Governor’s key priorities approved by NM Legislature – Medical malpractice reform, mental health commitment standards clear both chambers; universal child care one Senate vote away 

SANTA FE — Two cornerstone priorities of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s final legislative session have cleared both chambers of the New Mexico Legislature and a third — universal child care — is one procedural Senate vote away from advancing to her desk, following votes by the New Mexico Legislature.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved medical malpractice reform (HB 99) and the House approved a Senate Bill 3, which would give authorities the right to compel mental health treatment for individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others. Both bills are headed to the governor’s desk, where she will soon sign them into law.

“I’m deeply grateful to the members of the Legislature who worked so hard to get these measures across the finish line,” Governor Lujan Grisham said. “These weren’t easy lifts. They required months of negotiation, good faith and a willingness to put New Mexicans first. I’m proud that in my final session, we were able to deliver on all three.”

Medical malpractice reform
After weeks of intensive negotiations among the Governor’s Office, medical providers, attorneys and legislative leaders, House Bill 99 won Senate approval on a 40-2 vote late Tuesday.

“This is a giant step toward solving our doctor shortage in New Mexico, and it’s going to lead to better health outcomes for patients because they won’t have to wait so long to see a doctor,” Lujan Grisham said. “I thank the House and the Senate for heeding my call to pass medical malpractice reform and I look forward to signing HB 99 into law.”

The legislation places limits on punitive damage awards in malpractice cases — setting ceilings of roughly $900,000 for independent physicians, $1 million for independent outpatient clinics and $6 million for locally owned and operated hospitals. Larger hospital systems and the outpatient facilities they control will have a separate, higher threshold set at two and a half times those amounts.

The reform bill will ease the cost of malpractice insurance for physicians and reduce financial barriers to practicing medicine in New Mexico, which has long struggled to recruit and retain enough doctors to meet patient demand.

Universal child care
The House approved Senate Bill 241 late Tuesday, clearing a path for the state to build out a universal child care system available to all New Mexico families. To sustain the program, the bill authorizes annual draws from the state’s $11 billion early childhood education trust fund limited to $700 million per year to preserve the fund’s long-term health.

The legislation also ties child care facilities’ participation to New Mexico’s existing wage and career ladder for early childhood workers, a framework designed to raise pay and create professional pathways in the historically underpaid field. Families with fewer financial resources will receive priority access to subsidized slots. The bill now returns to the Senate for final approval of House changes. The governor is optimistic the Senate will send the bill to her desk before the legislature adjourns.

“Every child in New Mexico deserves a strong start, regardless of their family’s zip code or income,” Governor Lujan Grisham said. “With SB 241, we’re making that promise real — and we’re doing it in a way that protects this investment for generations to come.”

Mental health commitment standards
Senate Bill 3, which strengthens authorities’ ability to pursue involuntary civil commitment for individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others, is also headed to the governor following Tuesday’s House vote.

The bill revises the state’s definitions of what constitutes a danger to oneself or to others, giving authorities clearer standards to act when someone’s mental illness poses a serious risk.

“For too long, families have watched their loved ones spiral without any good options to intervene,” Governor Lujan Grisham said. “This law changes that. We’re giving communities the tools they need to act — and giving families something they haven’t had enough of — hope.”