Covenant Systems

Public Rights Field Guide · web edition

Authorities & Reporting Routes

Source-linked authority cards and reporting routes for licensing boards, health-facility oversight, civil rights, employment, education, law enforcement, privacy, benefits, and other processes.

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v1.0-rc1
Source date
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review candidate
Maintainer
Brandon N.Gallegos

CONTENTS

Find what you need

Underlined text and outlined navigation rows are clickable. Page numbers and stable card IDs also work in print.

TASK FINDER

Start with the problem

One event can justify several questions. The directory is a menu of possible fits—not instructions to report to every listed office.

PROFESSION FINDER

Find by health profession

Search by the real credential, not only a title such as “therapist.” The entries distinguish individuals, facilities and products.

The labels above are search aids, not determinations of scope of practice. State, federal, tribal, compact and interstate situations can require different analysis.

ROLE FINDER

Find by institution or role

Use the reader’s role and the actor’s actual institution together. Stable route numbers are catalogue IDs, not effectiveness scores.

BEFORE REPORTING

Choose the outcome and route

An office can be relevant without having power to provide the particular result you seek.

LICENSING / CERTIFICATION

Investigate a regulated professional or officer’s conduct; distinguish discipline from compensation. See the Medical Board’s stated limits and certification routing.

FACILITY / PROGRAM COMPLIANCE

Identify the institution, service and applicable oversight; an individual board complaint is not the same task. See DHI.

CIVIL RIGHTS / EMPLOYMENT

Identify the actual protection, covered actor and activity. ADA retaliation/interference is not a substitute for every employment or education framework.

CRIMINAL REPORT / PRIVATE CLAIM

DOJ or FBI intake and a private civil filing are different processes. A report does not appoint an agency as your lawyer. See federal report routes and the civil vehicle example.

ACCESS / PRESERVATION / APPEAL

Identify each separate task, recipient and clock. Confirm whether any prerequisite or election applies instead of imposing an internal-first rule on everyone.

Keep the factual account materially consistent, but tailor the requested action and attachments. Record uncertainties and contrary information. The route worksheet helps compare options; it is not a filing or legal deadline calculation.

PURPOSE-BASED SEQUENCES

Care, professional conduct or a medical bill

An editorial sequence of questions, not a legal prerequisite or ranking of agencies.

SC01 · scenario

Care, professional conduct or a medical bill

An editorial sequence of questions, not a legal prerequisite or ranking of agencies.

  1. Identify any immediate care or appeal issue

    Urgent care, discharge notices or ending coverage need their own prompt attention. Do not wait for a licensing investigation.

    R28

  2. Identify the actual actor and result sought

    Clinician discipline, facility practice, access to records, insurance coverage and a surprise bill are different tasks.

    R01 · R08 · R10 · R27 · R42

  3. Use relevant tracks in parallel when appropriate

    A patient advocate may help a care problem while a separate, properly supported regulatory or rights issue is considered. Check each route’s requirements.

    R29 · R40 · R11

  4. Track the correct stage

    Use the timing entry for the actor and event involved, not as a countdown to compensation.

    timing-index

PURPOSE-BASED SEQUENCES

Police, public bodies or public records

Sequence by task and jurisdiction, not by the perceived seriousness of an office.

SC02 · scenario

Police, public bodies or public records

Sequence by task and jurisdiction, not by the perceived seriousness of an office.

  1. Separate current safety from later review

    An immediate safety problem is not an ordinary oversight status inquiry. Identify the agency and jurisdiction without confrontation.

    police · otherpolice

  2. Separate discipline, crime and a civil claim

    Employer oversight, officer certification, federal reporting and a private legal assessment do different jobs.

    R14 · R15 · R17 · R18 · A01

  3. Use the correct records process separately

    Federal agency records and New Mexico public records use different gateways. A request for access is not proof that a preservation hold exists.

    R23 · R35

  4. Read an actual response or closure carefully

    Identify what was decided, what was not, whether referral occurred and which review instructions apply.

    stalled · worksheet

PURPOSE-BASED SEQUENCES

Workplace or education concerns

Conditional branches; an agency’s speed is not a substitute for legal coverage.

SC03 · scenario

Workplace or education concerns

Conditional branches; an agency’s speed is not a substitute for legal coverage.

  1. Keep overlapping statuses

    Student, employee, applicant, contractor, witness and federal employee are distinct roles that can overlap. Identify the actual institution.

    profession-more

  2. Match the subject and legal framework

    Civil-rights, safety, wages, labor practices and federal personnel each have different routes; a general grievance does not establish every protection.

