Panel recommends limited IPRA exemption for public‑institution clinicians after heated amendment fight

The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee voted to recommend Senate Bill 57 by a 6–3 margin, a measure that would create an exemption under the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) for certain identifying or sensitive records related to medical providers employed by public institutions who provide abortion services.

Sponsor Sen. Wirth said the exemption would protect clinicians at public institutions from extensive out-of-state, often anonymous IPRA requests that she and witnesses described as "continuous, random and essentially anonymous." Dr. Lisa Hoffler, interim chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNM Health Sciences, told the committee the volume and specificity of requests have raised safety concerns and created onerous work for clinicians and staff. "These expansive requests encompass hundreds or thousands of documents that contain clinical schedules, travel plans, upcoming health care plans around the state and calendar information, which feels very unsafe," Dr. Hoffler said.

Sen. Block offered an amendment that would have narrowed the exemption to specific personal contact information — "a personal home address, personal phone number, personal email correspondence" — and explicitly preserved aggregated data about abortion services provided by the public body. Senator Wirth and Dr. Hoffler opposed the amendment as too narrow. "I think as you heard from Dr. Hoffler, the range of different issues that they're facing and what this bill is drafted would cover is much broader than what's proposed in here," Wirth said. The committee moved and seconded the amendment and then rejected it on a roll call.

Public testimony was split. Kat Sanchez of Bold Futures, a statewide advocacy group, urged passage, saying providers and patients face doxxing and that privacy protections are needed. An opponent, Ruth Porta, identified herself as a resident and a religious objector and said she wanted access to provider information to avoid providers who perform abortions.

Committee members debated tradeoffs between provider safety and government transparency. Several senators, including Senator Hickey, argued the amendment was too narrow and would leave providers exposed to targeted requests. Other senators, including Senator Block, said aggregated data and budget transparency should remain available and expressed concern about singling out one class of public employees for special treatment.

After debate and the failed amendment, the committee voted 6–3 to give the bill a do-pass recommendation. The outcome sends the measure forward for additional committee consideration. Supporters said the exemption is narrowly tailored to safety concerns affecting clinicians at public institutions; critics said the bill risks reducing transparency over publicly funded services.

Votes at a glance: Motion to give SB57 a do-pass recommendation passed 6–3. The committee rejected Senator Block’s narrowing amendment before final passage.