# New Mexico HB 66: WORKERS' COMPENSATION CHANGES

New Mexico HB 66, WORKERS' COMPENSATION CHANGES, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Pamelya Herndon (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-03-21 (Signed by Governor - Chapter 18 - Mar. 21); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB66-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: New Mexico HB 66
- State: New Mexico
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: WORKERS' COMPENSATION CHANGES
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: unknown
- Last action: 2025-03-21, Signed by Governor - Chapter 18 - Mar. 21
- Sponsor: Pamelya Herndon (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (61 yes, 36 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Higher case-cost advances for injured workers: mixed, medium. New Mexico employers must advance costs for discovery—the exchange of evidence—requested by workers in workers’ compensation cases. The advance limit rises from $3,500 to $4,000 on January 1, 2027, and $4,500 on January 1, 2029. If the worker substantially wins the case, the employer pays the advan…
- Higher legal-fee caps for injured workers: mixed, medium. New Mexico caps total attorney fees for one work injury or occupational disease claim at $30,000 in 2025. The cap rises to $32,000 on January 1, 2027, and $34,000 on January 1, 2029. It covers all related legal services, including paralegal and legal clerical work, regardless of how many attorneys…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Pamelya Herndon (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-21 | Senate | Final Senate Vote | pass | 25 | 14 |   |
| 2025-02-19 | House | Final House Vote | pass | 36 | 22 |   |

## Actions (10)

- 2025-03-21: Signed by Governor - Chapter 18 - Mar. 21 (Senate)
- 2025-03-16: Passed in the Senate - Y:25 N:14 (Senate)
- 2025-03-13: SJC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate)
- 2025-03-08: STBTC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Sent to STBTC - Referrals: STBTC/SJC (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:36 N:22 (House)
- 2025-02-11: HJC: Reported by committee with Do Not Pass but with a Do Pass recommendation on Committee Substitution (House)
- 2025-01-29: HLVMC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (House)
- 2025-01-23: Sent to HLVMC - Referrals: HLVMC/HJC (Senate)
- undated: Sent to HPREF - Referrals: HPREF (Senate)

## Bill text

- Final Version, 2025-03-21: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0066.pdf)
- SJC Committee Report 3/13/25, 2025-03-13: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066JU1.pdf)
- STBTC Committee Report 3/08/25, 2025-03-08: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066CT1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Report 2/11/25, 2025-02-11: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066JC1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Substitute 2/11/25, 2025-02-11: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066JCS.pdf)
- HLVMC Committee Report 1/29/25, 2025-01-29: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066LV1.pdf)
- Introduced, 2025-01-09: [HTML](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066.html), [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025 (signed)
- SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE (signed)
- SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES (signed)
- SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE (signed)
- SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK (signed)
- HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES (signed)

## Sources
- [Final Version (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0066.pdf)
- [SJC Committee Report 3/13/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066JU1.pdf)
- [STBTC Committee Report 3/08/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066CT1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Report 2/11/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066JC1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Substitute 2/11/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066JCS.pdf)
- [HLVMC Committee Report 1/29/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066LV1.pdf)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066.html)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0066.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB2-2025)
- [SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB45-2025)
- [SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB343-2025)
- [SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB345-2025)
- [SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB133-2025)
- [HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB157-2025)
- [New Mexico bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico/bills)
- [New Mexico state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB66-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).