    R19 · R20 · R25 · R26 · R21 · R22

  3. Check an actual prerequisite—not a universal one

    NM HED’s student complaint route requires the institution’s complaint process and excludes grade/conduct appeals. Do not transfer that rule to EEOC, OCR or every other route.

    R32

  4. Preserve later events and the notice trail

    Keep new events separate from the original filing. Check whether an amendment, new filing or time-sensitive review is needed.

    R19 · waiting · stalled

WAITING & NEXT STEPS

While you wait

Waiting for one office does not mean every other task should stop. These are process questions and organization choices, not directions for a particular case.

FIRST: ESTABLISH WHAT HAPPENED

Keep the exact submission, attachments, receipt, reference number and any error or bounce. “Sent,” “received,” “accepted,” “assigned” and “investigated” describe different events.

FOLLOW THE DESIGNATED STATUS PROCESS

Use the portal, case contact or published update method. Ask which stage applies and whether information is missing. Some offices restrict updates; the Judicial Standards Commission is one example.

USE A REAL CHECKPOINT

Record an actual notice date, an agency-provided estimate or its published instructions. No universal seven-day or monthly follow-up rule is created here. See the timing records.

KEEP CHANGED FACTS DISTINCT

Preserve originals and dated corrections. Check whether a new event belongs in an amendment, new submission or a separate route. EEOC’s charge-process guidance specifically addresses later events.

KEEP INDEPENDENT OPTIONS VISIBLE

Urgent care or safety, preservation, access requests, counsel/advocate support, and filing or appeal checks may remain separate. A pending inquiry is not proof that someone is protecting your deadline.

Use the bounded follow-up only where permitted. For closure, jurisdiction problems or an unanswered submission, continue to No response, referral or closure.

TIMING GUIDE

What does a response time mean?

Timing is useful only when the actor, stage, trigger and limits stay attached. Faster does not necessarily mean more appropriate.

LEGAL ACTION PERIOD

A rule can require action on a defined request. HIPAA access concerns a covered entity’s request handling—not OCR’s investigation.

AGENCY ESTIMATE OR PUBLISHED AVERAGE

Medical Board, EEOC and NLRB numbers describe different investigation stages. These pages do not identify a common measurement cohort.

INITIAL OR THIRD-PARTY REPLY

CFPB describes company replies; HED describes initial handling and a separate institution response. Neither is a universal resolution clock.

CONDITIONAL CONTACT

CMS describes contact if additional information is needed, not a final answer by that date.

YOUR FILING OR APPEAL CLOCK

HIPAA complaint filing is not a waiting estimate. Notices and claim-specific prerequisites require separate attention.

TIMING · AGENCY ESTIMATES

Investigation expectations

Published descriptions read September 19, 2026. None is a promised finish date or a measure of agency quality.

T01 · timing / process information

Medical Board investigation

3 months to 1 year

Actor / stage
NM Medical Board — Investigation; not compensation or final court relief.
Trigger
The FAQ gives a general investigation range, not a precise legal accrual rule.
Limits
Volume and complexity affect the range. No measurement cohort is supplied; this is not a verified FY2026 statistic or a promised completion date.
Next step
Check the current complaint instructions and any acknowledgment before deciding how to seek an update.

T02 · timing / process information

EEOC investigation

About 10 months

Actor / stage
EEOC — Investigation of a charge; not every later hearing, suit or remedy.
Trigger
Agency description of its charge process; no individualized start/end calculation here.
Limits
The page gives an average without identifying the underlying cohort. Federal-sector complaints follow a different process. Some cases take longer.
Next step
Use the portal. Check instructions promptly for new events, closure notices or a right-to-sue request.

T03 · timing / process information

NLRB merits decision

Typically 7–14 weeks

Actor / stage
NLRB regional office — Initial decision whether a charge has merit.
Trigger
The published range concerns investigation and initial merits handling.
Limits
Some cases take much longer. This is not a final hearing, Board/court resolution or remedy interval; no specific cohort is stated.
Next step
Use the regional office’s process; promptly examine review instructions on a dismissal.

TIMING · RESPONSE STAGES

Replies and conditional contact

These entries measure different actors and events. Do not compare them as if they were three agencies’ resolution speeds.

T04 · timing / process information

CFPB company replies

Generally 15 days; some final replies within 60 days

Actor / stage
Company receiving a CFPB complaint — Initial company response; a response in progress may lead to a later final response.
Trigger
Complaint routed to the company through the CFPB process.
Limits
These are company-response expectations, not CFPB investigation, enforcement or compensation deadlines. A reply may dispute the complaint.
Next step
Track the existing complaint and use the portal’s review/feedback instructions.

