---
type: "Bill"
title: "PATIENTS' DEBT COLLECTION PROTECTION ACT"
description: "PATIENTS' DEBT COLLECTION PROTECTION ACT"
jurisdiction: "us/states/nm"
legislature: "New Mexico Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 71"
citation: "New Mexico SB 71 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS", "HEALTH & HEALTH FACILITIES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Armstrong, Deborah A.", "Duhigg, Katy M.", "Hickey, Martin"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 13
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2021-01-19"
last_action: "2021-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4c11757b-f42c-40fa-bc59-a7976d447af8"
source_url: "http://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=S&legType=B&legNo=71&year=21"
source_hash: "6dd0b039327be5ba642491b6f5605441afeb1807425ed0dfa9a6b945da1fd0b9"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nm"]
---

# New Mexico SB 71 (2021) — PATIENTS' DEBT COLLECTION PROTECTION ACT

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendments in Context** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/Amendments_In_Context/SB0071.pdf)
2. **FS substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0071FSS.HTML)
3. **Final Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/final/SB0071.PDF)
4. **JU substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0071JUS.HTML)
5. **introduced version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0071.HTML)

## Sponsors

- Armstrong, Deborah A. — primary (person)
- Duhigg, Katy M. — primary (person)
- Hickey, Martin — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-19** Sent to `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2021-01-19** Sent to Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee & Senate Judiciary Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2021-02-10** DO PASS committee report adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-18** DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-02** special
- **2021-03-08** DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-10** passed Senate `passage`
- **2021-03-17** Senate concurred in House amendments
- **2021-03-13** DO PASS, as amended, committee report adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-11** Sent to House Health & Human Services Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-16** floor substitute adopted (1 amendment)
- **2021-03-16** passed House `passage`
- **2021-04-06** Signed `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4c11757b-f42c-40fa-bc59-a7976d447af8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Mexico legislature records).