# New Mexico SB 161: BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR DMA EMPLOYEES

New Mexico SB 161, BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR DMA EMPLOYEES, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Michael Padilla (Democratic); status failed (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB161-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: New Mexico SB 161
- State: New Mexico
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR DMA EMPLOYEES
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-28
- Last action: unknown
- Sponsor: Michael Padilla (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (30 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Michael Padilla (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Harold Pope (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-13 | Senate | Final Senate Vote | pass | 30 | 0 |   |

## Actions (7)

- 2025-03-05: HLVMC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (House)
- 2025-02-21: Sent to HLVMC - Referrals: HLVMC/HJC (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Passed in the Senate - Y:30 N:0 (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: SFC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: SJC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate)
- 2025-01-28: Sent to SJC - Referrals: SJC/SFC (Senate)
- undated: Action Postponed Indefinitely (legislature)

## Bill text

- HLVMC Committee Report 3/05/25, 2025-03-05: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161LV1.pdf)
- SFC Committee Report 2/11/25, 2025-02-11: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161FC1.pdf)
- SJC Committee Report 2/03/25, 2025-02-03: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161JU1.pdf)
- Introduced, 2025-01-28: [HTML](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161.html), [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161.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
- [HLVMC Committee Report 3/05/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161LV1.pdf)
- [SFC Committee Report 2/11/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161FC1.pdf)
- [SJC Committee Report 2/03/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161JU1.pdf)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161.html)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0161.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-SB161-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).