Constitution of New Mexico (2025 publisher edition) — ARTICLE IV

Publisher edition notice: This collection preserves the complete Secretary of State's 2025 compilation, identifying amendments through 2024, including the publisher's source notes and annotations. Later amendments have not been independently verified.

ARTICLE IV

ARTICLE IV Legislative Department Sec. 1. Vesting of legislative power; location of sessions; referendum on legislation. 2. Powers generally; disaster emergency pro- cedure.

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17© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department 3. Number and qualifications of members; single-member districts; reapportion- ment. 4. Terms of office of members; time of elec- tion; filling of vacancies. 5. Time and length of sessions; items consid- ered in even-numbered years. 6. Special session; extraordinary session. 7. Judge of election and qualification of mem- bers; quorum. 8. Call to order; presiding officers. 9. Selection and compensation of officers and employees. 10. Compensation of members. 11. Rules of procedure; contempt or disor- derly conduct; expulsion of members. 12. Public sessions; journals. 13. Privileges and immunities. 14. Adjournment. 15. Laws to be passed by bill; alteration of bill; enacting clause; printing and read- ing of bill. 16. Subject of bill in title; appropriation bills. 17. Passage of bills. 18. Amendment of statutes. 19. Introduction of bills. 20. Enrollment, engrossment and signing of bills. 21. Alteration or theft of bill. 22. Governor's approval or veto of bills. 23. Effective date of law; emergency acts. 24. Local or special laws. 25. Validating unauthorized official acts; fines against officers, etc.

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18© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department Sec. 26. Grant of franchise or privilege. 27. Extra or increased compensation for offi- cers, contractors, etc. 28. Appointment of present and former legis- lators to office; interest of legislators in contracts. 29. Laws creating debts. 30. Payments from treasury to be upon appro- priations and warrant. 31. Appropriations for charitable, educa- tional, etc., purposes. 32. Remission of debts due state or munici- palities. 33. Prosecutions under repealed laws. 34. Change of rights or procedure in pending cases. 35. Power and procedure for impeachment and trial. 36. Officers subject to impeachment. 37. Railroad passes. 38. Monopolies. 39. "Bribery" and "solicitation" defined. 40. Penalty for bribery. 41. Compelling testimony in bribery cases. 42. Hearings on confirmation of gubernatorial appointments. Section 1. [Vesting of legislative power; location of sessions; referendum on legislation.] The legislative power shall be vested in a senate and house of representatives which

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19© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department shall be designated the legislature of the state of New Mexico, and shall hold its ses- sions at the seat of government. The people reserve the power to disap- prove, suspend and annul any law enacted by the legislature, except general appropri- ation laws; laws providing for the preserva- tion of the public peace, health or safety; for the payment of the public debt or interest thereon, or the creation or funding of the same, except as in this constitution other- wise provided; for the maintenance of the public schools or state institutions, and lo- cal or special laws. Petitions disapproving any law other than those above excepted, enacted at the last preceding session of the legislature, shall be filed with the secretary of state not less than four months prior to the next general election. Such petitions shall be signed by not less than ten per centum of the qualified electors of each of three-fourths of the counties and in the aggregate by not less than ten per centum of the qualified electors of the state, as shown by the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general election. The question of the approval or rejection of such law shall be submitted by the secretary of state to the electorate at the next general election; and if a majority of

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20© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department the legal votes cast thereon, and not less than forty per centum of the total number of legal votes cast at such general election, be cast for the rejection of such law, it shall be annulled and thereby repealed with the same effect as if the legislature had then re- pealed it, and such repeal shall revive any law repealed by the act so annulled; other- wise, it shall remain in force unless subse- quently repealed by the legislature. If such petition or petitions be signed by not less than twenty-five per centum of the qualified electors under each of the foregoing condi- tions, and be filed with the secretary of state within ninety days after the adjournment of the session of the legislature at which such law was enacted, the operation thereof shall be thereupon suspended and the question of its approval or rejection shall be likewise submitted to a vote at the next ensuing gen- eral election. If a majority of the votes cast thereon and not less than forty per centum of the total number of votes cast at such general election be cast for its rejection, it shall be thereby annulled; otherwise, it shall go into effect upon publication of the cer- tificate of the secretary of state declaring the result of the vote thereon. It shall be a felony for any person to sign any such peti-