T05 · timing / process information

NM HED: two distinct stages

1–2 business days initially; 10 business days for an institution’s reply

Actor / stage
NM HED, then the institution — Initial review/reply; separately, the institution’s response to a forwarded complaint.
Trigger
HED receives a submission; the second stage starts when the institution receives the forwarded complaint.
Limits
HED can allow the institution more time. Neither interval promises final resolution. Coverage, internal-process and complaint-category limits still apply.
Next step
Confirm which stage applies and whether more information is needed; keep other forums’ clocks separate.

T06 · timing / process information

CMS request for more information

Contact within 60 days if more information is needed

Actor / stage
No Surprises Help Desk — Conditional request for additional information.
Trigger
CMS reviews a submitted complaint and determines additional information is needed.
Limits
The page does not promise a final decision in 60 days. A case may be referred to another authority.
Next step
Save the confirmation number and check the preferred contact channel; use the existing complaint for updates.

WHEN A ROUTE STALLS

No response, referral or closure

The next question depends on what actually happened. Delay alone does not establish wrongdoing; closure alone does not resolve every legal issue.

NO RECEIPT / TECHNICAL FAILURE

Check the accepted method and the evidence of your attempt. Use an officially permitted alternative promptly when necessary. A technical-support request is not automatically a completed filing.

RECEIVED, BUT NO UPDATE

Review the acknowledgment and status policy. Where allowed, ask whether anything is missing and what stage the matter has reached. Do not infer an investigation just because the portal accepted a form.

OUTSIDE JURISDICTION / REFERRED

Ask for the specific reason and official recipient. Verify whether it was actually forwarded and accepted, or whether you must make a new submission. Match the new route’s scope and deadline.

CLOSED / DENIED / NO ACTION

Preserve the exact notice and delivery date. Identify what was decided and any reconsideration, appeal, review or separate legal option. The guide does not promise that such an option exists.

THE PROBLEM CONTINUES

Document new facts independently. Consider relevant advocacy, urgent care/safety, access, regulatory or legal-assistance questions without assuming every new fact belongs in every earlier complaint.

Do not threaten, create repeated conflicting submissions, recruit witnesses to adopt a shared account, or delete inconvenient records to make a follow-up look stronger. Keep a source-linked log and seek qualified help for legal strategy or a time-sensitive notice.

REPORTING ROUTES

Physicians and nurses

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R01 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Physicians and physician assistants

Possible fit
The New Mexico Medical Board lists physicians (MDs and DOs), physician assistants and several other regulated professions. Verify the actual credential.
Limits
Individual licensing discipline is different from facility oversight, compensation or a malpractice suit. The Board says it cannot award damages.
Before using
Use the official complaint gateway and check its current required information and release terms.
While waiting
Use the published range as context, not a promised finish date.

Timing: Medical Board investigation

R02 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Nurses and advanced-practice nurses

Possible fit
New Mexico Board of Nursing: begin with license verification and its practice-complaint entry point, including when the clinician is an advanced-practice nurse.
Limits
Do not route someone solely because a workplace calls them a nurse. Verify the credential; facility complaints and nurse-aide matters may follow different channels.
Before using
Confirm the named license, board jurisdiction, complaint instructions, required release and receipt. The linked portal was not submitted or delivery-tested.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Mental-health practice

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R03 · BOARD LANDING PAGE READ

Psychologists

Possible fit
RLD Psychologist Examiners: the official board landing page is the starting point for a verified psychology license.
Limits
A psychologist, psychiatrist and counselor should not be routed interchangeably. A facility concern may require a separate route.
Before using
Follow the board’s current discipline/complaint instructions from its official page. Detailed intake, required forms and confidentiality terms remain to be checked.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R04 · BOARD LANDING PAGE READ

Counselors and therapy-practice licensees

Possible fit
RLD Counseling and Therapy Practice: use this gateway after identifying the actual counseling or therapy-practice credential.
Limits
The word therapist alone does not establish a board. Social work, psychology, physical therapy and occupational therapy may have different regulators.
Before using
Check the exact license category and the current board complaint process. This pass verified the board gateway, not a complete filing procedure.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Social work, dentistry and other licenses

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R05 · BOARD DIRECTORY ONLY

Social workers

Possible fit
The official RLD directory lists Social Work Examiners. Use that directory to locate the current board page for the relevant license.
Limits
The deep social-work page could not be retrieved during this pass; this is a directory entry, not recertified intake instructions.
Before using
Confirm license type, jurisdiction, accepted form, required releases and receipt directly through the current board.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R06 · DIRECTORY GATEWAY ONLY

