SESSION LENGTH & BILL CONSIDERATION, CA

SJR04

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 4

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

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. López
and
Shannon D. Pinto

and
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez

A JOINT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING TO AMEND ARTICLE 4, SECTION 5 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF
NEW MEXICO BY CHANGING THE LENGTH OF LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS IN
EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS TO SIXTY DAYS, REMOVING THE RESTRICTIONS ON
BILLS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS AND
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF VETO OVERRIDES FOR BILLS OF A
REGULAR, A SPECIAL OR AN EXTRAORDINARY LEGISLATIVE SESSION
WITHIN THE SAME LEGISLATIVE 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 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 days
]. No special session of the legislature
shall exceed thirty days.

B. Every regular 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
]

a special or an 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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