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21© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department tion with any name other than his own, or to sign his name more than once for the same measure, or to sign such petition when he is not a qualified elector in the county spec- ified in such petition; provided, that noth- ing herein shall be construed to prohibit the writing thereon of the name of any person who cannot write, and who signs the same with his mark. The legislature shall enact laws necessary for the effective exercise of the power hereby reserved. Sec. 2. [Powers generally; disaster emergency procedure.] In addition to the powers herein enumer- ated, the legislature shall have all powers necessary to the legislature of a free state, including the power to enact reasonable and appropriate laws to guarantee the continu- ity and effective operation of state and local government by providing emergency proce- dure for use only during periods of disaster emergency. A disaster emergency is defined as a period when damage or injury to per- sons or property in this state, caused by en- emy attack, is of such magnitude that a state of martial law is declared to exist in the state, and a disaster emergency is declared

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22© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department by the chief executive officer of the United States and the chief executive officer of this state, and the legislature has not declared by joint resolution that the disaster emergency is ended. Upon the declaration of a disaster emergency the chief executive of the state shall within seven days call a special ses- sion of the legislature which shall remain in continuous session during the disaster emergency, and may recess from time to time for [not] more than three days. (As amended November 8, 1960.) Sec. 3. [Number and qualifications of members; single-member districts; reapportionment.] A. Senators shall not be less than twenty- five years of age and representa- tives not less than twenty-one years of age at the time of their election. If any senator or representative permanently removes his residence from or maintains no residence in the district from which he was elected, then he shall be deemed to have resigned and his successor shall be selected as provided in Section 4 of this article. No person shall be eligible to serve in the legislature who, at the time of qualifying, holds any office of

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23© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department trust or profit with the state, county or na- tional governments, except notaries public and officers of the militia who receive no salary. B. The senate shall be composed of no more than forty-two members elected from single- member districts. C. The house of representatives shall be composed of no more than seventy mem- bers elected from single-member districts. D. Once following publication of the official report of each federal decennial cen- sus hereafter conducted, the legislature may by statute reapportion its membership. (As repealed and reenacted November 2, 1976.) Sec. 4. [Terms of office of members; time of election; filling of vacancies.] Members of the legislature shall be elected as follows: those senators from Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Grant, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Sandoval, San Juan, San Miguel, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union and Valencia counties for a term of six years starting January 1, 1961, and af- ter serving such terms shall be elected for a term of four years thereafter; those sen- ators from all other counties for the terms

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24© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department of four years, and members of the house of representatives for a term of two years. They shall be elected on the day provided by law for holding the general election of state officers or representatives in congress. If a vacancy occurs in the office of senator or member of the house of representatives, for any reason, the county commissioners of the county wherein the vacancy occurs shall fill such vacancy by appointment. Such legislative appointments as pro- vided in this section shall be for a term end- ing on December 31, subsequent to the next succeeding general election. (As amended September 15, 1953, and November 8, 1960.) Sec. 5. [Time and length of sessions; items considered in even-numbered years.] A. Each regular session of the legisla- ture 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 ses- sion not to exceed sixty days, and every regular session of the legislature convening during an even- numbered year shall remain

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25© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department in session not to exceed thirty days. No spe- cial session of the legislature shall exceed thirty days. B. Every regular session of the legis- lature convening during an even-numbered year shall consider only the following: (1) budgets, appropriations and revenue bills; (2) bills drawn pursuant to special mes- sages of the governor; and (3) bills of the last previous regular ses- sion vetoed by the governor. (As amended November 5, 1940, November 5, 1946, and November 3, 1964.) Sec. 6. [Special session; extraordinary session.] Special sessions of the legislature may be called by the governor, but no business shall be transacted except such as relates to the objects specified in this proclamation. Provided, however, that when three-fifths of the members elected to the house of rep- resentatives and three-fifths of the members elected to the senate shall have certified to the governor of the state of New Mexico that in their opinion an emergency exists in the affairs of the state of New Mexico, it

