; and
378	378	K. a plan to designate positions eligible for full-
379	379	time remote work or part-time, or hybrid, remote work for an
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408	408	approved work site other than a designated state work site to
409	409	bring job opportunities to rural areas of the state and expand
410	410	employee recruitment opportunities as part of a strategic
411	411	analysis of the employer's needs ."
412	412	SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
413	413	provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.
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