Other licensed health professions

Possible fit
The RLD directory includes dental, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory care, chiropractic, optometry, massage and other boards.
Limits
Choose by verified license and challenged conduct. A profession’s board listing does not prove that it can resolve every complaint about that person.
Before using
Check the correct board, active license, location of service, telehealth or compact issues, and current discipline instructions. This directory is not an exhaustive jurisdiction opinion.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R37 · BOARD GATEWAY ONLY

Dental professional concerns

Possible fit
The RLD Dental Health Care Board page provides the official professional-board gateway.
Limits
Verify the specific dental credential and board coverage. A dental-office billing, insurance or facility issue may need a separate route.
Before using
Follow the board’s current complaint navigation and check forms, release terms and required facts.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Rehabilitation professions

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R38 · BOARD GATEWAY ONLY

Physical therapy concerns

Possible fit
The RLD Physical Therapy Board page identifies the profession-specific regulatory gateway.
Limits
A clinic’s institutional conduct and an individual’s licensed practice are distinct questions.
Before using
Verify the practitioner’s license and the board’s current complaint instructions; do not infer the credential from a business name.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

R39 · BOARD GATEWAY ONLY

Occupational therapy concerns

Possible fit
The RLD Occupational Therapy Board page addresses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.
Limits
A professional-board route does not replace a benefit appeal, facility complaint or employment process.
Before using
Verify credential and conduct; use the board’s current complaint link and review its information-sharing terms.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Pharmacy and product safety

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R07 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Pharmacists and pharmacy matters

Possible fit
RLD Board of Pharmacy has an official pharmacy complaint entry point.
Limits
A dispensing or professional-practice concern, an insurer’s coverage denial and possible program fraud are different questions.
Before using
Identify the licensed person or pharmacy and conduct. Confirm the complaint form, evidence/release requirements and applicable process; do not send a complete medical record by default.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R41 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Medical-product safety

Possible fit
FDA MedWatch receives safety reports about covered medical products. Use the product-specific instructions.
Limits
A product safety signal, clinician complaint and proof that a product caused an injury are different things.
Before using
Identify the product, event and source records. Check whether a different specialized reporting system applies to that product.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Facility oversight and hospital grievances

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R08 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Facilities and specified care programs

Possible fit
NM Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement (DHI): facility licensing/oversight and specified community-program concerns. Its page identifies facility, program, abuse/neglect and nurse-aide routes.
Limits
A facility route is not identical to discipline of an individual clinician. Program and setting determine which DHI channel fits.
Before using
Identify facility name/type, program, dates and immediate safety concerns. Choose the relevant official reporting entry. This pass did not establish every facility-specific filing condition.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 42 C.F.R. § 482.13(a)(2) · 42 U.S.C. § 1395dd(i)

R09 · RULE TEXT READ; LOCAL CONTACT OPEN

The hospital’s grievance process

Possible fit
For a hospital covered by the patient-rights Condition of Participation, the grievance rule addresses an internal process and specified written-resolution information.
Limits
Internal resolution is not a universal prerequisite to every outside report. Do not assume a grievance preserves a separate legal deadline.
Before using
Locate the hospital’s published grievance contact and keep the request, receipt and disposition. No individual hospital’s contact has been recertified in this atlas.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 42 C.F.R. § 482.13(a)(2)

REPORTING ROUTES

Health information and civil rights

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R10 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Health-information privacy or access

Possible fit
HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides a HIPAA complaint route. A request for your information usually begins with the entity’s applicable access process.
Limits
Not every organization or record is covered by HIPAA. Do not confuse a privacy complaint with malpractice review, records amendment or a guarantee of compensation.
Before using
Separate the holder’s access/amendment/accounting process from an HHS OCR complaint. § 160.306’s 180-day knowledge trigger is a filing period, not OCR’s resolution estimate. Check current form and consent instructions.
While waiting
The entity’s access-response rule and an OCR complaint clock are different; neither is an OCR investigation estimate.