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26© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department shall thereupon be the duty of said governor and mandatory upon him, within five days from the receipt of such certificate or certifi- cates, to convene said legislature in extraor- dinary session for all purposes; and in the event said governor shall, within said time, Sundays excluded, fail or refuse to convene said legislature as aforesaid, then and in that event said legislature may convene itself in extraordinary session, as if convened in regular session, for all purposes, provided that such extraordinary self-convened ses- sion shall be limited to a period of thirty days, unless at the expiration of said period, there shall be pending an impeachment trial of some officer of the state government, in which event the legislature shall be autho- rized to remain in session until such trial shall have been completed. (As amended November 2, 1948.) Sec. 7. [Judge of election and qualification of members; quorum.] Each house shall be the judge of the elec- tion and qualifications of its own members. A majority of either house shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a less number may effect a temporary organization, ad-

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27© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department journ from day to day and compel the atten- dance of absent members. Sec. 8. [Call to order; presiding officers.] The senate shall be called to order in the hall of the senate by the lieutenant governor. The senate shall elect a president pro tem- pore who shall preside in the absence of the lieutenant governor and shall serve until the next session of the legislature. The house of representatives shall be called to order in the hall of said house by the secretary of state. He shall preside until the election of a speaker, who shall be the member receiving the highest number of votes for that office. Sec. 9. [Selection and compensation of officers and employees.] The legislature shall select its own offi- cers and employees and fix their compen- sation. Each house shall have one chaplain, one chief clerk and one sergeant at arms; and there shall be one assistant chief clerk and one assistant sergeant at arms for each house; and each house may employ such enrolling clerks, reading clerks, stenogra- phers, janitors and such subordinate em-

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28© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department ployees in addition to those enumerated, as they may reasonably require and their com- pensation shall be fixed by the said legisla- ture at the beginning of each session. (As amended November 2, 1948.) Sec. 10. [Compensation of members.] Each member of the legislature shall re- ceive: A. per diem at the internal revenue ser- vice per diem rate for the city of Santa Fe for each day's attendance during each ses- sion of the legislature and the internal rev- enue service standard mileage rate for each mile traveled in going to and returning from the seat of government by the usual traveled route, once each session as defined by Arti- cle 4, Section 5 of this constitution; B. per diem expense and mileage at the same rates as provided in Subsection A of this section for service at meetings required by legislative committees established by the legislature to meet in the interim between sessions; and C. no other compensation, perquisite or allowance. (As amended November 7, 1944, September 15, 1953, November 2, 1971, November 2, 1982 and November 5, 1996.)

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29© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department Sec. 11. [Rules of procedure; contempt or disorderly conduct; expulsion of members.] Each house may determine the rules of its procedure, punish its members or others for contempt or disorderly behavior in its presence and protect its members against violence; and may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members, expel a mem- ber, but not a second time for the same act. Punishment for contempt or disorderly be- havior or by expulsion shall not be a bar to criminal prosecution. Sec. 12. [Public sessions; journals.] All sessions of each house shall be public. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceed- ings and the yeas and nays on any questions shall, at the request of one-fifth of the mem- bers present, be entered thereon. The original thereof shall be filed with the secretary of state at the close of the session, and shall be printed and published under his authority. Sec. 13. [Privileges and immunities.] Members of the legislature shall, in all cases except treason, felony and breach of

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30© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the sessions of their re- spective houses, and on going to and re- turning from the same. And they shall not be questioned in any other place for any speech or debate or for any vote cast in ei- ther house. Sec. 14. [Adjournment.] Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, Sundays excepted; nor to any other place than that where the two houses are sitting; and on the day of the final adjourn- ment they shall adjourn at twelve o'clock, noon. Sec. 15. [Laws to be passed by bill; alteration of bill; enacting clause; printing and reading of bill.] No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so altered or amended on its passage through either house as to change its original purpose. The enacting clause of all bills shall be: "Be it enacted by the legislature of the state of New Mexico." Any bill may originate in either house. No bill, except bills to provide for the public

