[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6315996,"mediaKeyId","2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df","parentId",2377886,"title","Senate approves bill raising royalty rates on ‘‘premium’’ oil-and-gas tracts; amendment to force-state pooling fails","audioSeconds",370,"startMs",3126000,"endMs",3496000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df&start=3126&end=3496","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df/thumbnail_3126000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6315996/New-Mexico/Senate-approves-bill-raising-royalty-rates-on-premium-oil-and-gas-tracts-amendment-to-force-state-pooling-fails","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315996-708137d85ca90d08c030527b25678495/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147658&Signature=AsQyH0GSYFxh~7oKIxJOHHyDlc8EPM~F~GhAoT8SVJUoC-CSV0Go98zDyofbMRcPaeusYe7zMhfqdAinjlYRO1zdltvC~4heO7Hb5ognqiHfDXfZGAY~cFqi4wRyRlsT6G71c8BFJfqle4MvZK7OvrU-SJc88BAUDac1AF20zephTJ8k4NjPWBnlHcMk1OBQIXb5ZNCPOjVOocgoCA3wdFZRY~kOP8rrM62s-rEKvmhVzLuU1I~4ywq5PbZMW2T3ppuza94EVg~BHEzSqIcBS-~XIfuaDdS294RJopaERbdBpf9yD8xd4NM1QU-GvCbbRSQ9BllKwuWv4ItmaBFuCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Mexico Senate","date","2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate approved the Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 23 after extended floor debate over who bears the cost and risk of raising royalty rates on the state’s most productive oil-and-gas tracts.

\"Since 1970, we haven't increased our oil and gas royalty rates in New Mexico,\" said Senator George Munoz as he introduced the bill. Munoz said the measure raises the state’s royalty rate to as much as 25 percent on the ‘‘best of the best’’ leases (as identified in the bill) — principally targeted at portions of Lea and Eddy counties — while leaving most of the state at the existing rates.

Supporters argued the measure would capture greater revenue from exceptionally productive tracts and grow state funds; opponents warned higher rates could deter investment and harm jobs and local economic activity. Senators pressed sponsors about administrative details, monitoring and lease-cancellation authority, the size of proration units for horizontal wells, and what offsets are allowed in New Mexico’s “net proceeds” royalty regime.

Senator Larry R. Scott offered floor amendment number 1 to make the State Land Office subject to the same compulsory-pooling rules as private landowners and lessees so that the state could be compelled into pooling to prevent waste and protect correlative rights. \"The prime directive of New Mexico oil and gas development law is to prevent waste and protect correlative rights,\" Scott said. The amendment will make the State Land Office subject to the Oil Conservation Division's pooling authority, supporters said, noting compulsory pooling can reduce unnecessary wellbores and protect small interest owners.

The amendment drew lengthy debate. Senator Scott described compulsory pooling as a mechanism that \"puts the opportunity to put a deal together and make it happen even in the circumstance when the mineral owner or lessee may be unwilling to lease or participate.\" Supporters argued it levels the playing field between private mineral owners and the state. Opponents said they were disappointed the body would not subject the state land office to identical requirements; the amendment was ultimately not adopted (detailed vote totals for the amendment were not specified on the floor record).

On final passage of Senate Bill 23 the presiding officer announced a roll-call-style count of 21 in the affirmative and 15 in the negative; the bill passed the Senate.

Floor discussion included technical points from an expert witness called to the floor, who explained aspects of New Mexico’s valuation method (net proceeds) and noted that differences in the tax and royalty mix across states complicate direct comparisons. Senators also discussed lease sale dynamics, acreage sizes (state leases often set 40-acre minimums but horizontal wells allocate acreage differently), and concerns that long-held leases and notification procedures had sometimes left leaseowners surprised when leases were canceled or resold.

The bill instructs the state land office to use statutory factors to identify premium acreage and restricts lease cancellations to failures or defaults under lease terms. The sponsor and supporters said revenue estimates for the premium-area change ranged from roughly $750 million to $1.3 billion over the life of the program, according to information presented on the floor; opponents said loss of investment and jobs could offset projected revenue gains.

Senate Bill 23 now moves to the next stage of the legislative process following the Senate’s passage.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Chamber Feb 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate passed Senate Bill 23 to allow higher royalty rates (up to 25%) on designated premium oil-and-gas acreage (primarily Lea and Eddy counties). An amendment to subject the State Land Office to compulsory pooling was proposed by Senator Larry R. Scott and debated but ultimately was not adopted; final passage was 21–15.","taxTitle","Senate, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",78419,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316001,"Senate passes wildfire preparedness bill creating task force, grant programs and fund",2041,699000,2740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df&start=699&end=2740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df/thumbnail_699000.jpg","/articles/6316001/New-Mexico/Senate-passes-wildfire-preparedness-bill-creating-task-force-grant-programs-and-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316001-9ec784b004dcb0edf4dc56927bee8f90/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147658&Signature=E3cbXmazJnWCwTwyjZqM4g77TcQSuNK33S6g4JWnKcZDLYDfliiPqSLRF-ZnmlqWJEk5rlnLordQbXSj~HhkTOGx7IOCt2ymZ3aiEpWTmelEXqIvVtG2mZWCihD2ej3CLV4350crntKsLGX1PF1cQXsPNq~qKd3Ga5mun9S7aiBQKKwEmXSuLdTa1m0wnSjVy3d5R6nj8Nxss6f1d4PmTjooU0KlBpnMTHk7dMplDo6Lr7dRYq1HHG-F7n4Bg2ZDX3HS1W2gNVmfMiONf~mY~NJDDtUG24uCV13KTwH1UEFMg9qRX60Twytdmwf~v7lhoyJeKFtSIHfwnYhNI~8W7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate on a final vote approved Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Conservation Committee substitute for Senate Bill 33 with an emergency clause. Senator Elizabeth Stefanik, the bill sponsor on the floor, said the bipartisan measure aims to address property insurance challenges caused by wildfires and to help homeowners and communities harden structures to reduce wildfire risk.

