SB 82

This bill amends the Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Act to update definitions and expand the scope of radioactive waste management oversight in New Mexico. The legislation modifies key definitions including "disposal" to explicitly include both temporary and permanent storage options with retrieval capabilities, and updates the definition of "high-level waste" to specifically include spent nuclear fuel and wastes from reprocessing activities. Most notably, the bill appears to strengthen the state's regulatory framework for both public and private radioactive disposal facilities, with references to a Radioactive Waste Consultation Task Force whose duties and composition are being revised. The emergency declaration suggests these changes are intended to take immediate effect, likely in response to pressing radioactive waste management concerns in the state.