SB 78 New Mexico Senate · 2025 Regular Session

CERTIFIED NURSE ANESTHETIST ROLE

SB 78 amends New Mexico law to establish an independent practice role for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), allowing them to provide anesthesia care without direct physician supervision in most settings. This directly affects CRNAs and patients in New Mexico healthcare facilities, removing prior requirements for physician collaboration in anesthesia care. The bill defines "independent role" as performing all anesthesia-related actions (including prescribing certain drugs in emergency, surgical, or perinatal settings) without oversight, while clarifying their prescribing authority based on a board-developed formulary. The law also includes provisions for expedited licensure for CRNAs moving from other states and maintains requirements for national certification and continuing education.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Signed Apr 11, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

introduced version → Final Version · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends New Mexico's nursing statutes to establish an independent practice role for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), allowing them to provide anesthesia care without physician supervision. The changes clarify CRNA qualifications, define independent versus collaborative practice, authorize prescribing rights for anesthesia-related medications, and create an expedited licensing process for out-of-state CRNAs.

Scope change

The bill expands CRNA practice scope from requiring physician collaboration to allowing independent practice, while maintaining collaborative options.

REQUIREMENT

Updated educational requirements to specify master's level or higher programs for those licensed after January 1, 2001.

Authorized CRNAs with prescriptive authority to prescribe and administer controlled substances in Schedules II-V for emergency, perioperative, and perinatal care.

Required the board to develop a prescriptive authority formulary in collaboration with the New Mexico medical board.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions distinguishing between 'independent role' (no supervision required) and 'collaboration' (shared expertise with other providers).

ELIGIBILITY

Established expedited licensing for CRNAs from other jurisdictions without examination requirements, subject to renewal examination conditions.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed language from requiring collaboration with specific medical professionals to allowing independent practice or collaboration with other health care providers.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 15, 2025 · House Mar 21, 2025

How they voted

28–1

Passed · 11 other

Total votes 40

Mar 15, 2025

D Democratic24

16 Yea 1 Nay 7

66% Yea

R Republican16

12 Yea 4

75% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 11, 2025

Signed into law

Signed

executive

Mar 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

passed House

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

DO PASS committee report adopted

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Introduced

Sent to House Health & Human Services Committee

lower

Mar 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

passed Senate

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

DO PASS committee report adopted

upper

Feb 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

DO PASS committee report adopted

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Introduced

Sent to Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee & Senate Judiciary Committee

upper

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors