AARP New Mexico Prepares for 2025 Legislative Session: Paid Family and Medical Leave Leads Priorities

With the start of the 2025 New Mexico Legislative Session just over a month away, AARP New Mexico volunteers and staff are already preparing on how best to get several issues passed during the busy 60-days legislators will be at the Roundhouse.

Leading the list of priorities is paid family and medical leave.

“We will be putting a lot of time and effort into getting PFML passed this time,” said Othiamba Umi, AARP New Mexico Associate State Director for Advocacy.

The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, sponsored by Sen. Mimi Stewart, and Representatives Linda Serrato, Christine Chandler and Patricia Roybal Caballero, passed the Senate last year but failed in the House by two votes, 36 to 34.

Sponsors are planning to reintroduce legislation again in 2025, hoping to get it across the finish line.

“Establishing paid family and medical leave for New Mexicans is important to AARP because many unpaid caregivers are also juggling a full-time job,” Umi said.

“Too often people must leave their jobs because they don’t have paid time off or the flexibility to allow them to care for their loved ones, or themselves, should they face a serious or long-term illness. Once that happens, the financial and emotional toll on families can be devastating,” he said.

“People should not have to choose between having a job and keeping a loved one at home, where they want to be, vs. in a nursing facility,” Umi said.

Under the previous bill, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act would create a state fund that both employers and employees pay into. Employees would pay $5 for every $1,000 they earn with employers paying a matching $4 per $1,000. Should an employee, who’s loved one or themself, need to tap into the fund due to a serious illness, they would be eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid leave. It is not known yet if the 2025 bill will follow the same measures.

PFML would ensure New Mexico families have access to paid leave when they’re suffering from a major illness or injury, experiencing the death of a child, welcoming a new child to their life, dealing with domestic or sexual violence, or needing to care for a loved one that is seriously ill.

In addition to PFML, AARP New Mexico will also be working on the following issues:

· Senior Programs—adequate funding for programs and services provided through the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department.

· Guardianship—advocating for measures that would formalize supported decision-making agreements as a less restrictive alternative to guardianship in New Mexico.

· Food Insecurity—finding ways to address hunger, particularly among older New Mexicans.

AARP New Mexico will also monitor any legislation introduced that is related to housing access and affordability; retirement and pensions; and initiatives that address health care workforce shortages, among others. Check back here for updates throughout the Session.