AARP's New Mexico state office focuses its work on issues, both at the state and local level and in the nation's capital, that are important to the state's 260,000 AARP members. At the national level, AARP began Divided We Fail, urging lawmakers and those seeking office to come together to find real solutions toward health care reform and financial security. To date, over 8,000 New Mexicans have signed the Divided We Fail pledge stating they'll only vote for candidates that have real solutions for fixing these issues, and once in office, they'll hold lawmakers accountable toward implementing those solutions. At the state level, lawmakers in 2008 began to consider several health care reform plans but efforts stalled over a lack of consensus for any one solution. The Legislature is expected to revisit the matter during the 2009 regular session in January. AARP's New Mexico volunteers work diligently with state legislators on a variety of issues such as consumer protections bills, Medicaid funding and utility and water issues. In 2007, AARP was successful in getting a new law passed that lets individuals implement a security freeze, essentially freezing credit reports so new accounts cannot be opened under a person's name without authorization, helping to prevent identity theft. Volunteers also worked to get a law passed that would help regulate payday lending. AARP New Mexico also hosts a number of outreach events across the state to explain consumer issues and get help raising local awareness in individual communities. The state has 13 local chapters across the state as well as an information center in Albuquerque that help spread the word about AARP's initiatives and participate in a variety of community volunteer activities.