Timing: HIPAA access request: action by the entity · HIPAA complaint filing—not waiting time

Law: 45 C.F.R. § 164.524 · 45 C.F.R. § 164.526

R11 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Discrimination in health or human services

Possible fit
HHS OCR provides a separate civil-rights complaint gateway for matters within its jurisdiction.
Limits
Identify the applicable law and coverage. Ordinary poor service does not, without more, establish a civil-rights violation.
Before using
Check the organization, program/funding, protected activity or characteristic, accessibility needs and current complaint instructions. Keep employment and education branches separate where appropriate.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 42 U.S.C. § 12203

REPORTING ROUTES

Healthcare-program fraud

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R12 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Medicaid provider fraud; facility abuse

Possible fit
NMDOJ’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit describes investigations of provider fraud and abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of facility residents.
Limits
A licensing complaint, billing disagreement, fraud allegation and personal civil claim are not interchangeable.
Before using
Use NMDOJ’s official intake gateway and identify the program, provider, event and basis for concern. Do not assume a tip initiates a qui tam action or secures retaliation relief.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)

R13 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Fraud involving federal HHS programs

Possible fit
HHS Office of Inspector General provides a federal fraud-reporting gateway for matters within its remit.
Limits
A fraud report is not a universal medical-care complaint or a private False Claims Act filing.
Before using
Identify the federal program and conduct. Separate documented transactions from estimates and inference; follow the official intake and privacy instructions.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)

REPORTING ROUTES

Police oversight and certification

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R14 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Complaints about APD personnel

Possible fit
Albuquerque’s Civilian Police Oversight Agency (CPOA) receives and investigates complaints concerning Albuquerque Police Department personnel.
Limits
This APD-specific route is not a statewide police complaint office and should not be substituted for a sheriff’s or another department’s process.
Before using
Use the official complaint form; identify APD, incident and conduct. Check current process, review/appeal options, privacy and independent clocks. The form was not submitted.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R15 · ROLE VERIFIED; CIVILIAN INTAKE OPEN

Officer certification concerns

Possible fit
New Mexico’s Law Enforcement Certification Board (LECB) has a certification/disciplinary role distinct from an employer’s internal review.
Limits
The misconduct-reporting material includes agency reporting duties. Those clocks are not automatically a civilian complaint deadline. Direct citizen intake was not fully verified.
Before using
Use the official contact route to confirm whether and how a civilian submission will be accepted. An inquiry is not necessarily a filed complaint.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Other police and judicial conduct

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R16 · LOCAL ROUTE NOT VERIFIED

Another police or sheriff’s agency

Possible fit
Routing worksheet: first identify the actual employing agency and its jurisdiction. Look for its published professional-standards/internal-affairs process and any applicable external oversight body.
Limits
No New Mexico State Police, BCSO, campus-police or other local intake is recertified by this entry. Do not send to CPOA merely because an event occurred near Albuquerque.
Before using
Verify the office, official URL, complaint method, acknowledgment and independent deadlines before use. A records custodian, misconduct reviewer and prosecutor perform different functions.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R36 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

New Mexico judicial conduct

Possible fit
The NM Judicial Standards Commission examines covered state judicial conduct; the Supreme Court decides discipline.
Limits
This is not an appeal from a ruling, a federal-judge process, a lawyer complaint, or automatic reassignment of a case.
Before using
Use the official jurisdiction and complaint instructions. Keep any appeal or court deadline on its own track.
While waiting
The Commission says it cannot provide status updates; it communicates the outcome in writing subject to applicable limits.

REPORTING ROUTES

Federal reporting gateways

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R17 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Possible federal civil-rights violation

Possible fit
U.S. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division provides an official reporting portal for potential violations within its enforcement responsibilities.
Limits
A report is not a private lawsuit, an accepted attorney engagement, a finding of wrongdoing or a promise that DOJ will act.
Before using
Identify the conduct and relevant institution/function. Use the portal’s own scope and privacy instructions; separately examine any private claim and deadline.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 · 42 U.S.C. § 12203

R18 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Possible federal crime / witness harm

Possible fit
Use the FBI’s official contact page for federal-crime reporting contacts and tip entry points.
Limits
Not every threat, false statement or later disadvantage satisfies a federal offense. Government investigation and prosecution are separate from private relief.
Before using
Describe acts and sources; do not claim the checklist proves a crime. For witness-related matters, identify the proceeding or communication and federal connection to be examined.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 18 U.S.C. § 1512 · 18 U.S.C. § 1513

REPORTING ROUTES

Employment, wages and labor

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R19 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Employment discrimination / retaliation

Possible fit
EEOC’s employment-discrimination charge process. An inquiry is not the same as a signed charge.
Limits
Coverage and clocks are claim-specific; federal employees have a different EEO process.
Before using
Verify worker status, protected activity, charge requirements and the independent deadline.
While waiting
Use the portal and check instructions for later events and notices.

