Governor Signs Several Health Care Bills Into Law: Medical Malpractice Reform, Two Others

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a package of health care bills into law, including a medical malpractice reform bill, Source NM reports. She signed the measures alongside a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the construction site of a new 15-bed hospital in Los Lunas in Valencia County.

House Bill 99 caps punitive damages in medical malpractice claims, a reform the governor called a major step toward addressing the state’s physician shortage. "We can’t make New Mexico the No. 1 place to move and raise and grow a family if you are waiting more than a year to see a primary care doctor," she said, Source NM reported. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, described it as a balanced approach that limits jury awards while ensuring families can still seek legal recourse.

The bill nearly derailed over a proposed amendment to exempt corporate-owned hospitals from the caps but passed with bipartisan support, and Sen. Crystal Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, said she was proud lawmakers rejected the amendment. The advocacy group New Mexico Safety Over Profit criticized the reform, with executive director Johana Bencomo saying it benefits corporate-owned hospitals while limiting support for families harmed by preventable malpractice.

The governor also signed House Bill 4, which increases funding for the state’s Health Care Affordability Fund; supporters say it would help protect Medicaid recipients if federal funding is reduced. House Bill 306 prohibits hospitals from collecting facility fees for preventive outpatient care, outpatient vaccinations and telehealth services, while still allowing them for inpatient and emergency care.

Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit Source NM’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.