This bill amends the definition of "health care practitioner" in New Mexico law to include veterinarians, thereby extending certain legal protections and provisions to them. Specifically, it adds veterinarians to the list of health care practitioners whose agreements can be deemed void, unenforceable, and against public policy if they violate specific regulations. The bill updates the relevant sections of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA) to reflect this inclusion, ensuring that veterinarians are recognized alongside other health care professionals such as dentists, physicians, and pharmacists.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the applicability of the provisions in Chapter 24A, Article 4 NMSA 1978, stating that these regulations will apply to agreements involving veterinarians executed on or after the effective date of the act in 2025. It also makes several technical amendments, including the replacement of "podiatrist" with "podiatric physician" and updates to the chapter references within the statute. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the legal framework surrounding health care practitioners in New Mexico by formally recognizing veterinarians in this context.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 24A-4-1, 24A-4-5