# New Mexico HB 8: CRIMINAL COMPETENCY & TREATMENT

New Mexico HB 8, CRIMINAL COMPETENCY & TREATMENT, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Christine Chandler (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-02-27 (Signed by Governor - Chapter 4 - Feb. 27) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB8-2025
- 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 8
- State: New Mexico
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: CRIMINAL COMPETENCY & TREATMENT
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-10
- Last action: 2025-02-27, Signed by Governor - Chapter 4 - Feb. 27
- Sponsor: Christine Chandler (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (86 yes, 23 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 8

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Fentanyl traffickers face longer prison sentences: cost, medium. A separate court or jury finding allows added prison time for possessing fentanyl in connection with trafficking. The increase is up to three years for 100–500 pills, capsules, or tablets, or 10–50 grams of powder. It is up to five years for more than 500 pills, capsules, or tablets, or more than 5…
- Repeat vehicle offenders face higher felonies: cost, medium. Covered crimes include unlawful vehicle taking, embezzlement, obtaining vehicles by fraud, and receiving or transferring stolen or unlawfully taken vehicles. A first offense is a fourth-degree felony, a second is a third-degree felony, and a third or later offense is a second-degree felony. Prior o…
- Felony penalties for unlawful gun-conversion devices: cost, low. Knowingly possessing or transporting an unlawfully obtained weapon conversion device is a third-degree felony. The device is a part or set of parts designed and intended to turn a semiautomatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon.
- Malicious shooting threats carry felony penalties: cost, low. An intentional, malicious shooting threat is a fourth-degree felony when the required purpose and result are present. The person must communicate a serious intent to bring a firearm to property or use it. The purpose must be to cause fear of great bodily harm, disrupt a public building’s use, or tr…
- Blood tests require qualified medical staff: mixed, low. Only physicians, licensed professional or practical nurses, emergency medical technicians, certified phlebotomists, or hospital- or physician-employed technologists may draw blood for chemical tests. For tests directed by police, judicial, or probation officers, staff, helpers, and hospitals receiv…
- Commitment proceedings for defendants with disabilities: mixed, low. New Mexico’s Health Department must start involuntary commitment proceedings for some defendants with developmental or intellectual disabilities. A court must find them unable to stand trial, with no substantial chance of regaining that ability within nine months. The Department must find a likelih…
- Defendant evaluations can start treatment proceedings: mixed, low. Competency reports must say whether defendants found unable to stand trial qualify for involuntary commitment or court-ordered outpatient treatment. The report must address relevant clinical and safety factors. Courts can authorize prosecutors or the Health Department to use reports from examinatio…
- Prosecutors can seek court-ordered outpatient treatment: mixed, low. District attorneys and New Mexico’s attorney general can petition for court-ordered outpatient treatment. They must file where the person is present or reasonably believed present, in a court with a participating local-government agreement. Petitions need factual support and a professional affidavi…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Christine Chandler (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Charlotte Little (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Cynthia Borrego (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Joy Garratt (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kathleen Cates (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-21 | Senate | Final Senate Vote | pass | 38 | 3 |   |
| 2025-02-15 | House | Final House Vote | pass | 48 | 20 |   |

## Actions (9)

- 2025-02-27: Signed by Governor - Chapter 4 - Feb. 27 (Senate)
- 2025-02-22: House has concurred with Senate Amendments (House)
- 2025-02-21: Passed in the Senate - Y:38 N:3 (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: multiple floor amendments (legislature)
- 2025-02-20: SJC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation with amendment(s) (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Sent to SJC - Referrals: SJC (Senate)
- 2025-02-15: Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:48 N:20 (House)
- 2025-02-13: HJC: Reported by committee with Do Not Pass but with a Do Pass recommendation on Committee Substitution (House)
- 2025-02-10: Sent to HJC - Referrals: HJC (Senate)

## Bill text

- Final Version, 2025-02-28: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0008.pdf)
- Senate Floor Amendment 1 2/21/25, 2025-02-21: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008FS1.pdf)
- Senate Floor Amendment 3 2/21/25, 2025-02-21: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008FS3.pdf)
- SJC Committee Report 2/20/25, 2025-02-20: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008JU1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Report 2/13/25, 2025-02-13: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008JC1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Substitute 2/13/25, 2025-02-13: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008JCS.pdf)
- Introduced, 2025-02-10: [HTML](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008.html), [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008.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/HB0008.pdf)
- [Senate Floor Amendment 1 2/21/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008FS1.pdf)
- [Senate Floor Amendment 3 2/21/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008FS3.pdf)
- [SJC Committee Report 2/20/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008JU1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Report 2/13/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008JC1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Substitute 2/13/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008JCS.pdf)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008.html)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0008.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-HB8-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).