A bipartisan bill to reform New Mexico’s medical malpractice laws, aimed at preventing doctors from leaving the state and attracting more providers, is awaiting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature. Lawmakers have spent weeks in high-stakes negotiations over House Bill 99, which seeks to create a more predictable legal environment similar to neighboring states.A person can sue if they are harmed when a doctor makes a serious mistake, and if they win, a jury awards damages, which can be compensation for medical bills or punitive damages meant to punish wrongdoing. The New Mexico Medical Malpractice Act proposes caps on punitive damages: $900,000 for independent doctors, $1 million for independent outpatient clinics, and $6 million for locally owned hospitals and large hospitals.”It will create an environment that invites doctors to come back and practice and to keep the doctors that we have here,” said Democratic Rep. Christine Chandler, who sponsored the bill. “The reality is we want to hold bad doctors accountable, and they should be, but we also want to make sure that there’s a balance and that we are not running our doctors out of state,” said Republican Sen. Crystal Brantley. The New Mexico Trial Attorneys Association opposes the bill, arguing it will make it more difficult for injured individuals to recover a fair settlement and introduces procedural hurdles. They also claim the caps could benefit large corporations more than small, independent providers.”We’re disappointed,” said Feliz Ruiz, President of the association. “At some point, I think the negotiations broke down.”Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has called this one of her top priorities. If signed, the bill will take effect on July 1, 2026. The governor’s office has indicated she could sign it as soon as next week, although no exact date has been set.
A bipartisan bill to reform New Mexico’s medical malpractice laws, aimed at preventing doctors from leaving the state and attracting more providers, is awaiting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature.
Lawmakers have spent weeks in high-stakes negotiations over House Bill 99, which seeks to create a more predictable legal environment similar to neighboring states.
A person can sue if they are harmed when a doctor makes a serious mistake, and if they win, a jury awards damages, which can be compensation for medical bills or punitive damages meant to punish wrongdoing.
The New Mexico Medical Malpractice Act proposes caps on punitive damages: $900,000 for independent doctors, $1 million for independent outpatient clinics, and $6 million for locally owned hospitals and large hospitals.
“It will create an environment that invites doctors to come back and practice and to keep the doctors that we have here,” said Democratic Rep. Christine Chandler, who sponsored the bill.
“The reality is we want to hold bad doctors accountable, and they should be, but we also want to make sure that there’s a balance and that we are not running our doctors out of state,” said Republican Sen. Crystal Brantley.
The New Mexico Trial Attorneys Association opposes the bill, arguing it will make it more difficult for injured individuals to recover a fair settlement and introduces procedural hurdles. They also claim the caps could benefit large corporations more than small, independent providers.
“We’re disappointed,” said Feliz Ruiz, President of the association. “At some point, I think the negotiations broke down.”
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has called this one of her top priorities. If signed, the bill will take effect on July 1, 2026.
The governor’s office has indicated she could sign it as soon as next week, although no exact date has been set.
