# New Mexico HB 308: REMOVE MRGCD FROM LOCAL ELECTION ACT

New Mexico HB 308, REMOVE MRGCD FROM LOCAL ELECTION ACT, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Derrick J. Lente (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-03-21 (Signed by Governor - Chapter 21 - Mar. 21) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB308-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: New Mexico HB 308
- State: New Mexico
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: REMOVE MRGCD FROM LOCAL ELECTION ACT
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-05
- Last action: 2025-03-21, Signed by Governor - Chapter 21 - Mar. 21
- Sponsor: Derrick J. Lente (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (93 yes, 6 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Landowners keep district voting access: benefit, low. For elections under Sections 73-18-25 through 73-18-43, voters need neither voter registration nor state, county, or precinct residence. Other voter qualifications still apply, and general election laws otherwise govern. The law preserves one director-at-large vote for qualified district residents…
- District candidates face filing and signature rules: cost, low. Middle Rio Grande candidates must file at least 60 days before the election and meet elector and residency requirements. County-seat candidates need 75 qualified signatures from county residents; at-large candidates need 125 qualified elector signatures. Under Sections 73-14-54 through 73-14-69, qu…
- Landowners face district voter eligibility checks: cost, low. For the specified district elections, voters must be at least 18 and have owned qualifying district property for six months. The property must be subject to district appraisals, assessments, levies, and taxes; community or separate ownership counts. Recognized pueblo titleholders also qualify under…
- District boards control their election rules: mixed, low. The law excludes counties and Conservancy Act districts from the Local Election Act and takes effect immediately. Conservancy districts follow their own election laws instead. District boards, including Middle Rio Grande, can set reasonable rules for notices, polling places, ballots, and mail or ab…
- District election dates retain canal limits: mixed, low. Beginning in 2025, Middle Rio Grande board elections fall on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in October. They repeat in each odd-numbered year. On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, the district must publish election and candidate-filing information. Districts governed by Sec…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Derrick J. Lente (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: D. Wonda Johnson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Gail Armstrong (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Pat Woods (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-16 | Senate | Final Senate Vote | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-05 | House | Final House Vote | pass | 55 | 6 |   |

## Actions (9)

- 2025-03-21: Signed by Governor - Chapter 21 - Mar. 21 (Senate)
- 2025-03-16: Passed in the Senate - Y:38 N:0 (Senate)
- 2025-03-13: SCONC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: SRC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: Sent to SRC - Referrals: SRC/SCONC (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:55 N:6 (House)
- 2025-03-01: HJC: Reported by committee with Do Not Pass but with a Do Pass recommendation on Committee Substitution (House)
- 2025-02-15: HGEIC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (House)
- 2025-02-05: Sent to HGEIC - Referrals: HGEIC/HJC (Senate)

## Bill text

- Final Version, 2025-03-22: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0308.pdf)
- SCONC Committee Report 3/13/25, 2025-03-13: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308CO1.pdf)
- SRC Committee Report 3/07/25, 2025-03-07: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308RU1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Report 3/01/25, 2025-03-01: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308JC1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Substitute 3/01/25, 2025-03-01: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308JCS.pdf)
- HGEIC Committee Report 2/15/25, 2025-02-15: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308GE1.pdf)
- Introduced, 2025-02-05: [HTML](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308.html), [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025 (signed)
- SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE (signed)
- SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES (signed)
- SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE (signed)
- SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK (signed)
- HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES (signed)

## Sources
- [Final Version (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0308.pdf)
- [SCONC Committee Report 3/13/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308CO1.pdf)
- [SRC Committee Report 3/07/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308RU1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Report 3/01/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308JC1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Substitute 3/01/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308JCS.pdf)
- [HGEIC Committee Report 2/15/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308GE1.pdf)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308.html)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0308.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB2-2025)
- [SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB45-2025)
- [SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB343-2025)
- [SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB345-2025)
- [SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB133-2025)
- [HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB157-2025)
- [New Mexico bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico/bills)
- [New Mexico state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB308-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).