A. A taxpayer who files an individual New Mexico tax return, who is not a dependent of another individual, who is an eligible health care practitioner and who has provided health care services in New Mexico in a rural health care underserved area in a taxable year, may claim a credit against the tax liability imposed by the Income Tax Act. The credit provided in this section may be referred to as the "rural health care practitioner tax credit".

B. The rural health care practitioner tax credit may be claimed and allowed in an amount that shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for all eligible physicians, osteopathic physicians, dentists, clinical psychologists, podiatrists and optometrists who qualify pursuant to the provisions of this section, except the credit shall not exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000) for all eligible dental hygienists, physician assistants, certified nurse-midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists.

C. To qualify for the rural health care practitioner tax credit, an eligible health care practitioner shall have provided health care during a taxable year for at least two thousand eighty hours at a practice site located in an approved, rural health care underserved area. An eligible rural health care practitioner who provided health care services for at least one thousand forty hours but less than two thousand eighty hours at a practice site located in an approved rural health care underserved area during a taxable year is eligible for one-half of the credit amount.

D. Before an eligible health care practitioner may claim the rural health care practitioner tax credit, the practitioner shall submit an application to the department of health that describes the practitioner's clinical practice and contains additional information that the department of health may require. The department of health shall determine whether an eligible health care practitioner qualifies for the rural health care practitioner tax credit, and shall issue a certificate to each qualifying eligible health care practitioner. The department of health shall provide the taxation and revenue department appropriate information for all eligible health care practitioners to whom certificates are issued.

E. A taxpayer claiming the credit provided by this section shall submit a copy of the certificate issued by the department of health with the taxpayer's New Mexico income tax return for the taxable year. If the amount of the credit claimed exceeds a taxpayer's tax liability for the taxable year in which the credit is being claimed, the excess may be carried forward for three consecutive taxable years.

F. As used in this section:

(1) "eligible health care practitioner" means:

(a) a certified nurse-midwife licensed by the board of nursing as a registered nurse and licensed by the public health division of the department of health to practice nurse-midwifery as a certified nurse-midwife;

(b) a dentist or dental hygienist licensed pursuant to the Dental Health Care Act [Chapter 61, Article 5A NMSA 1978];

(c) an optometrist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Optometry Act [Chapter 61, Article 2 NMSA 1978];

(d) an osteopathic physician licensed pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 61, Article 10 NMSA 1978 or an osteopathic physician assistant licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Osteopathic Physicians' Assistants Act [repealed];

(e) a physician or physician assistant licensed pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 61, Article 6 NMSA 1978;

(f) a podiatrist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Podiatry Act [Chapter 61, Article 8 NMSA 1978];

(g) a clinical psychologist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Professional Psychologist Act [Chapter 61, Article 9 NMSA 1978]; and

(h) a registered nurse in advanced practice who has been prepared through additional formal education as provided in Sections 61-3-23.2 through 61-3-23.4 NMSA 1978 to function beyond the scope of practice of professional registered nursing, including certified nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists and clinical nurse specialists;

(2) "health care underserved area" means a geographic area or practice location in which it has been determined by the department of health, through the use of indices and other standards set by the department of health, that sufficient health care services are not being provided;

(3) "practice site" means a private practice, public health clinic, hospital, public or private nonprofit primary care clinic or other health care service location in a health care underserved area; and

(4) "rural" means an area or location identified by the department of health as falling outside of an urban area.

History: Laws 2007, ch. 361, § 2.

Bracketed material. — Laws 2016, ch. 90, § 29 repealed the Osteopathic Physicians' Assistants Act, effective July 1, 2016.

Effective dates. — Laws 2007, ch. 361 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 15, 2007, 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature.

Applicability. — Laws 2007, ch. 361, § 10 provided that Laws 2007, ch. 361, § 2 apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2007.