HB 72 New Mexico House · 2025 Regular Session

NURSING STAFF-TO-PATIENT RATIOS IN HOSPITALS

HB 72 would require New Mexico hospitals to maintain minimum nurse-to-patient ratios based on hospital unit types (like critical care, emergency departments, and labor units). It creates a staffing advisory committee with balanced representation from hospital administrators, direct-care nurses, and labor organizations to help set these ratios. Hospitals would need to develop written policies for staffing, training, and competency evaluations for both licensed and unlicensed staff. The bill mandates the Health Care Authority to establish specific numerical ratios by July 2026, with potential rural hospital adjustments, while requiring hospitals to meet these minimums for patient safety.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Last action Jun 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

introduced version → JC substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to strengthen nurse staffing requirements in New Mexico hospitals by renaming the oversight committee to 'Statewide Staffing Advisory Committee,' expanding its membership to include rural hospital representatives, and clarifying that staffing ratios apply to licensed nurses specifically. The substitute version also added detailed enforcement mechanisms with escalating civil penalties for violations, defined specific nursing functions that unlicensed personnel cannot perform, and established exemptions for emergencies and workforce shortages.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include critical access hospitals and rural hospitals in staffing ratio considerations, with specific provisions allowing for waivers in rural settings. The definition of 'hospital' was broadened to include more facility types.

DEFINITION

Added specific definition for 'critical access hospital' with criteria including 24-hour emergency services, 96-hour average length of stay, fewer than 25 acute care beds, and location at least 35 miles from the closest hospital.

Expanded 'hospital' definition to include more facility types including rehabilitation, limited services, and specific facilities offering inpatient services.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for hospitals to submit semiannual reports to the statewide staffing advisory committee documenting plans to meet staffing ratios.

Added specific list of nursing functions that unlicensed personnel cannot perform, including medication administration, intravenous therapy, parenteral feedings, invasive procedures, patient assessment, and patient/family education.

Added requirement for hospitals to adopt written policies and procedures for training and orientation of nursing staff and unlicensed employees.

ENFORCEMENT

Established escalating civil penalty structure: $1,750 for second violation, $2,500 for third, and $5,000 for fourth and subsequent violations within a one-year period.

TIMELINE

Changed committee appointment deadline to September 1, 2025, and initial meeting deadline to October 1, 2025, with staffing ratio rules due by October 1, 2026.

ELIGIBILITY

Added exemptions for hospitals during national emergencies, disasters, mass casualty incidents, pandemics, and workforce limitations.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

DO PASS committee report adopted

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Sent to House Health & Human Services Committee & House Judiciary Committee

lower

Jan 13, 2025

Introduced

Sent to House Pre-file

lower

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors