FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 21, 2025
CONTACT: Daniela Perez, [email protected]
New Mexico Advocates Call for Legislative Action to Support Caregivers and Transform Care Infrastructure
Santa Fe, NM – This week, at a press conference at the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, caregivers, advocates, and policy leaders gathered to urge the New Mexico Legislature to take immediate action to strengthen the state’s care infrastructure. Led by the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition, the New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), speakers highlighted two critical bills aimed at addressing workforce shortages and improving care access for thousands of New Mexicans.
The proposed measures include:
- HB 55: A $20.8 million appropriation to increase reimbursement rates for Personal Care Services (PCS), enabling care workers to earn more than minimum wage.
- SB 103: A data collection bill to gather insights into the PCS workforce, such as pay, working hours, and job conditions, to inform future policy decisions.
“The direct care workforce is essential to our state’s care system, but their wages do not reflect the essential work they do,” said Meggin Lorino, Executive Director of the NM Association for Home and Hospice Care. “Without increased investment, we risk leaving our most vulnerable residents without access to care.”
Chanelle Croxton, Senior Director of Care Organizing at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, emphasized the transformative potential of these bills: “These investments are not just about wages—they’re about valuing care as a public good. Direct care workers, overwhelmingly women and women of color, provide critical services that allow families to thrive and keep elders and people with disabilities in their homes. It’s time for policymakers to act with urgency.”
The legislative priorities in HB 55 and SB 103 reflect years of advocacy and research, including findings from the Mercer Study commissioned by the New Mexico Health Care Authority. The study recommended raising direct care worker wages to $18 per hour as a critical step toward addressing workforce shortages and stabilizing access to care. With 97% of Personal Care Services provided under the Agency-Based Community Benefit (ABCB) program, these measures will ensure that care workers are paid competitive wages while also aligning Medicaid reimbursement rates with the true cost of care.
SB 103’s mandate for comprehensive data collection will provide vital insights into workforce dynamics, such as turnover rates, median wages, and worker benefits. These data points will allow New Mexico to monitor the impact of HB 55’s funding increases, ensure accountability, and plan for future investments to strengthen the direct care workforce.
“This is about securing fair wages and ensuring that caregivers can build sustainable careers while helping care recipients remain in their homes,” Adrienne Smith, President and CEO of the NM Caregivers Coalition, added. “It’s a win for families, workers, and the state’s economy.”
Caregiver Susan Hiller shared her personal journey, transitioning from nursing to caregiving, and underscored the urgency of addressing low wages: “I’ve seen too many caregivers leave this profession because they simply can’t make ends meet. We deserve better, and so do our clients.”
By increasing funding and prioritizing data collection, New Mexico can lead the way in creating a care infrastructure that supports the growing demand for services while providing dignified wages and working conditions for direct care workers. Advocates call on lawmakers to pass HB 55 and SB 103 as a necessary foundation for a stronger, more equitable care economy that benefits families, workers, and the state as a whole.
These legislative efforts are part of NDWA’s broader campaign to strengthen Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) by increasing wages, enhancing oversight, and ensuring sustainable funding. The campaign aims to address the state’s growing care needs while stabilizing the workforce that provides these essential services.
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National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is the leading voice for dignity and fairness for millions of domestic workers in the United States. Founded in 2007, NDWA works for respect, recognition and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers, the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color. NDWA is powered by over 70 affiliate organizations and local chapters and by a growing membership base of nannies, house cleaners and care workers in over 20 states. Learn more at
www.domesticworkers.org. NDWA is a non-partisan non-profit organization that does not endorse, support, or oppose any candidates for public office.