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31© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department peace, health and safety, and the codifica- tion or revision of the laws, shall become a law unless it has been printed, and read three different times in each house, not more than two of which readings shall be on the same day, and the third of which shall be in full. Sec. 16. [Subject of bill in title; appropriation bills.] The subject of every bill shall be clearly expressed in its title, and no bill embracing more than one subject shall be passed except general appropriation bills and bills for the codification or revision of the laws; but if any subject is embraced in any act which is not expressed in its title, only so much of the act as is not so expressed shall be void. Gen- eral appropriation bills shall embrace noth- ing but appropriations for the expense of the executive, legislative and judiciary depart- ments, interest, sinking fund, payments on the public debt, public schools and other ex- penses required by existing laws; but if any such bill contain any other matter, only so much thereof as is hereby forbidden to be placed therein shall be void. All other appro- priations shall be made by separate bills.

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32© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department Sec. 17. [Passage of bills.] No bill shall be passed except by a vote of a majority of the members present in each house, nor unless on its final passage a vote be taken by yeas and nays, and entered on the journal. Sec. 18. [Amendment of statutes.] No law shall be revised or amended, or the provisions thereof extended by ref- erence to its title only; but each section thereof as revised, amended or extended shall be set out in full. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this constitution, the leg- islature, in any law imposing a tax or taxes, may define the amount on, in respect to or by which such tax or taxes are imposed or measured, by reference to any provision of the laws of the United States as the same may be or become effective at any time or from time to time, and may prescribe ex- ceptions or modifications to any such provi- sion. (As amended November 3, 1964.) Sec. 19. [Introduction of bills.] Time limitation on the introduction of bills at any session of the legislature shall

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33© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department be established by law. (As amended No- vember 8, 1932, and November 8, 1960.) Sec. 20. [Enrollment, engrossment and signing of bills.] Immediately after the passage of any bill or resolution, it shall be enrolled and en- grossed, and read publicly in full in each house, and thereupon shall be signed by the presiding officers of each house in open ses- sion, and the fact of such reading and sign- ing shall be entered on the journal. No inter- lineation or erasure in a signed bill, shall be effective, unless certified thereon in express terms by the presiding officer of each house quoting the words interlined or erased, nor unless the fact of the making of such inter- lineation or erasure be publicly announced in each house and entered on the journal. Sec. 21. [Alteration or theft of bill.] Any person who shall, without lawful au- thority, materially change or alter, or make away with, any bill pending in or passed by the legislature, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the peni-

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34© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department tentiary for not less than one year nor more than five years. Sec. 22. [Governor's approval or veto of bills.] Every bill passed by the legislature shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the governor for approval. If he approves, he shall sign it, and deposit it with the sec- retary of state; otherwise, he shall return it to the house in which it originated, with his objections, which shall be entered at large upon the journal; and such bill shall not be- come a law unless thereafter approved by two- thirds of the members present and vot- ing in each house by yea and nay vote en- tered upon its journal. Any bill not returned by the governor within three days, Sundays excepted, after being presented to him, shall become a law, whether signed by him or not, unless the legislature by adjournment prevent such return. Every bill presented to the governor during the last three days of the session shall be approved by him within twenty days after the adjournment and shall be by him immediately deposited with the secretary of state. Unless so approved and signed by him such bill shall not become a

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35© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department law. The governor may in like manner ap- prove or disapprove any part or parts, item or items, of any bill appropriating money, and such parts or items approved shall be- come a law, and such as are disapproved shall be void unless passed over his veto, as herein provided. (As amended Septem- ber 15, 1953.) Sec. 23. [Effective date of law; emergency acts.] Laws shall go into effect ninety days after the adjournment of the legislature enacting them, except general appropriation laws, which shall go into effect immediately upon their passage and approval. Any act necessary for the preservation of the pub- lic peace, health or safety, shall take effect immediately upon its passage and approval, provided it be passed by two-thirds vote of each house and such necessity be stated in a separate section. Sec. 24. [Local or special laws.] The legislature shall not pass local or special laws in any of the following cases: regulating county, precinct or district af-

