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 provisions for the redaction of certain personal information before these documents can be purchased or digitized by third parties. The newly inserted language specifies that the month and day of a person's date of birth, all but the last four digits of social security numbers, and all but the last four digits of driver's license numbers must be redacted.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that health information identifying specific individuals as patients is exempt from public records, and it outlines the conditions under which discharge papers of veterans are accessible. These discharge papers must be segregated from public records, and access is limited to the veteran, their next of kin, or authorized representatives. Furthermore, it stipulates that death certificates can be inspected but not purchased or copied by third parties until fifty years after the date of death, ensuring the protection of sensitive information while maintaining public access to certain records.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 14-8-9.1