OPIOID ADDICTION PREVENTION

SB0087

SENATE BILL 87

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Craig W. Brandt

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH; CREATING THE OPIOID ADDICTION
PREVENTION PILOT PROJECT TO IMPROVE POST-SURGICAL PAIN
MANAGEMENT AND REDUCE UNNECESSARY OPIOID PRESCRIBING; REQUIRING
NURSE NAVIGATION AND CLINICAL SUPPORT FOR PATIENTS AND
PROVIDERS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1.
[
NEW MATERIAL
] OPIOID ADDICTION PREVENTION
PILOT PROJECT--CONTRACTING--REPORTING.--

A. As used in this section, "nurse navigation"
means a clinically led service that is compliant with the
federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 and that provides personalized pain management coaching,
follow-up support and education on proper medication use and
potential risks in multiple languages.

B. The department of health shall create a five-
year "opioid addiction prevention pilot project" to study ways
to use nurse navigation to prevent opioid misuse, addiction,
overdoses and poisonings related to surgery and other health
care procedures.

C. The department of health shall contract with a
third party to design and implement the project. To ensure
clinical efficacy and immediate scalability, the selected
contractor shall demonstrate a proven track record in:

(1) providing nurse navigation for patients
before and after surgical procedures, with a focus on optimized
pain management with less opioid use;

(2) delivering direct clinical implementation
support and reporting to health care professionals and
facilities to improve pain management and reduce prescription
opioids;

(3) supporting efforts to prevent opioid
overprescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and
dispensing of opioids;

(4) deploying a sustainable, innovative
evidence-based model, with one or more peer-reviewed
publications, focused on the surgical episode of care with
programs funded by opioid settlements in a minimum of five
other states; and

(5) delivering various items and methodologies
directly to patients designed to help patients experience less
pain and fewer complications and reduced reliance on opioids
post-surgery.

D. Beginning in fiscal year 2027 and through fiscal
year 2031, the department of health shall provide an annual
report to the legislative finance committee and the legislative
health and human services committee on the project's success,
including the number of surgical cases covered, the total
volume of opioid pills avoided through improved pain management
protocols and performance measures related to the prevention of
opioid misuse and addiction.

SECTION 2.
APPROPRIATION.--Nine million dollars
($9,000,000) is appropriated from the opioid crisis recovery
fund to the department of health for expenditure in fiscal
years 2026 through 2031 to carry out the purposes of Section 1
of this act. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of
fiscal year 2031 shall revert to the opioid crisis recovery
fund.

SECTION 3.
EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public
peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

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