Timing: EEOC investigation

Law: 42 U.S.C. § 12203

R25 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Wages, hours and covered leave

Possible fit
U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division receives complaints under the wage, hour and leave laws it administers.
Limits
Coverage varies; this is not an all-purpose discrimination or contract forum.
Before using
Keep employer, pay, hours and event records; use WHD’s current contact instructions.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

R26 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Employer or union labor practices

Possible fit
NLRB regional offices investigate covered unfair-labor-practice charges against employers or unions.
Limits
Not every workplace is covered. A merits decision is not a final remedy.
Before using
Ask the regional information officer about coverage and process; read any dismissal’s review instructions promptly.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

Timing: NLRB merits decision

REPORTING ROUTES

Safety and federal personnel

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R20 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

NM workplace safety / safety retaliation

Possible fit
New Mexico OSHA distinguishes workplace-hazard complaints from discrimination complaints linked to protected safety activity. Its employee page describes a short retaliation filing window.
Limits
A hazard report is not necessarily a retaliation complaint. Other OSHA-administered whistleblower laws have different jurisdiction and clocks.
Before using
Check the exact safety activity, employment setting, event date and accepted retaliation process promptly. The published period is not an individualized deadline calculation.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R21 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Covered federal personnel / disclosures

Possible fit
OSC’s official page separates prohibited-personnel-practice allegations and wrongdoing disclosures; it also directs readers to other processes for certain matters.
Limits
A disclosure does not automatically initiate a retaliation case or MSPB appeal. Federal coverage, exclusions, elections and prerequisites must be checked.
Before using
Use the current official filing instructions, which in this pass direct electronic submission. Do not infer eligibility or a protected status merely from federal employment.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8), (b)(9)

REPORTING ROUTES

Education: different complaint routes

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R22 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Education civil-rights concerns

Possible fit
The U.S. Department of Education’s OCR provides a civil-rights complaint gateway for covered education matters.
Limits
An academic or disciplinary disagreement is not automatically a civil-rights claim. Institutional appeals, education-records questions and employment routes may be different.
Before using
Identify the applicable protection, institution, activity, challenged action and independent clocks. Current Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 law/procedure require their own verified cards.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: 42 U.S.C. § 12203

R32 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Higher-education complaints

Possible fit
NM HED describes a complaint route for covered public and NM-licensed or registered private postsecondary institutions.
Limits
Its page requires exhaustion of the institution’s complaint process and excludes grade and student-conduct appeals. Other forums have separate rules.
Before using
Check institution coverage, complaint category and the appropriate HED/SARA instructions before filing.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

Timing: NM HED: two distinct stages

REPORTING ROUTES

Government records and disputes

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

For personal access and correction, start with the records-process gateway. FERPA complaints, public access and federal personal-records review are different routes.

R23 · GUIDANCE READ; CODE REVIEW OPEN

New Mexico public-records concerns

Possible fit
NMDOJ distinguishes records-access matters from its enforcement-complaint process for potential IPRA violations.
Limits
The office’s guidance is not a substitute for current official codified text. A records request, preservation request and enforcement complaint are different tasks.
Before using
Check current official custodian instructions. The March 2025 NMDOJ statutory reproduction was read this pass; current official codification and controlling treatment remain open. Do not promise unconditional release by day 15.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

Law: NMSA 1978 §§ 14-2-6, 14-2-8–12

R35 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Federal records and FOIA disputes

Possible fit
FOIA.gov identifies agency-specific federal records routes. OGIS offers neutral assistance with federal FOIA disputes.
Limits
Federal FOIA is not New Mexico IPRA. OGIS is not the requester’s advocate or a court, and its assistance is not a production order.
Before using
Use the agency’s request/tracking process; preserve responses and review instructions. OGIS says its help can be sought at any point in the FOIA process.
While waiting
Ask about status and missing information through the designated process; do not assume a dispute request stops another clock.

Law: 5 U.S.C. § 552

REPORTING ROUTES

Consumer and general intake

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R24 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

NMDOJ guided intake / uncertain category

Possible fit
NMDOJ offers Guided Help and electronic complaint/tip entry points, with a paper option described on its page.
Limits
Guided intake is not proof that an office accepted jurisdiction or forwarded a matter successfully.
Before using
Check the chosen complaint type and recipient, save the exact version and confirmation, and independently verify other necessary filings. Avoid sending unrelated private material.
While waiting
No case-specific completion estimate verified here. Use the shared waiting and closure questions.

