N.M. Stat. § 9-8-3 (2026)

The purpose of the Health Care Authority Act is to establish a single, unified
department to administer laws and exercise functions relating to health facility licensure
and health care purchasing and regulation.

History: 1978 Comp., § 9-8-3, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 252, § 3; 1979, ch. 203, § 7;
1979, ch. 204, § 1; 1979, ch. 280, § 1; 1981, ch. 88, § 1; 2023, ch. 205, § 3; 2024, ch.
39, § 3.

                                    ANNOTATIONS

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, changed references to the health care
authority department to the health care authority; and after "Health Care Authority"
deleted "Department" and after "functions relating to" added "health facility licensure
and".

Temporary provisions. — Laws 2024, ch. 39, § 131 provided:

A.     On July 1, 2024:

(1)     functions, employees, money, appropriations, records, equipment and other
property of the department of health pertaining to the developmental disabilities
supports division, health improvement division and health facility licensing and
certification bureau are transferred from the department of health to the health care
authority;

(2)    all contractual obligations pertaining to the developmental disabilities supports
division, health improvement division and health facility licensing and certification
bureau shall be deemed to be contractual obligations of the health care authority; and
(3)    statutory references to the developmental disabilities supports division, health
improvement division and health facility licensing and certification bureau or other
functions transferred from the department of health to the health care authority shall be
deemed to be references to the health care authority.

B.     On July 1, 2024, functions, employees, money, appropriations, records,
equipment and other property of the office of the superintendent of insurance pertaining
to the administration of the health care affordability fund are transferred to the health
care authority. Contractual obligations of the office of the superintendent of insurance
pertaining to the health care affordability fund shall be deemed to be contractual
obligations of the health care authority.

The 2023 amendment, effective June 16, 2023, changed the name of the humans
services department to the health care authority department, and revised the duties of
the department; after "The purpose of the", deleted "Human Services" and added
"Health Care Authority", and after "relating to", deleted "human services and formerly
administered and exercised by the administrative services unit, the state welfare and
social services agencies of the health and social services department and the
committee on children and youth" and added "health care purchasing and regulation".