House Passes Legislation to Stabilize Rural Healthcare and Protect Access to Vaccines

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, the House of Representatives passed two key pieces of legislation to protect the state’s rural healthcare providers and safeguard vaccine access for New Mexicans in the wake of recent federal budget cuts and policy changes. 

The House passed Senate Bill 1 on a vote of 64-3, which boosts support for New Mexico’s rural healthcare providers, who will be hit hard by impending federal funding cuts to Medicaid. The legislation expands the scope of the state’s Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, so that in addition to providing support to new or expanding rural healthcare facilities, the fund can also provide stabilization grants to existing facilities at risk of closure because of these cuts. 

The bill also updates eligibility requirements to ensure all providers in high-need rural communities can access this critical funding, even if they are within a higher population county. This ensures that providers can continue serving New Mexicans in communities like Cuba, Hatch, and Zia Pueblo.

“Our rural healthcare providers are already feeling the squeeze from steep federal cuts to Medicaid that threaten to shutter their facilities and leave New Mexicans without local healthcare access,” said lead House sponsor Rep. Liz Thomson (D-Albuquerque). “We can’t afford to sit idly while our rural communities go without the care they need, so we are stepping up to help keep the doors open at these critical facilities now.” 

State officials have estimated that 6-8 of the state’s rural hospitals could close in less than 18 months without additional support from the state legislature. If these hospitals close, not only will rural New Mexicans be forced to travel long distances for their care, it will also increase the strain on other providers across our state.

SB 1 is supported by $50 million in the Special Session budget, House Bill 1, which has already passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor’s desk. SB 1 has 15 sponsors, including Rep. Anita Gonzales (D-Las Vegas) and Senator Liz Stefanics (D-Cerillos). 

Senate Bill 3, which the House passed by a vote of 43-26, protects access to vaccines for New Mexico families. The legislation enables the state to follow the guidance of medical experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and the New Mexico Department of Health in establishing vaccine rules and standards, rather than being tied to federal CDC recommendations. 

“This legislation safeguards the right of parents to protect themselves and their children from infectious diseases, as well as the right of parents to opt out,” said House Majority Whip Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque). “State lawmakers are making sure that science-based vaccines are both readily available and affordable to New Mexicans who want to take advantage of their benefits, no matter what happens on the federal level.”  

This legislation has 12 sponsors, including Reps. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque) and Linda Serrato (D-Santa Fe), and Senators Linda M. López (D-Albuquerque) and Cindy Nava (D-Bernalillo).

Both of these bills will now head to the desk of the Governor to be signed into law.

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