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HOUSE BILL 479
57
TH LEGISLATURE
-
STATE
OF
NEW
MEXICO
-
FIRST SESSION
,
2025
INTRODUCED BY
Gail Armstrong and Rebecca Dow
AN ACT
RELATING TO LICENSING; ENACTING A NEW SECTION OF THE UNIFORM
LICENSING ACT TO PROHIBIT NON-PHYSICIAN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
WITH A DOCTORAL DEGREE FROM USING THE TITLE OF "DOCTOR" IN ANY
FORM OF ADVERTISING OR COMMUNICATION IN A CLINICAL SETTING
WITHOUT IDENTIFYING AS A DOCTOR OF A SPECIFIC PROFESSION;
PROVIDING FOR PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. A new section of the Uniform Licensing Act is
enacted to read:
"[NEW MATERIAL] PROHIBITING NON-PHYSICIAN HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS FROM USING THE TITLE OF "DOCTOR".--
A. A non-physician health care provider shall only
use the titles and abbreviations authorized by the non-
physician health care provider's respective professional
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licensing statutes.
B. A non-physician health care provider who has
obtained a doctoral degree in the profession governed by the
non-physician health care provider's professional licensing
statute may use the letter "D" in front of the abbreviations
authorized by the relevant statute.
C. A non-physician health care provider shall not
use the title of "doctor" without clearly identifying as a
doctor of a specific profession in any:
(1) form of advertisement, printed or
electronic material that names the non-physician health care
provider, practice, profession or institution in which the non-
physician health care provider is employed, volunteers or
otherwise provides services, including signage, business cards,
identification badges, letterheads, brochures, email, websites
or internet platforms; or
(2) in-person or technology-assisted clinical
interaction with patients or the patients' caregivers.
D. A violation of this section shall be grounds for
disciplinary action, including denial, suspension or revocation
of the non-physician health care provider's license pursuant to
the applicable professional licensing act.
E. Each board or department shall adopt rules to
implement this section."
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