Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 156: REPEAL SPECIAL SESSION VACCINATION LAWS

HB 156 would repeal specific vaccination-related provisions from New Mexico's 2025 First Special Session laws (Laws 2025, 1st S.S., Ch. 5, §§ 8-13). These repealed sections would have otherwise taken effect on July 1, 2026, governing certain vaccination policies. The bill removes these provisions from state law, effectively eliminating the requirements they established. As of now, the bill has passed committee hearings but remains pending legislative action.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRepeals vaccination mandates, eliminating state requirements for vaccination policies, thereby weakening public health enforcement within healthcare regulations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 38: WHEELCHAIR INSURANCE COVERAGE

HB 38 requires New Mexico health insurance plans to cover wheelchairs and activity chairs for individuals with permanent mobility-limiting conditions (such as paralysis, limb loss, or neuromuscular disorders) without more restrictive terms than other medical benefits. The bill mandates coverage equivalent to Medicare standards, including all necessary services like fittings, repairs, replacements, and instruction, while prohibiting separate cost-sharing or lifetime limits for these devices. It also ensures insurers must cover out-of-network providers when in-network options are unavailable and reimburse at in-network rates. This applies to all group health plans under the Health Care Purchasing Act.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates comprehensive wheelchair coverage without restrictive terms, expanding insurance benefits for mobility devices under healthcare policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 34: SCHOOL NURSE LICENSURE PROVISIONS

HB 34 updates New Mexico's school nurse licensure rules to clarify that charter schools must follow the same requirements as public school districts. It establishes three license levels: Level One (a 3-year provisional license requiring mentorship and annual evaluations for new nurses without 3+ years of experience), Level Two (a 9-year license for nurses who complete Level One or have 3+ years of experience), and Level Three (a 9-year license requiring advanced education and leadership skills). The bill sets minimum salaries for each level equal to corresponding teacher salary grades and mandates annual competency reviews by school districts or charter schools. These changes apply to all school nurses employed in New Mexico public and charter schools starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationClarifies charter school compliance with nurse licensure standards and establishes structured license levels to improve nurse competency and support in schools.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes standardized licensure for school nurses, ensuring qualified healthcare professionals in schools, strengthening student health services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 4: HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY FUND DISTRIBUTIONS

HB 4 adjusts how funds from New Mexico's health insurance premium surtax are distributed to the Health Care Affordability Fund. It changes the percentage of surtax revenue sent to the fund over time: 55% before July 2024, 30% from July 2024 to September 2025, 55% from September 2025 to September 2026, and 100% after September 2026. The bill directly affects the allocation of state revenue generated by the health insurance surtax, which supports healthcare affordability programs. This policy change modifies existing distribution rules without altering the surtax rate itself. The fund's purpose is to assist New Mexicans with healthcare costs, though the bill does not specify new eligibility criteria or program expansions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill directs surtax revenue to Health Care Affordability Fund, funding essential healthcare programs through tax allocation. Explicitly increases fund allocation over time (100% post-2026).95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases funding allocation to Health Care Affordability Fund over time, reaching 100% after 2026 to support healthcare affordability programs.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 128: FIREFIGHTER OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE DISABLEMENT

HB 128 presumes that certain cancers and health conditions diagnosed after specific employment periods are caused by firefighting work, directly affecting full-time non-volunteer firefighters in New Mexico. It lists 17 cancer types (like bladder, breast, lung, and leukemia) that are presumed work-related after 5-15 years of service, along with infectious diseases (e.g., hepatitis) and PTSD requiring physical impairment. The bill shifts the burden of proof: employers must rebut these presumptions with evidence showing non-work causes, and medical treatment for covered conditions must be provided as if work-related. This aims to streamline access to workers' compensation for firefighters facing job-linked health issues without requiring them to prove causation in court.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePresumes work-relatedness of 17 cancers/conditions for firefighters, easing access to healthcare benefits via workers' comp.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPresumes work-related illness for firefighters, shifting burden to employers and expanding workers' comp access for 17 cancers/PTSD, strengthening occupational health protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 4, 2026

SB 21: MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT OPEN ENROLLMENT

SB 21 requires New Mexico Medicare supplement insurers to offer annual open enrollment periods for seniors. It directly affects residents aged 65+ with Medicare supplement policies (Medigap) in New Mexico. The bill mandates that each eligible policyholder receives a 60-day enrollment window starting the first day of their birthday month, during which they can switch to policies of equal or lesser value without health-based denial, discrimination, or preexisting condition exclusions. Insurers must also notify policyholders 30-60 days before the window opens about their rights and policy changes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates annual open enrollment for Medicare supplements without health-based denial, improving access for seniors and protecting patient rights in healthcare coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Feb 27, 2026

SM 20: STATEWIDE YOUTH VIOLENCE SUMMIT

Senate Memorial 20 (SM 20) requests the New Mexico Department of Health to convene a statewide youth violence summit focused on developing a comprehensive strategy to address youth violence. The bill directs the department to form a planning group including health, education, justice, and community stakeholders to organize the summit, which will gather research, share best practices, and identify gaps in current prevention efforts. The summit aims to produce a final report with recommendations for scaling community-based violence intervention programs, improving data collection, and proposing potential future legislation. This non-binding memorial directly affects state agencies and community organizations working on youth violence, with the goal of creating a unified statewide approach to improve youth safety outcomes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill directs NM Dept of Health to convene youth violence summit (public health issue) to develop prevention strategy, supporting public health program development.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SM 21: STUDY OVERDOSE PREVENTION CENTERS

This Senate Memorial (SM 21) requests New Mexico's Department of Health to study the potential implementation of overdose prevention centers. It directs the health department to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing drug overdose deaths - particularly in communities disproportionately impacted like Native American and Black residents - and identify necessary legal and regulatory changes. The study must be completed by November 2026, with a report submitted to the legislative health committee and finance committee. This is a procedural request for analysis, not a law that would immediately create such centers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStudies overdose prevention centers to reduce drug overdose deaths in marginalized communities, aligning with harm reduction criminal justice reform goals.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill directs study of overdose prevention centers to reduce drug deaths in underserved communities, advancing public health initiatives through evaluation and potential implementation.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SM 14: ADDRESS FORCED STERILIZATION POLICY

Senate Memorial 14 (SM 14) is a non-binding resolution requesting New Mexico's Indian Affairs Department and Commission on the Status of Women to study the historical forced or coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and women of color in the state. The study will identify past cases, gather survivor testimony using culturally safe methods, assess current reproductive healthcare access, and recommend actions to address harm. It aims to inform a state truth and reconciliation commission, a public memorial, and a Native American-led reproductive justice program, culminating in a 2027 report to the legislature. The resolution focuses on documenting historical violations and planning healing measures, not implementing new laws.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAssesses current reproductive healthcare access to identify gaps and inform recommendations, advancing patient access and rights in healthcare services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SM 2: PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE MEDICAID BENEFIT

This bill (SM 2) requests New Mexico's Health Care Authority to create a Medicaid benefit for pediatric palliative care, directly affecting children with serious, complex, or life-limiting illnesses and their families. It would allow these children to receive palliative care - managing pain, symptoms, and emotional support - while continuing curative treatments, unlike current hospice rules that require a terminal prognosis. The request includes specific provisions for coordinated care, 24/7 nurse access, and quality standards based on a UNM-developed model. Studies cited show similar programs improve quality of life, reduce hospital visits, and can save Medicaid costs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates new Medicaid benefit for pediatric palliative care, expanding coverage for children with serious illnesses while allowing continued curative treatment, directly advancing healthcare access and services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare