<img width="800" height="528" src="https://eastmountains.nm.news/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe.jpg" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://eastmountains.nm.news/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe.jpg 800w, https://nmpoliticalreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe-300×198.jpg 300w, https://nmpoliticalreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe-768×507.jpg 768w, https://nmpoliticalreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe-400×264.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw – 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="1654144" data-permalink="https://nmpoliticalreport.com/newmexicocapitol_santafe/" data-orig-file="https://eastmountains.nm.news/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe.jpg" data-orig-size="800,528" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="NewMexicoCapitol_SantaFe" data-image-description="

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The New Mexico State Capitol, or Roundhouse Wikicommons.

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By Lauren Lifke

On March 16,  the New Mexico Senate approved a bill  that, if signed by the governor, would increase the size of attorney fees that can be collected in workers’ compensation cases. 

House Bill 66, sponsored by Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Albuquerque, would also increase the amount of money that can be advanced by employers for discovery costs, which involve both parties gathering evidence for their cases. 

“This is a huge compromise from the early ‘90s, where our workers’ compensation system was in serious trouble,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said. 

The bill came after a task force — made up of workers from insurance companies and people involved in the workers’ compensation system — studied workers’ compensation attorney caps. The task force issued a recommendation to raise attorney fee caps from $22,500 to $30,000. It also recommended raising the discovery cost advance from $3,000 to $3,500

 The attorneys’ fees have not increased since 2013, Wirth said, and this bill adjusts for inflation.

“It’s really important to make sure that this system, this compromise, works,” Wirth said.

Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, said an analysis of the bill by the New Mexico Association of Counties showed HB 66 would increase costs associated with workers’ compensation claims. Wirth said in response that the bill is just an inflationary increase of fees and discovery costs.

“But I can’t say that it won’t have some impact on the system as it gets implemented,” Wirth said. “But I just remind you, Senator: This came out of that task force where all the parties worked together to come up with this.” 

Workers’ compensation attorney Peter White wrote in a statement to NM Political Report that the bill is about fairness.

“It gives hardworking New Mexicans a real shot at justice, making sure they can access the legal help they need without being shut out by a broken system,” White wrote. “When you get hurt on the job, you shouldn’t have to beg for what’s rightfully yours. 

The bill passed 25-14, with opposition arguing that the bill could harm uninsured employers.

The post Workers’ compensation bill heads to the governor’s office appeared first on New Mexico Political Report.