NM
New Mexico Senate Bill SB240

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SB240 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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2828 SENATE BILL 240
2929 57
3030 TH LEGISLATURE
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4242 FIRST SESSION
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4545 2025
4646 INTRODUCED BY
4747 Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales
4848 AN ACT
4949 RELATING TO TIMBER; ENACTING THE STRUCTURAL WOOD GRADING ACT;
5050 PROVIDING FOR IN-STATE STRUCTURAL WOOD GRADE CERTIFICATES;
5151 PROVIDING FOR THE USE OF STRUCTURAL WOOD THAT IS GRADED IN-
5252 STATE.
5353 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
5454 SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--This act may be
5555 cited as the "Structural Wood Grading Act".
5656 SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the
5757 Structural Wood Grading Act:
5858 A. "building inspector" means a person certified by
5959 the construction industries division of the regulation and
6060 licensing department and certified by one or more trade bureaus
6161 to conduct inspections of permitted construction work to ensure
6262 that all work performed by a contractor or homeowner complies
6363 .229265.2 underscored material = new
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9090 with applicable building codes;
9191 B. "certificate" means a document that verifies the
9292 grade of structural wood that was milled in-state;
9393 C. "division" means the forestry division of the
9494 energy, minerals and natural resources department;
9595 D. "grader" means the owner of a commercial sawmill
9696 or the owner's designated employee who is licensed to inspect,
9797 certify and grade a piece of lumber at that sawmill;
9898 E. "license" means a structural wood grading
9999 license;
100100 F. "program" means the structural wood grading
101101 licensure program; and
102102 G. "structural wood" means dimensional lumber,
103103 structural beams and vigas milled in New Mexico.
104104 SECTION 3. [NEW MATERIAL] DIVISION POWERS AND DUTIES--
105105 STRUCTURAL WOOD GRADING SYSTEM--STRUCTURAL WOOD GRADING
106106 LICENSURE PROGRAM--STRUCTURAL WOOD GRADING LICENSE.--
107107 A. The division shall:
108108 (1) promulgate rules to carry out the
109109 provisions of the Structural Wood Grading Act, including for
110110 the:
111111 (a) training and licensure of graders;
112112 (b) training components and
113113 qualification of program instructors;
114114 (c) oversight of the program; and
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143143 (d) grounds and processes for renewal,
144144 suspension of licensure, revocation of licensure and hearings;
145145 (2) develop and implement a state-specific
146146 system to grade structural wood that is milled in-state and
147147 then sold, transported or used in construction in-state;
148148 (3) create a structural wood grading licensure
149149 program accessible to sawmill owners and sawmill owners'
150150 employees. The program may be provided by a public post-
151151 secondary educational institution and shall provide training on
152152 structural wood grading; and
153153 (4) issue a structural wood grading license to
154154 a person who completes the program.
155155 B. The division may:
156156 (1) charge fees not to exceed two hundred
157157 fifty dollars ($250) to fund the program; and
158158 (2) issue a license to a person who has not
159159 completed the program if the person provides the division with
160160 proof of:
161161 (a) current certification or licensure
162162 from a grading agency accredited by the American lumber
163163 standard committee; or
164164 (b) a bachelor's or postgraduate degree
165165 in forest products or wood science and technology or an
166166 equivalent degree as determined by the division.
167167 C. A license shall include the name of the
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196196 recipient and the date of issuance. The license is a five-year
197197 license that is not renewable unless the grader successfully
198198 re-completes the program.
199199 D. The division may suspend or revoke a license for
200200 good cause, as provided by rule. The grader shall be given
201201 notice of the reason for suspension and revocation and given
202202 the opportunity for a hearing. Procedures for the notice,
203203 hearing and final decision shall follow the procedures of the
204204 Uniform Licensing Act. A final agency decision may be appealed
205205 as provided in Section 39-3-1.1 NMSA 1978.
206206 SECTION 4. [NEW MATERIAL] STRUCTURAL WOOD GRADE
207207 CERTIFICATE--USE OF STRUCTURAL WOOD IN CONSTRUCTION.--
208208 A. A grader shall prepare a written certificate for
209209 any structural wood that has been graded and shall provide the
210210 certificate to the purchaser of the structural wood. The
211211 certificate shall include the following information:
212212 (1) verification that the structural wood was
213213 milled in a manner that meets the applicable building code
214214 requirements for the type of structure and the location in
215215 which the structural wood is to be used;
216216 (2) the name of the wood species;
217217 (3) the quantity of wood graded and certified;
218218 (4) the location where the wood is to be used;
219219 (5) the name and location of the commercial
220220 sawmill where the wood was processed;
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249249 (6) the name of the grader;
250250 (7) the date on which the wood was cut and
251251 processed;
252252 (8) the date on which the wood was graded; and
253253 (9) the moisture content of the wood at the
254254 time of grading.
255255 B. A grader shall only grade and certify structural
256256 wood that was milled in a commercial sawmill that the grader
257257 owns or is employed by.
258258 C. Structural wood that has been graded and
259259 certified in-state may be used in all housing in the state.
260260 D. The end user of structural wood that has been
261261 graded and certified in-state shall provide the written
262262 certificate to the building inspector in lieu of a grade stamp.
263263 Wood that has been graded and certified in-state is equivalent
264264 to structural wood grade stamped by an accredited lumber
265265 grading or inspection agency.
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