R34 · OFFICIAL GATEWAY ONLY

Fraud or identity-theft reporting

Possible fit
The FTC’s official site links to ReportFraud and IdentityTheft.gov for their distinct reporting and recovery workflows.
Limits
A report does not promise individual investigation, reimbursement, a lawsuit or a stopped collection/appeal clock.
Before using
Choose the relevant official gateway. Separately identify any bank, identity-recovery, law-enforcement or legal steps needed.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Insurance and consumer finance

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R27 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Insurance and managed-care review

Possible fit
New Mexico OSI’s consumer-assistance gateway directs insurance concerns and managed-healthcare review questions.
Limits
Plan type matters. Do not assume OSI has authority over every employer plan, Medicare issue or benefit dispute.
Before using
Identify the insurer, plan and denial notice. Separate a complaint about conduct from an appeal seeking coverage.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

R33 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Consumer financial products

Possible fit
CFPB forwards eligible financial-product or service complaints to companies, or may refer them to another agency.
Limits
A company reply is not a CFPB investigation finding, enforcement action or guaranteed payment. Some products have particular prerequisites.
Before using
Include the relevant facts and records at intake. Track the existing complaint and respond through the portal rather than creating conflicting duplicates.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

Timing: CFPB company replies

REPORTING ROUTES

Medicare and surprise billing

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R28 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Medicare quality or ending services

Possible fit
Medicare’s official finder separates quality-of-care complaints from payment and coverage appeals, including fast-appeal routes.
Limits
An ordinary complaint is not a substitute for a time-sensitive appeal about discharge or ending covered services. Contractor assignments can change.
Before using
Read the actual provider notice promptly; use Medicare’s current locator rather than an old contractor name.
While waiting
An urgent appeal belongs on its notice-specific track, not in an ordinary complaint queue.

R42 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Surprise medical-billing concerns

Possible fit
The CMS No Surprises Help Desk receives complaints about possible violations within its scope and may route matters onward.
Limits
This is not every billing dispute, a malpractice claim or a guarantee that charges will be cancelled.
Before using
Preserve bills and notices; save the confirmation number. Use that number to update the existing complaint.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

Timing: CMS request for more information

REPORTING ROUTES

Care advocacy: residents and VA patients

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R29 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Long-term-care resident advocacy

Possible fit
New Mexico’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program assists residents with concerns in covered long-term-care settings.
Limits
Advocacy and problem-solving are different from facility enforcement, professional discipline, emergency protection and a private claim.
Before using
Check setting and resident-consent requirements. Identify the desired care or communication outcome.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

R40 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

VA New Mexico care concerns

Possible fit
VA New Mexico patient advocates help address concerns about care and service in that health system.
Limits
These advocates are VA personnel serving a liaison role, not the reader’s lawyer or a substitute for every benefits, discrimination or legal route.
Before using
The local page describes service-level contacts and patient advocates. Treat this as a local care-resolution workflow, not a universal legal prerequisite.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. See the shared waiting and closure questions.

REPORTING ROUTES

Protective-services reporting

Check scope, process and current official instructions. Card IDs identify records; their order is not a mandatory filing sequence.

R30 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Vulnerable-adult safety reports

Possible fit
New Mexico Adult Protective Services is a reporting gateway for suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults.
Limits
This is a protective-services route, not a way to resolve every family conflict or compel a chosen outcome. Immediate danger requires appropriate urgent help.
Before using
Use the official reporting instructions promptly. Verify applicable reporting duties; do not wait for a polished packet.
While waiting
A hotline’s availability is not a guaranteed response or resolution time.

R31 · OFFICIAL PAGE READ

Child-abuse or neglect reports

Possible fit
New Mexico CYFD’s Statewide Central Intake receives reports of suspected child abuse or neglect.
Limits
This protective route is distinct from student discipline, adult professional licensing or a school grievance.
Before using
The agency describes prompt reporting duties. Check the official instructions immediately when relevant; do not postpone reporting to complete this guide.
While waiting
Urgent safety and applicable reporting duties should not be placed on a routine follow-up schedule.

COVERAGE LIMITS

Special settings and missing routes

A directory should admit what it has not verified. Absence from this draft does not mean there is no protection or reporting route.

ADDITIONAL ROUTES STILL NEED REVIEW

NM Human Rights Bureau and state wage routes; federal OSHA’s statute-specific whistleblower processes; MSPB; student-privacy/FERPA complaints; Medicaid managed-care grievances; HUD housing routes; employee-benefit and disability-rights assistance; attorney discipline and additional inspectors general.

