SESSION LENGTH AND BILL CONSIDERATION, CA

HJR06

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6

57
th legislature
- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
second session
, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Matthew McQueen
and
Rod Montoya

A JOINT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 4, SECTION 5 OF THE
CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO DIVIDE THE CURRENT NUMBER OF DAYS
FOR EACH LEGISLATIVE BIENNIUM EQUALLY BETWEEN TWO REGULAR
LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS NOT TO EXCEED FORTY-FIVE DAYS EACH,
PROVIDE THAT ALL BILLS MAY BE CONSIDERED IN EVEN-NUMBERED
YEARS, CHANGE THE START DATE OF LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AND
PROVIDE FOR CONSIDERATION OF VETO OVERRIDES FOR BILLS OF A
REGULAR, SPECIAL OR EXTRAORDINARY LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITHIN
THE SAME BIENNIUM.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1.
It is proposed to amend Article 4, Section 5
of the constitution of New Mexico to read:

"A. Each regular session of the legislature shall
begin annually at 12:00 noon on the [
third
]
second
Tuesday of
January. Every regular session of the legislature [
convening
during an odd-numbered year shall remain in session not to
exceed sixty days, and every regular session of the legislature
convening during an even-numbered year
] shall remain in session
not to exceed [
thirty
]
forty-five
days. No special session of
the legislature shall exceed thirty days.

B. Every regular
or extraordinary
session of the
legislature [
convening during an even-numbered year shall
consider only the following:

(1) budgets, appropriations and revenue bills;

(2) bills drawn pursuant to special messages
of the governor; and

(3)
]
may consider for veto override
bills of
[
the last previous
]
a
regular, [
session vetoed by the governor
]

special or extraordinary session within the same legislative
biennium
."

SECTION 2.
The amendment proposed by this resolution
shall be submitted to the people for their approval or
rejection at the next general election or at any special
election prior to that date that may be called for that
purpose.

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