\"This bill is to address the issue of property insurance in our state due to wildfires to ensure that people have the opportunity to harden their homes and be more eligible for reasonable rates for fire insurance,\" Senator Elizabeth Stefanik said as she explained the bill on the floor.

The measure expands the membership of a wildfire-related task force from 12 to 16, directs mapping of high-risk areas, directs development of standards for building codes and defensible-space practices, and charges the state forester with developing wildfire-prepared certification standards and grant guidelines. It creates a wildfire-prepared program within the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and establishes two grant programs: one to political subdivisions to build local capacity for projects such as hazardous-fuel reduction and structure hardening, and the other to \"qualified entities\" (including political subdivisions and contracted entities) to assist eligible homeowners who cannot afford hardening measures. The bill requires that 50% of grant funding go to the qualified entities that assist residents.

The statute-language added a liability limitation \"that nothing in the act guarantees benefits\" and that no new private right of action is created by the act, the sponsor said. Section 5 creates a Wildfire Prepared Fund but contains no specific dollar amount; appropriations would be set in the state budgeting process (the sponsor cited House Bill 2, the general appropriations vehicle).

Senators who asked questions sought clarification on whether the program could influence federal land management and how standards would apply to existing homes. Senator Stefanik said the state forester would coordinate with the U.S. Forest Service and tribal land managers when appropriate and that standards would primarily apply to renovations and to defensible-area work around dwellings rather than imposing direct statewide penalties for noncompliance.

Senator Stefanik moved final passage with the emergency clause; the presiding officer announced a vote tally of 37 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative. The bill passed the Senate with the emergency clause and will proceed as provided by the legislative process.

The floor debate emphasized the bill’s planning and grant structure: it creates a state-level program and task force to produce mapping and standards and to provide grants and technical assistance, not a direct statewide ordinance or penalty regime. Sponsors and supporters said the goal is to reduce wildfire damage and to make properties more insurable.","Senate approved the finance committee substitute for Senate Bill 33 with an emergency clause to create a wildfire-preparedness program in the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, expand a task force, and establish two grant programs and a wildfire-prepared fund (no appropriation specified).",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316006,"Senate concurs with House changes to Senate Bill 3",199,495000,694000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df&start=495&end=694","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377886-630b7a805fd5d5c384ef7832752114df/thumbnail_495000.jpg","/articles/6316006/New-Mexico/Senate-concurs-with-House-changes-to-Senate-Bill-3","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316006-e6dffab9e49f0114d5f2627f1537f11d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147658&Signature=AKr8SGfvm5bajGFGr49qvEEHHV3UGNRIwYQoBC4rhVZb0faK5Exp2rxbzkRS0Yg-yrci3DI-hJK-GlSwPzjdLDYNV-lNlrYphPB~6TnqyHsozQ2e1JS8OJOFvTgwwLmkcfD3cagWn3ZRzGHHpzKMcufvl-IgQ2FjJbXiwGhScQ8r882kmXKw933VI53d9DAat6LludyyXk3~1Wn7Q3I0vH5Ja2HazntOn-ehllnjt7Ayxy8lpeKJ0NibHXb5TDgH56d1~sTrIgh~uC1UQ-u-oN7gPtIQ8NckJaSXtk5XfcfL0YND6BrafZ2fO8aNISiRwJk-x1WemC35oZJrnNLgSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate on a voice vote concurred with House amendments to the Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 3, Senator Wirth said as he moved the concurrence.

The motion asked the chamber to accept changes made in the House to the committee substitute. Senator Wirth told colleagues the amendments included two stylistic items and two substantive changes: identifying “a capable and accountable entity to execute the regional plans” and an added reporting requirement on behavioral health services that Senator Block proposed as a floor amendment.

Senator Sherr explained the concurrence process to newer members, saying that when the House amends a Senate-originated bill, the Senate must agree or seek a conference committee. The body acted by voice vote; the presiding officer declared the ayes had it and that the Senate had concurred.

The action was procedural: senators agreed to accept the House’s edits rather than send the disagreement to a conference committee. No recorded roll-call tally was taken; senators followed the chamber’s standard voice-vote practice for a friendly concurrence.

The Senate moved on to other business after the concurrence vote.","The Senate agreed by voice vote to concur with House amendments to the Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 3, a routine step after changes were made in the other chamber.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate approves bill raising royalty rates on ‘‘premium’’ oil-and-gas tracts; amendment to force-state pooling fails

Senate passes wildfire preparedness bill creating task force, grant programs and fund

Senate concurs with House changes to Senate Bill 3