SANTA FE – A bill that will improve access to health care in New Mexico by allowing the state to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact won unanimous House approval on Tuesday and is now headed to the governor’s desk.

The legislation — Senate Bill 1 — is a critical component of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s broader strategy to address New Mexico’s physician shortage and make it easier to see a doctor in New Mexico. The New Mexico Senate unanimously approved SB 1 on Jan. 22.

“We’re working with state lawmakers to expand access to medical care in New Mexico, and passage of SB 1 is an important part of our strategy,” said Governor Lujan Grisham. “If a qualified doctor in Colorado or Texas wants to move to New Mexico and start treating patients, this bill cuts red tape and gets them serving New Mexicans faster. I thank every member of the House and Senate who voted to approve this bill and send it to my desk as soon as possible.”

Forty-three states, including those bordering New Mexico, participate in the licensure compacts.

The bill, sponsored by Senators Linda M. Trujillo, Katy M. Duhigg, Nicole Tobiassen, and Representatives Pamelya Herndon and Marian Matthews, streamlines the licensing process for out-of-state physicians seeking to practice in New Mexico, accelerating the state’s efforts to bring qualified doctors into communities that need them.

New Mexico faces persistent shortages of physicians, particularly in rural areas and in critical specialties. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact allows physicians with licenses in good standing in other compact states to obtain New Mexico licenses more quickly through a centralized verification process, dramatically reducing the time and administrative burden of relocating to practice in the state.

While the primary benefit is easier recruitment of out-of-state physicians to New Mexico, the compact also helps New Mexico physicians who want to provide care in other states, particularly through telemedicine or in border communities.

The bill’s unanimous passage demonstrates bipartisan commitment to bringing more physicians to communities across New Mexico.