SB 252 — SOCIAL WORK TELEHEALTH SERVICES

SENATEAN BILLACT 252RELATING 57THTO LEGISLATURETELEHEALTH; - STATEOFNEWMEXICO- FIRST SESSION, 2025 INTRODUCED BY Natalie Figueroa This document may incorporate amendments proposed by a committee, but not yet adopted, as well as amendments that have been adopted during the current legislative session.

TheAMENDING documentTHE isNEW aMEXICO toolTELEHEALTH toACT showTO amendmentsALLOW inALL contextLICENSED andSOCIAL cannotWORKERS beTO usedPROVIDE forTELEHEALTH theSERVICES. purpose of adding amendments to legislation.

h6 gBE oIT ANENACTED ACTBY tTHE hrLEGISLATURE gOF eTHE iSTATE kOF RELATINGNEW TOMEXICO: TELEHEALTH;

AMENDINGSECTION THE1. NEW MEXICO TELEHEALTH ACT h r i s TO ALLOW ALL LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS TO PROVIDE TELEHEALTH h , t, SERVICES.

eSection u24-25-3 gNMSA e1978 b(being lLaws e2004, eChapter h48, nSection d3, das iamended) =is =amended oto hread: BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

l"24-25-3. ] b ,d i a º e SECTION 1.

Section 24-25-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2004, r i = r t e w d m a n o Chapter 48, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:

d m :

b e d s º o t n = .228790.2AIC March 9, 2025 (9:25pm) s k m e e a n e d r e l u [ A d "24-25-3.

"health care provider" means a person licensed Sfl1º , certified or registered»Sfl1 to provide health care to patients in New Mexico, including:

(5) a [podiatrist ] podiatric physician;

h g (13) a nutritionist;

oSB t252 hrPage 1 (14) a psychologist;

g e i k (15) a certified nurse-midwife;

h r i s (16) a clinical nurse specialist;

h , t, e u g (17) a registered nurse;

e b l e e h (18) a dental hygienist;

n d d i = = o h (19) a pharmacist;

l ] b ,d i a º e r i = r (20) a licensed [independent ] social worker;

t e w d m a n o (21) a licensed counselor;

d(22) ma :community health representative;

b(23) e d s º o t n = .228790.2AIC March 9, 2025 (9:25pm) s k m e - 2 - e a nlicensed eathletic dtrainer; r e l u [ A d (22) a community health representative;

[or] (23) a licensed athletic trainer;

SB 252 Page 2 (7) an assisted living center;

h g (8) a school-based health program;

o t hr (9) a mobile clinic;

g e i k (10) a mental health clinic;

h r i s (11) a rehabilitation or other therapeutic h , t, e u g health setting;

e b l e e h (12) the patient's residence;

n d d i = = o h (13) a federally qualified health center;

or l ] b ,d i a º e r i = r (14) a community health center;

and t e w d m a n o C.

"telehealth" means the use of electronic dinformation, mimaging :and communication technologies, including interactive audio, video, data communications as well as store-and-forward technologies, to provide and support health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data and education." SECTION 2.

b e d s º o t n = .228790.2AIC March 9, 2025 (9:25pm) s k m e - 3 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d information, imaging and communication technologies, including interactive audio, video, data communications as well as store- and-forward technologies, to provide and support health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data and education." STBTCº SECTION 2.

Because the use of telehealth improves access to quality health care and will generally benefit the citizens of New Mexico, health insurers, health maintenance SB 252 Page 3 organizations, managed care organizations and third-party payors offering services to the citizens of New Mexico are h g encouraged to use and provide coverage for telehealth within o t hr the scope of their plans or policies.

The state's medical g e i k h r assistance program is also encouraged to include telehealth i s h within the scope of its plan or policy.

, t, e u g C.

Nothing in the New Mexico Telehealth Act shall e b l e e h n d d i be construed to alter supervision requirements set forth by a = = o h l ] b ,d health care provider's applicable licensing board.

A health i a º e r i = r care provider shall provide telehealth services under the tsame elevel wof dsupervision mrequired afor nin-person opractice." dSB m252 :Page 4 25

b e d s º o t n = .228790.2AIC March 9, 2025 (9:25pm) s k m e - 4 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d same level of supervision required for in-person practice."»STBTC - 5 - » g o » r h t i k l i g t h s , e h t l i w l b l e e , g n d l h = = b , a l º d i a r e r = , a t e d m a n o d m :