The bill amends Section 14-8-9.1 of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA) 1978, which pertains to public records and their inspection. It establishes that all documents filed with the county clerk are public records, but introduces specific requirements for redacting certain personal information before documents can be purchased or digitized by third parties. The new redaction requirements include the month and day of birth, all but the last four digits of social security numbers, and all but the last four digits of driver's license numbers.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that health information identifying specific individuals as patients is exempt from public records, and it sets forth guidelines for the handling of veterans' discharge papers and death certificates. Discharge papers are to be segregated from public records and can only be accessed by authorized individuals, while death certificates may be inspected but cannot be purchased or copied by third parties until fifty years after the date of death. The bill aims to enhance the protection of personal information in public records while maintaining transparency in government documentation.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 14-8-9.1