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36© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department fairs; the jurisdiction and duties of justices of the peace, police magistrates and con- stables; the practice in courts of justice; the rate of interest on money; the punishment for crimes and misdemeanors; the assess- ment or collection of taxes or extending the time of collection thereof; the summoning and impaneling of jurors; the management of public schools; the sale or mortgaging of real estate of minors or others under disability; the change of venue in civil or criminal cases. Nor in the following cases: granting divorces; laying out, opening, al- tering or working roads or highways, except as to state roads extending into more than one county, and military roads; vacating roads, town plats, streets, alleys or public grounds; locating or changing county seats, or changing county lines, except in creating new counties; incorporating cities, towns or villages, or changing or amending the char- ter of any city, town or village; the opening or conducting of any election or designating the place of voting; declaring any person of age; chartering or licensing ferries, toll bridges, toll roads, banks, insurance compa- nies or loan and trust companies; remitting fines, penalties, forfeitures or taxes; or re- funding money paid into the state treasury,

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37© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department or relinquishing, extending or extinguish- ing, in whole or in part, any indebtedness or liability of any person or corporation, to the state or any municipality therein; creating, increasing or decreasing fees, percentages or allowances of public officers; changing the laws of descent; granting to any corpo- ration, association or individual the right to lay down railroad tracks or any special or exclusive privilege, immunity or franchise, or amending existing charters for such pur- pose; changing the rules of evidence in any trial or inquiry; the limitation of actions; giving effect to any informal or invalid deed, will or other instrument; exempting property from taxation; restoring to citi- zenship any person convicted of an infa- mous crime; the adoption or legitimizing of children; changing the name of persons or places; and the creation, extension or im- pairment of liens. In every other case where a general law can be made applicable, no special law shall be enacted. Sec. 25. [Validating unauthorized official acts; fines against officers, etc.] No law shall be enacted legalizing the unauthorized or invalid act of any officer,

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38© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department remitting any fine, penalty or judgment against any officer or validating any illegal use of public funds. Sec. 26. [Grant of franchise or privilege.] The legislature shall not grant to any cor- poration or person, any rights, franchises, privileges, immunities or exemptions, which shall not, upon the same terms and under like conditions, inure equally to all persons or corporations; no exclusive right, franchise, privilege or immunity shall be granted by the legislature or any municipal- ity in this state. Sec. 27. [Extra or increased compensation for officers, contractors, etc.] No law shall be enacted giving any ex- tra compensation to any public officer, ser- vant, agent or contractor after services are rendered or contract made; nor shall the compensation of any officer be increased or diminished during his term of office, except as otherwise provided in this con- stitution.

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39© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department Sec. 28. [Appointment of present and former legislators to office; interest of legislators in contracts.] No member of the legislature shall, during the term for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office in the state, nor shall he within one year thereafter be appointed to any civil office created, or the emoluments of which were increased during such term; nor shall any member of the legislature during the term for which he was elected nor within one year thereafter, be interested directly or indirectly in any contract with the state or any municipality thereof, which was authorized by any law passed during such term. Sec. 29. [Laws creating debts.] No law authorizing indebtedness shall be enacted which does not provide for levying a tax sufficient to pay the interest, and for the payment at maturity of the principal. Sec. 30. [Payments from treasury to be upon appropriations and warrant.] Except interest or other payments on the public debt, money shall be paid out of the

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40© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department treasury only upon appropriations made by the legislature. No money shall be paid therefrom except upon warrant drawn by the proper officer. Every law making an ap- propriation shall distinctly specify the sum appropriated and the object to which it is to be applied. Sec. 31. [Appropriations for charitable, educational, etc., purposes.] No appropriation shall be made for charitable, educational or other benevo- lent purposes to any person, corporation, association, institution or community, not under the absolute control of the state, but the legislature may, in its discretion, make appropriations for the charitable institutions and hospitals, for the maintenance of which annual appropriations were made by the legislative assembly of nineteen hundred and nine. Sec. 32. [Remission of debts due state or municipalities.] No obligation or liability of any person, association or corporation held or owned by or owing to the state, or any munici-

