HM 59 — STUDY CAPPING ABANDONED WATER WELLS
Last action — Signed
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 20, 2023. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democratic) on March 14, 2023.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
52 added · 106 removedPlain-language change summary
The bill now includes a new section that highlights the need for a study on the feasibility of establishing and reinforcing requirements to cap abandoned water wells, due to safety concerns. This change is significant because it underscores the dangers these abandoned wells pose to the community, particularly after a tragic incident involving a young child's death. The bill aims to ensure that both private and public properties are held to a higher standard for well safety, potentially preventing future accidents.
HOUSEA MEMORIAL 59REQUESTING 56THA LEGISLATURESTUDY -OF STATETHE FEASIBILITY OF NEWMEXICOESTABLISHING -AND FIRSTSTRENGTHENING SESSIONREQUIREMENTS 2023FOR INTRODUCEDCAPPING BYABANDONED CathrynnWATER N.WELLS ON PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROPERTY.
Brown 6 8WHEREAS, 10many Auncapped, MEMORIALabandoned REQUESTINGwater Awells STUDYare OFlocated THEthroughout FEASIBILITYthe OFstate; ESTABLISHING AND STRENGTHENING REQUIREMENTS FOR CAPPING ABANDONED WATER WELLS ON PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROPERTY.
15and WHEREAS, many uncapped, abandoned water wells areon locatedprivate throughoutand thepublic state;property create a potential safety risk;
and e t 17 WHEREAS, abandonedcurrently, waterthere wellsare oninsufficient privatelaws andrequiring publiclandowners wto lcap nabandoned dwater 18wells propertyon createprivate aor potentialpublic safetyproperty; risk;
and =WHEREAS, =many 19abandoned awater lwells WHEREAS,in currently,the therestate arewere insufficientconstructed lawsbefore requiringwater ibasins awere edeclared rand 20rules landownerswere implemented to caprequire abandonedfiling of water wellswell onrecords privatewith orthe publicoffice aof tthe mstate mengineer; 21 property;
and d r e 22 WHEREAS, many abandoned water wells in 2012, the statelife wereof cSamuel eJones, sa kvibrant 23and constructedbeloved beforefour-year-old waterfrom basinsCarlsbad, werewas declaredtragically andcut rulesshort werewhen ehe afell ninto ban 24open, implementedabandoned to require filing of water wellwell; records with the u [ office of the state engineer;
and .225078.1 WHEREAS, in 2012, the life of Samuel Jones, a vibrant and beloved four-year-old from Carlsbad, was tragically cut short when he fell into an open, abandoned water well;
and WHEREAS, the state could most suitably honor the memory of Samuel Jones by taking the actions necessary to establish HM 59 Page 1 and improve safety requirements with regard to abandoned water wells;
e t 17 and w l n d 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as part of its study, the = = 19 a l legislative interim committee obtain information and testimony i a e r 20 from the New Mexico municipal league, the New Mexico a t m m 21 association of counties and the office of the state engineer;
d r e 22 and c e s k 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative interim e a n b 24 committee provide recommendations regarding its findings from u [ the study by December 1, 2023;
and .225078.1 - 2 - BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council, the New Mexico municipal league, the New Mexico association of counties and the office of the state engineer.
-HM 359 -Page 72 925 11 13 15 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .225078.1
View plain text versions (2)
- Final Version View text Current pdf
- Introduced introduced version pdf
Action History
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Signed
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passed House
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DO PASS committee report adopted
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Sent to House Agriculture, Acequias & Water Resources Committee
Sponsors
- Cathrynn N. Brown · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 111 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
- Cathrynn N. Brown Republican
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (111)
111 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 111 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors HM 59?
- HM 59 is sponsored by Cathrynn N. Brown (Republican).
- What is the current status of HM 59?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 20, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track HM 59?
- Track HM 59 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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