Thanks to your support many of DPANM’s proposals successfully passed during the 2009 Legislative Session.

Ban Bias-Based Racial Profiling in New Mexico

House Bill 428 passed the NM legislature on the final day of the legislative session. The bill officially bans bias-based profiling in New Mexico by making sure law enforcement agencies implement policies and procedures to prohibit and prevent bias-based profiling from occurring. The bill also allows for oversight and investigation of profiling complaints by the Attorney General’s office. 

Improve Access to Medication Assisted Treatment

New Mexico legislators affirmed their support for substance abuse treatment by passing HM 9 early in the legislative session. House Memorial 9 calls for the creation of a medication assisted treatment task force to address ways state agencies may better coordinate existing resources to improve access to methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone for people struggling with heroin or opioid addiction.

A New Bottom Line for Drug Policy in New Mexico

Senate Memorial 71 successfully passed the legislature and will create a taskforce to examine our current approach to drug policy, its costs, and whether New Mexico could get a better return on our investment by also using a public health approach to drugs and drug use. 

Prevent After-Detention Overdoses

Members of the House unanimously passed House Memorial 38, which requires detention centers to work with state public health agencies to increase access to overdose prevention services and substance abuse treatment services. This is an excellent first step to assist people who have drug addictions successfully reenter the community following their release from jail.

Building Healthy Families by Promoting Drug Treatment

Senate Memorial 19 will bring together a taskforce to address how to protect both women and fetuses by affirming treatment, instead of prosecution, for women struggling with drug addiction during their pregnancies.

Medical Cannabis Law Enforcement Policy

Continued support for medical marijuana was shown at the legislature this year when Senate Memorial 69 passed on the Senate Floor. SM 69 calls upon the federal government to protect medical marijuana patients in states that have medical marijuana laws. The memorial also calls on New Mexico's congressional delegation to support any federal legislation that would protect the state's medical marijuana patients.

Treatment instead of Incarceration

This proposal (HB 441) offered substance abuse treatment in lieu of incarceration for people arrested for drug possession and people with drug-related probation and/or parole violations. The bill died in the House Judiciary Committee after much debate and consideration from members.

Click here for more information on treatment instead of incarceration.

Remove Barriers to Employment for People with Criminal Convictions

This employment reentry proposal (SB 459) sought to "ban the box" on public job applications asking if a person has a criminal conviction. This is the first year this type of legislation was introduced, and the bill amazingly made it from the Senate all the way to the House Floor where it was never heard as the legislative session came to an end.

Check out the details for this proposal here.

Voting Rights for All New Mexicans

People with criminal convictions are unfairly being denied the right to register to vote. HB 651 proposed to eliminate the lengthy and ineffective voter registration methods previously instated, and make sure everyone in New Mexico who is eligible to vote, receives the right to vote. This bill died in the House Judiciary Committee.

Get Involved

• Join our email list to get up-to-date information on the legislative session and how you can get involved to pass these important proposals.
• Visit our 2009 Legislative Toolkit page to get resources on how to be an effective advocate!