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HB 266

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136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Sean Brennan and 5 co-sponsors

HB 266 would allow physician assistants to practice and prescribe without a required supervising physician, shifting oversight to the New Mexico Medical Board via rulemaking.

Referred to committee
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Bill Summary · HB 266

HB 266 — Supervision of Physician Assistants (summary)

Status: Action postponed indefinitely
Introduced: (listed) August 20, 2025
Subject: Health & health facilities — Licensure
Primary focus: Amend the Physician Assistant Act (Chapter 61, Article 6, NMSA 1978)

Purpose / intent

HB 266 would expand the statutory scope of practice for physician assistants (PAs) in New Mexico by removing the statutory requirement that a PA must have an established supervising or collaborating relationship with a licensed physician in order to practice medicine or to prescribe, administer, dispense, or distribute dangerous drugs. The bill is intended to increase PA autonomy and reduce supervisory/credentialing dependencies on physicians.

Key provisions

  • Amends the Physician Assistant Act to eliminate the statutory requirement for a PA to have a supervising or collaborating physician relationship to:
    • Practice medicine as a PA, and
    • Prescribe, administer, dispense, or distribute dangerous drugs.
  • Does not specify an alternative supervision structure in text; implementation/oversight would be left to the New Mexico Medical Board (NMMB) via rulemaking.
  • The bill contains no explicit effective date; the fiscal note states the bill would take effect 90 days after adjournment if enacted (example date cited: June 20, 2025).

Who would be affected

  • Physician assistants: would gain statutory authority to practice without a mandated physician supervisor/collaborator.
  • Licensed physicians and employers/health systems: changes to supervision models, credentialing practices, and team structures.
  • New Mexico Medical Board (NMMB): responsible for licensing/regulatory oversight and rulemaking to implement the change.
  • Payors (including New Mexico Medicaid): reimbursement practices may be affected, since current payment practices often route payment through supervising physicians.
  • Patients and communities, especially in underserved/primary care areas: potential for increased access to care through more autonomous PA practice.

Fiscal and administrative implications

  • Legislative Finance Committee / fiscal note: estimates no fiscal impact to the New Mexico Medical Board and overall no fiscal impact from the bill. Some state agencies may incur minimal, indeterminate administrative workload associated with rulemaking.
  • NMMB: anticipates need to determine oversight requirements (for example, an oversight period for newly graduated PAs) and recommends requiring malpractice insurance if PAs are allowed to practice independently.

Significant issues, impacts, and considerations

  • Existing practice: New Mexico has allowed experienced PAs to practice with substantial independence in primary care since 2018 under a “collaborative” license; about 100 PAs obtained that license with no major reported problems.
  • Reimbursement and credentialing: Without a supervising physician listed, some payors (including Medicaid) may need to change billing rules; employers currently must replace a supervising physician and re-credential PAs if a supervising physician departs.
  • Liability and insurance: NMMB notes collaborative PAs carry private malpractice insurance; broader independent practice may require a statutory or regulatory malpractice insurance requirement.
  • Regulatory safeguards: NMMB suggests new graduates should have an experience/supervised period before independent practice; specifics would be set through NMMB rulemaking if the bill advanced.
  • Comparative context: Six states (Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming) allow PAs to practice with minimal or no supervisory requirements.

Related legislation

  • HB 267 (companion/related) — would allow certain experienced PAs to supervise newly licensed PAs.

Procedural note

Although this summary reflects the bill’s substantive intent and the New Mexico Medical Board’s analysis, the listed status for HB 266 is “action postponed indefinitely,” indicating it is not currently advancing. If reconsidered or reintroduced, details such as effective dates, required insurance, and transitional oversight periods would materially affect implementation and should be tracked.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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