New Mexico HB244: HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY ACT

What the bill says

An act relating to health care; enacting the hospital price transparency act; requiring hospitals to provide pricing information on services and items provided at the hospitals; requiring the health care authority to implement and administer the hospital price transparency act; providing consumers an affirmative defense to collection actions; declaring a violation of the hospital price transparency act as an unfair or deceptive trade practice.

From the introduced text, January 29, 2026:

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE; ENACTING THE HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY ACT; REQUIRING HOSPITALS TO PROVIDE PRICING INFORMATION ON SERVICES AND ITEMS PROVIDED AT THE HOSPITALS; REQUIRING THE HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER THE HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY ACT; PROVIDING CONSUMERS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO COLLECTION ACTIONS; DECLARING A VIOLATION OF THE HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY ACT AS AN UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--Sections through 5 of this act may be cited as the "Hospital Price Transparency Act". SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Hospital Price Transparency Act: .233426.1 wen = lairetam derocsrednu eteled = ]lairetam detekcarb[ A. "authority" means the health care authority; B. "collection action" means any of the following actions taken with respect to a debt for an item or service that was purchased from or provided to a patient by a hospital on a date during which the hospital was in violation of the Hospital Price Transparency Act: (1) attempting to collect a debt from a patient or a patient's guarantor by referring the debt, directly or indirectly, to a debt collector, a collection agency or other third party retained by or on behalf of the hospital; (2) suing the patient or the patient's guarantor or …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Alan T. Martinez (R, HD-023) · primary sponsor
• Reena Szczepanski (D, HD-047)
• Michelle Paulene Abeyta (D, HD-069)
• Joshua N. Hernandez (R, HD-060)

Latest actions

1. January 29, 2026: Not Printed
2. : Action Postponed Indefinitely

Common questions

What is HB244?

HB244 is a bill in the New Mexico Legislature (2026 Regular Session): HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY ACT.

What does HB244 do?

In its own words: An act relating to health care; enacting the hospital price transparency act; requiring hospitals to provide pricing information on services and items provided at the hospitals; requiring the health care authority to implement and administer the hospital price transparency act; providing consumers an affirmative defense to collection actions; declaring a violation of the hospital price transparency act as an unfair or deceptive trade practice.

What is the status of HB244?

Failed as of January 29, 2026. Latest action: Not Printed (January 29, 2026).

Who sponsored HB244?

Alan T. Martinez (R, HD-023), with 3 co-sponsors.

Where is the official record for HB244?

On the New Mexico Legislature website: https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=H&legType=B&legNo=244&year=26