New Mexico 2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

SB 51 — WRONGFUL CONVICTION COMPENSATION ACT

Last action — action postponed indefinitely

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 21, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

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

How this bill changes current law

15 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill enacts the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, providing a legal framework for compensating individuals wrongfully convicted of crimes in New Mexico.

  • Section 31-16-7 NMSA 1978

    the case may be

    Removes the phrase 'as the case may be' for clarity.

  • Section 31-16-7 NMSA 1978

    each → a

    Changes the wording to specify 'a person' instead of 'each person' for grammatical consistency.

  • Section 31-16-7 NMSA 1978

    he → the person

    Replaces gendered pronouns with gender-neutral language.

  • Section 31-16-7 NMSA 1978

    Suit must

    Deletes the directive 'Suit must' for sentence fluency.

  • Section 31-16-7 NMSA 1978

    Suit must

    Removes the clause 'Suit must' from the second subsection to clarify the obligation.

  • Section 31-16-7 NMSA 1978

    the case may be

    Clarifies the statutory language by deleting ambiguous phrases.

  • Section 37-2-1 NMSA 1978

    which → that

    Updates the wording to use 'that' for restrictive clauses.

  • Section 37-2-1 NMSA 1978

    shall also survive, and the action may be brought → shall also survive.

    Removes redundant phrasing to simplify legal language.

  • Section 37-2-1 NMSA 1978

    therefor → for

    Updates outdated language for clarity and modern usage.

  • Section 37-2-1 NMSA 1978

    the → a

    Modifies specific articles to streamline legal language.

  • Section 6(3) of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act (new material)

    A person who claims to have been wrongfully convicted in state court may petition a court for an exoneration.

    Establishes the right for individuals to petition for exoneration under the new Act.

  • Section 6(3) of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act (new material)

    The person shall have the burden to prove the claim by a preponderance of the evidence.

    Defines the burden of proof for individuals appealing wrongful convictions.

  • Section 6(2) of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act (new material)

    The court order or writ were issued based on a finding that: (a) the person did not commit the offense; (b) the offense was not committed at all; or (c) in light of newly discovered evidence, no reasonable juror would have convicted the person of the offense.

    Sets specific criteria for proving innocence when filing a petition for exoneration.

  • Section 7 of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act (new material)

    A court shall give a person written notice of the rights provided for in the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act whenever the court enters:

    Imposes a requirement for courts to inform individuals of their rights upon certain judgments.

  • Section 7 of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act (new material)

    An action initiated pursuant to the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act shall be filed no later than six years from the date the person received notice in accordance with this section;

    Establishes a statute of limitations for filing actions under the new compensation Act.

Action History

  1. action postponed indefinitely

  2. Sent to Senate Committees' Committee & Senate Judiciary Committee & Senate Finance Committee

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 111 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 51?
SB 51 is sponsored by Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (Democrat).
What is the current status of SB 51?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 21, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 51?
Track SB 51 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously

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