At the beginning of the third week of the #nmleg, there is a lot of movement on our priorities. Thank you to all our legislative sponsors, organizational partners (especially Planned Parenthood, Transgender Resource Center of NM, Strong Families NM, and Young Women United), and all of our members/volunteers/supporters for your work to help the first two weeks of the session to be a success!
What's up with our legislation? Check it out here:
SENATE BILL 20: SEX DESIGNATION ON VITAL RECORDS <<< click for more information.
Sponsored by: Sen. Candelaria and Rep. D. Armstrong, CoSponsored by Sen. Sedillo Lopez
SB 20 passed Senate Public Affairs Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee and yesterday, PASSED the Senate floor by a vote of 26-13, with bi-partisan report. Next up, the House of Representatives!
SB 20 allows transgender, gender expansive, gender nonconforming, non binary New Mexicans to confirm their gender on their NM birth certificate, without the requirement of surgery. It allows folks to change the gender marker to an "M", an "F", or an "X".
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SENATE BILL 159: PROHIBIT CERTAIN LEGAL DEFENSES <<< click for more information.
Sponsored by: Sen. Candelaria
SB 20 passed the Senate Public Affairs committe yesterday and moves on to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Click the link above to sign our petition and to stay tuned for opportunities to engaged on this bill.
SB 159 would end the practice of allowing defendantes who admit to committing a violent crime against someone who is LGBTQ+ to plead for a lesser sentence, even for cases of murder. Our community continues to be the target of violence – particularly the transgender community – and hate crimes are at a recent high.
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SENATE BILL 227: ADDITIONAL UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE <<< click for more information.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stefanics
Awaiting hearing in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. Click the link above to sign our petition and to stay tuned for opportunities to engaged on this bill.
SB 227 would affirm equal protection promises by removing language in the Human Rights Code that gives small businesses (14 or less employees) a license to discriminate against their LGBTQ+ employees. That means you can be fired, disciplined, demoted, or discriminated against--and it's time for that to change.
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SENATE BILL 288: SAFE SCHOOLS FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT <<< click for more information.
Sponsored by: Sen. Soules
SB 288 has it's first hearing in the Senate Education Committee TODAY. Click the link above to sign our petition and to stay tuned for opportunities to engaged on this bill.
SB 288 repeals the current bullying prevention law and replaces it with language that would work to make sure that that transgender students are fully included in the policy, contributing to improving learning outcomes, attendance, and graduation rates.
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Newly introduced legislation – read it here:
HOUSE BILL 388: GENDER FREE RESTROOMS <<< click for more information.
Sponsored by: Rep. Rubio
Bill was introduced and awaits hearing in the House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee. Read the bill and to stay tuned for opportunities to engaged on this bill.
Gender-neutral restrooms offer a safe, private facility for people with disabilities, families, and the transgender/LGBQ communities to do their business. HB 388 simply requires that single-stall and/or single-occupancy bathrooms have gender-neutral signage.
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SENATE BILL 430: EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT DEMOGRAPHIC INFO COLLECTION <<< click for more information.
Sponsored by: Sen. Candelaria
Bill was introduced and is awaiting hearing in the Senate Public Affairs Committee. Read the bill and and to stay tuned for opportunities to engaged on this bill.
This is the "database to make our case" for ending improving outcomes and decreasing disparities in the delivery of services and benefits by state government. Requires certain state-level departments to collect sexual orientation and gender identity data, as guided by the Department of Health, when collecting other voluntary demographic data, and for any of that data to remain unable to be personally identifiable.
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