NM HB172

Establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for New Mexico hospitals, including 1:1 for trauma and operating room patients, 1:2 for intensive care and post-anesthesia units, 1:4 for emergency departments (averaged over 12-hour shifts), and 1:4 for medical-surgical, oncology, pediatric, behavioral health, and psychiatric units

Creates a 15-member Statewide Staffing Advisory Committee appointed by September 1, 2026, with members representing private, public, and rural hospitals, direct care nurses, and labor organizations to advise the Health Care Authority on staffing rules

Requires hospitals to establish staffing committees, develop staffing plans, adopt written training and orientation policies, and submit semiannual compliance reports to the authority

Imposes civil penalties for violations on a sliding scale based on hospital bed count: warning for first violation, up to $70/bed for second, $100/bed for third, and $200/bed for fourth and subsequent violations within one year; hospitals with multiple violations must submit corrective action plans or face fines up to $50,000 every 30 days

Requires the Health Care Authority to collect annual data on nurse retention rates, agency/traveler nurse utilization, and staffing levels, and to maintain a public website with hospital compliance information; declares an emergency for immediate effect