Bill > HB210

This bill establishes the Vacant Rural Building Act, which aims to support economic development in rural areas by creating a more flexible building code variance procedure for small businesses seeking to occupy vacant commercial buildings. The bill defines key terms, including "rural municipality" (a city, town, or village with 50,000 or fewer inhabitants), "small business" (a for-profit or non-profit entity with 50 or fewer full-time employees), and "vacant commercial building" (a commercial property unoccupied for three or more months). By January 1, 2026, the Construction Industries Commission and Division, or the governing body of a rural municipality, must develop rules that allow for variances from strict building code requirements when full compliance is impossible or financially prohibitive. The rules must focus on addressing only life and safety concerns, and can use the standards for historic buildings as a model for creating more flexible compliance requirements. The bill emphasizes reducing compliance costs for small businesses while maintaining overall public safety, providing a pathway for businesses to more easily repurpose and occupy vacant commercial buildings in rural areas.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=H&legtype=B&legno=210&year=25