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41© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department pal corporation therein, shall ever be ex- changed, transferred, remitted, released, postponed or in any way diminished by the legislature, nor shall any such obligation or liability be extinguished except by the payment thereof into the proper treasury, or by proper proceeding in court. Provided that the obligations created by Special Session Laws 1955, Chapter 5, running to the state or any of its agencies, remaining unpaid on the effective date of this amend- ment are void. (As amended November 4, 1958.) Sec. 33. [Prosecutions under repealed laws.] No person shall be exempt from prose- cution and punishment for any crime or of- fenses against any law of this state by rea- son of the subsequent repeal of such law. Sec. 34. [Change of rights or procedure in pending cases.] No act of the legislature shall affect the right or remedy of either party, or change the rules of evidence or procedure, in any pending case.

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42© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department Sec. 35. [Power and procedure for impeachment and trial.] The sole power of impeachment shall be vested in the house of representatives, and a concurrence of a majority of all the members elected shall be necessary to the proper exer- cise thereof. All impeachments shall be tried by the senate. When sitting for that purpose the senators shall be under oath or affirma- tion to do justice according to the law and the evidence. When the governor or lieu- tenant governor is on trial, the chief justice of the supreme court shall preside. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators elected. Sec. 36. [Officers subject to impeachment.] All state officers and judges of the dis- trict court shall be liable to impeachment for crimes, misdemeanors and malfeasance in office, but judgment in such cases shall not extend further than removal from office and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or profit, or to vote under the laws of this state; but such officer or judge, whether convicted or acquitted shall, never- theless, be liable to prosecution, trial, judg-

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43© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department ment, punishment or civil action, according to law. No officer shall exercise any powers or duties of his office after notice of his im- peachment is served upon him until he is acquitted. Sec. 37. [Railroad passes.] It shall not be lawful for a member of the legislature to use a pass, or to purchase or receive transportation over any railroad upon terms not open to the general public; and the violation of this section shall work a forfeiture of the office. Sec. 38. [Monopolies.] The legislature shall enact laws to pre- vent trusts, monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade. Sec. 39. ["Bribery" and "solicitation" defined.] Any member of the legislature who shall vote or use his influence for or against any matter pending in either house in consid- eration of any money, thing of value or promise thereof, shall be deemed guilty of bribery; and any member of the legislature

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44© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department or other person who shall directly or in- directly offer, give or promise any money, thing of value, privilege or personal ad- vantage, to any member of the legislature to influence him to vote or work for or against any matter pending in either house; or any member of the legislature who shall solicit from any person or corporation any money, thing of value or personal advan- tage for his vote or influence as such mem- ber shall be deemed guilty of solicitation of bribery. Sec. 40. [Penalty for bribery.] Any person convicted of any of the of- fenses mentioned in Sections thirty-seven and thirty-nine hereof, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be punished by fine of not more than one thousand dollars [($1,000)] or by impris- onment in the penitentiary for not less than one nor more than five years. Sec. 41. [Compelling testimony in bribery cases.] Any person may be compelled to tes- tify in any lawful investigation or judicial proceeding against another charged with

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45© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article IV – Legislative Department bribery or solicitation of bribery as de- fined herein, and shall not be permitted to withhold his testimony on the ground that it might incriminate or subject him to pub- lic infamy; but such testimony shall not be used against him in any judicial proceeding against him except for perjury in giving such testimony. Sec. 42. [Hearings on confirmation of gubernatorial appointments.] The senate, in exercising its advice and consent responsibilities over gubernatorial appointments, may by resolution designate the members of an appropriate standing committee to operate as an interim commit- tee during the interim between legislative sessions for the purpose of conducting hear- ings and taking testimony on the confirma- tion or rejection of gubernatorial appoint- ments. Recommendations of the committee shall be submitted to the senate for action at the next succeeding legislative session. Members of such committee shall be paid per diem and mileage for attendance at such hearings at the same rates as legislators are paid for attendance at joint legislative in- terim committee meetings. The governor

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46© 2025 State of New Mexico. New Mexico Compilation Commission. All rights reserved. Article V – Executive Department shall submit all appointments requiring sen- ate confirmation to such committee within thirty days after the date of appointment. (As added November 4, 1986.)