01/22/2026
From our amazing Legislative Committee
NM LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS TUESDAY
The thirty-day State of New Mexico 57th Legislative Second Session begins Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at noon. Legislators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham will not have the monies they have had in the last boom years to fund legislation. Technically, the only bill legislators are required to pass during a short session is a new spending bill for the fiscal year that begins July 1st. With time at a premium in a 30-day session the debate on what to fund will be intense.
The Educational Retirement Board is recommending one piece of legislation, House Bill 40, Temporary ERB Payment. It was pre-filed on January 6th and is sponsored by Representative Cynthia Borrego. This legislation appropriates $65.5 million from the general fund and proposes to provide ALL ERB retirees and eligible beneficiaries with a non-compounding 13th check equal to 2 percent of their annualized benefit, in fiscal years 2027 and 2028. This proposal is like House Bill 41, which applies to PERA retirees and is also sponsored by Representative Borrego.
You can count on your UNM Retiree Association to alert you if any other bills arise during the session that concerns retirement benefits for active or retired members.
UNM has a long list of priorities for this session to advance health care, campus public safety, workforce development, and statewide opportunities. Go here to read more about these investments in our students, research, and workforce.
https://news.unm.edu/news/unms-2026-legislative-priorities-advance-health-care-public-safety-workforce-development-and-statewide-opportunity
https://govrel.unm.edu/state-legislative-sessions/2026/index.html
Ahead of the session, legislators can pre-file legislation from January 2nd through January 16th prior to the opening session. Pre-filed legislation by the House Representatives has numbers assigned to them and you can view them at the legislature’s website. NMLegis.gov
Senate pre-filed legislation
Pre-filed legislation for the state senators is not assigned a bill number until the session begins, January 20. You can view the Senate legislation listed in an index form that is updated daily
nmlegis.gov/Sessions/26%20Regular/bills/senate/prefile/Index%20of%202026%20Senate%20Prefiles.pdf
House pre-filed legislation
https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation_List
ERB Legislation:
HB 40, Sponsor, Representative Cynthia Borrego, ERB Member Temporary Payment
Synopsis: Appropriates $65.5 million from the general fund and proposes to provide ALL ERB retirees and eligible beneficiaries with a non-compounding 13th check equal to 2 percent of their annualized benefit, in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
PERA Legislation:
HB 41, Sponsor, Representative Cynthia Borrego, PERA Member Temporary Payment
Synopsis: Appropriates $70 million from the general fund and proposes to provide ALL ERB retirees and eligible beneficiaries with a non-compounding 13th check equal to 2 percent of their annualized benefit, in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
SB, Sponsors Senators Michael Padilla and Peter Wirth
Synopsis: Relating to public employee retirement; repealing and reenacting a section of the public employee retirement act relating to cost-of-living adjustment provisions for qualified pension recipients; providing cost-of-living adjustments that are equal to social security and supplemental security income cost-of-living adjustments; making an appropriation.
SB, Sponsor, Senator David Gallegos
Synopsis: Relating to public employee retirement; including public safety telecommunicators as police members under the public employee retirement act; providing for elections pertaining to the adoption of the police member coverage plans for current public safety telecommunicators.
Please stay tuned for future updates!
IT IS UP TO ALL OF US, RETIREES AND THOSE STILL WORKING, TO PROTECT OUR BENEFITS!!! WHAT CAN YOU DO??
• Track the bill – State bill finder site - https://nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Bill_Finder
• Sign up with UNM Government and Community Relations to receive bill updates and alerts – https://govrel.unm.edu/updates/index.html.
• UNM 2026 Legislative Priorities – 2026 Legislative Session:: Office of Government & Community Relations | The University of New Mexico
• Know your state senators' and representatives' contact information before you really need it - Find your legislator by address - https://www.nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_By_Address
• Write, call, or tweet legislators - CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD - (505-986-4300) & nmlegis
Committee testimonies and comments can be made in person or via zoom. You can watch floor and committee hearings by the public via webcast. If you are planning on going to the Roundhouse to visit a legislator or attend a session in the House or Senate, please follow all Roundhouse guidelines.
2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION CALENDAR:
• Friday, January 2 – Friday, January 16 - Legislation may be pre-filed.
• Tuesday, January 20 - Opening day (noon)
• Wednesday, February 4 - Deadline for introduction (Note: Legislation filed as a dummy bill can be introduced at any time.)
• Thursday, 19 - Session ends (noon)
• Wednesday, March 11 - Legislation not acted upon by the governor is pocket vetoed.
• Wednesday, May 20 - The effective date of legislation, not a general appropriation bill or a bill carrying an emergency clause or other specified date.
