NM SB161

Electric utilities may submit wildfire mitigation plans to the Public Regulation Commission for approval, with plans deemed approved if not acted upon within 180 days; utilities demonstrating substantial compliance receive a certificate of compliance serving as proof of reasonable wildfire risk preparation in civil lawsuits

Utilities with approved mitigation plans receive liability protections in wildfire civil actions, including a rebuttable presumption of prudent conduct, caps on noneconomic damages at $500,000 per plaintiff, prohibition on punitive damages and attorney fees, and a shortened one-year statute of limitations

Commission-regulated utilities may recover mitigation plan implementation costs through a permanent rider on customer bills, with costs deemed reasonable unless expressly disallowed by the commission

Forestry Division may provide grants up to $1 million each to rural electric cooperatives with approved mitigation plans to assist with implementation

Appropriates $12.25 million total: $10 million for cooperative grants, $1.5 million to the Public Regulation Commission, and $750,000 to the Forestry Division, with most provisions effective July 1, 2026 and liability provisions effective January 1, 2027