Bill > HB54

This bill expands eligibility for the rural health care practitioner tax credit, a tax reduction available to healthcare professionals who provide services in underserved rural areas of New Mexico. Previously, the credit had different maximum amounts for various types of practitioners, but this bill simplifies it to a single maximum credit amount for all eligible health care practitioners, while also broadening the definition of who qualifies to include licensed counselors, therapists, pharmacists, and social workers, in addition to existing categories like physicians, dentists, and nurses. To claim the credit, practitioners must work at least 2,080 hours annually in an approved rural health care underserved area, with a prorated credit available for those working at least 1,040 hours, and they must obtain a certificate from the department of health, which is then submitted with their tax return, with any excess credit able to be carried forward for up to three years.