2026 LEGISLATION
Here is my 2026 Constituent Letter with links to all legislation and capital outlay that I did.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
My warmest greetings to you as we head into spring following the 2026 Legislative Session! It was an honor to represent you and all my House District 29 constituents in the quick-moving 30-day session at the Roundhouse. I deeply appreciate so many of you reaching out regarding legislation. As a result, my colleagues and I prioritized the issues that matter most to you – addressing medical malpractice with House Bill 99, expanding access to healthcare and housing, building a high-quality universal childcare system, strengthening our schools, and improving public safety.
As part of the House Appropriations & Finance Committee, our work began before session to craft a $11 billion budget that reflects your priorities and delivers solutions to support you, protect our communities, and move our state forward.
As Vice Chair of the House Education Committee, I sponsored legislation to improve student outcomes and engage our students in school and in career pathways. Here are some of my legislative highlights - all had bipartisan support:
● Senate Bill 37: High-Quality Literacy Instruction - Establishes a reading ecosystem that supports teachers, students, and families, including teacher training in effective instruction based on the Science of Reading; funding literacy coaches to assist teachers; and ensuring evidenced-based best practices for biliteracy/bilingual instruction.
● Senates Bill 64: Office of Special Education – Makes this office permanent within the Public Education Department; protects the rights of students with disabilities, gifted designations, and/or 504 plans; and ensures the establishment of statewide online Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to facilitate smooth transitions for students.
● House Bill 7: Apprenticeship Assistance Act Transfers – Maintains investments in grant-making apprenticeship and training programs and adds $10 million to the Act’s trust fund.
Capital Outlay Allocations: I allocated much-needed funding for critical infrastructure and quality of life initiatives and education institutions, including each of the public schools in our district; recreational and cultural institutions benefiting all our families; behavioral healthcare; and law enforcement technology, including AFR equipment and the new BCSO training facility. I continued to invest major funding for the widening of Paseo del Norte and Unser, as well as McMahon.
have made strong progress, but our work continues during the interim. In committee meetings May-December, lawmakers, advocates, and community members like you dig into complex issues, refine policy proposals, and make sure we’re ready to hit the ground running in the 2027 Session.
If you have thoughts, concerns, or ideas, please reach out at joy.garratt@nmlegis.gov or 505-977-5039. You can also track committees and agendas by visiting www.nmlegis.gov. Again, thank you for the honor of serving as your House District 29 State Representative. I am committed to working alongside you to make life better and more affordable for your family, our community, and for all New Mexicans.
Sincerely,
Joy
505-977-5039
All 2026 legislation I sponsored: https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/BillFinder/Sponsor?SponCode=HGARR&YearStart=72&YearEnd=72&Type=BMR
Capital Outlay I allocated:
Here is an overview of my 2025 Sixty-Day Session Work!
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
My warmest greetings to you following the 2025 Legislative Session! Although the 60 days proved to be a fast and furious experience shaped by passing the FY26 budget and addressing legislation the Governor deemed germane, we accomplished a lot for the West Side, Albuquerque, and New Mexico as a whole.
2025 Legislation Information is in the process of being updated. To see the legislation, memorials and Joint House Resolutions I sponsored or co-sponsored, you can go to:
2024 information is below:
As a member of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, I joined in finalizing the budget this session, building on the work we did on the Legislative Finance Committee throughout the interim. Our final budget reflects our New Mexican values, and I am committed to protecting your hard-earned tax dollars while prioritizing investments in healthcare, public safety, housing, education, and the environment. We increased early childhood education funding by 6% to expand and improve programs, and increased funding for public education by 6.1%. The budget also sets aside $1.2 billion in endowments and expendable trusts for the future to insulate us from down years.
Several of the bills I sponsored this session were signed into law, including:
● HB 5: Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Trust Fund - Supports apprenticeship programs to train New Mexicans for good-paying jobs in high-demand trades.
● HB 195: Housing Fund - Helps local communities build, acquire, and rehabilitate housing for middle and working-class New Mexicans, as well as workforce housing, and housing for individuals with behavioral health needs and survivors of domestic violence.
● HB 28: Public Project Revolving Fund Projects - Authorizes the New Mexico Finance Authority to provide public project funds to state entities, local governments, and schools.
● House Bill 29: Public Project Fund Appropriations – Dedicates millions to vital public projects in every corner of the state to jumpstart local economic development, expand access to clean drinking water, improve community infrastructure, and preserve museums and historic sites.
This session, I continued to serve on the House Education Committee as Vice-Chair, as Chair of the House Printing & Supplies Committee, and as a member of the House Appropriations & Finance Committee. During the interim, I will serve as Vice-Chair of the New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee, as well as a member of the Legislative Education Study Committee, the Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee, and the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee. I will also serve as a standing advisory member of the Legislative Finance Committee and an advisory member of Economic and Rural Development & Policy Committee. I am honored to advocate for the needs of our community on all of these important and influential committees.
I value your opinion and would like to hear from you. If you have ideas, comments, or questions, feel free to contact me at 505-977-5039 or joy.garratt@nmlegis.gov. I also encourage you to visit the New Mexico legislative website (www.nmlegis.gov) to read legislation and follow discussions in our committees throughout the interim.
In the spirit of service,
Joy
2024 Capital Outlay and GRO allocations PDF Download
2024 Wrap up of Legislation and Allocations PDF Download
2023 Session Overview Letter PDF Download
2022 legislation PDF download
2022 Capital outlay PDF download
2021 Capital outlay PDF download
2020 Capital outlay PDF download
2019 Capital outlay PDF download