MANDATORY REPORTING IS SEPARATE

Adult Protective Services and CYFD identify protective gateways. This draft does not compile all operative rules on who must report, timing, permitted disclosure or profession/facility duties. Do not assume an internal report satisfies a statutory requirement.

SPECIAL JURISDICTIONS

Tribal and Indian Health Service settings, military service, detention, interstate telehealth and license compacts still need dedicated research. The VA New Mexico entry is a care-advocacy gateway, not a complete federal-institution remedy map.

NO CONTACT INVENTION

R16 remains an explicitly unverified local police entry. Directory-only board entries are not fully tested complaint procedures. A failed source fetch is not evidence that an agency or protection disappeared.

Known gaps and failed retrievals stay in the research ledger. A gap is “not verified,” not “no law.”

AUTHORITY INDEX

Read the law and its limits

Each underlined citation opens an internal card. The card identifies a short excerpt, source type, version and the official full-text link.

Statutes, regulations, cases, agency guidance and local policy need separate labels. Regulatory cards here use the government-maintained eCFR, which describes itself as authoritative but unofficial. No card is an individualized legal conclusion.

New shared records cards: FERPA, HIPAA amendment, IPRA, FOIA and the Privacy Act.

A CIVIL VEHICLE, NOT A FINDING

42 U.S.C. § 1983

A01 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A01

42 U.S.C. § 1983

A civil vehicle, not a finding

Meaning
The text supplies a civil action tied to deprivation of federal rights under color of state-type law. It is not itself a list of every protected right.
Limits
Current state-action cases, immunity, remedy limits, accrual and procedural requirements remain to be researched. Do not substitute this civil text for a criminal offense or assume it supplies a federal-actor remedy.
Tests and conditions
  • Identify the federal right, challenged conduct, attribution, proper defendant and capacity, causation, defenses, forum, and independent filing rules. Government funding or a job title does not complete this analysis.
Excerpt and pinpoint
under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia

Opening sentence; excerpt

ADA RETALIATION AND INTERFERENCE

42 U.S.C. § 12203

A02 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A02

42 U.S.C. § 12203

ADA retaliation and interference

Meaning
Subsection (a) also addresses specified participation. Subsection (b) separately addresses interference, coercion, intimidation and threats, including specified assistance to another.
Limits
Forum, prerequisite, deadline and remedy depend on the applicable title and the cross-references in subsection (c). Reasonable-belief, standing and causation questions are not resolved by this excerpt. No universal retaliation test is supplied.
Tests and conditions
  • Who: individual within the relevant protection. Activity/nexus: identify the ADA right and opposition, participation or assistance. Response: distinguish retaliation from interference. Causation/knowledge: examine the specific theory and controlling cases.
Excerpt and pinpoint
No person shall discriminate against any individual because such individual has opposed any act or practice made unlawful by this chapter

Subsection (a), opening clause; excerpt

FALSE CLAIMS ACT RETALIATION

31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)

A03 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A03

31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)

False Claims Act retaliation

Meaning
The subsection addresses specified employment-related responses because of lawful acts furthering an FCA action or efforts to stop violations of the subchapter.
Limits
Relief listed in (h)(2) includes reinstatement, double back pay, interest and special damages/costs. Coverage, defendants and proof still matter. A retaliation claim, fraud hotline report and qui tam action are distinct; filing/seal/public-disclosure rules require separate review.
Tests and conditions
  • Who/activity: employee, contractor or agent; identify the covered acts. Nexus/knowledge/causation: investigate the fraud-related connection, recipient knowledge and applicable cases. Forum: appropriate U.S. district court. Clock: (h)(3) states three years after retaliation; this is not a personal calculation.
Excerpt and pinpoint
Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole

Subsection (h)(1), opening clause; excerpt

EMTALA: SPECIFIED HOSPITAL PERSONNEL

42 U.S.C. § 1395dd(i)

A04 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A04

42 U.S.C. § 1395dd(i)

EMTALA: specified hospital personnel

Meaning
The provision addresses adverse action by a participating hospital. It also covers specified medical personnel refusing to authorize an unstabilized emergency transfer.
Limits
The excerpt is not a universal patient or healthcare-worker protection. Forum, private-action basis, remedy, causation, deadline and prerequisites require examination of subsection (d) and controlling cases; do not assume each personnel claim fits the patient civil-remedy route.
Tests and conditions
  • Who: verify the exact personnel category. Activity/nexus: reporting this section’s violation or the specified refusal, not healthcare criticism in general. Response/causation: hospital penalty or adverse action because of the covered act.
Excerpt and pinpoint
or against any hospital employee because the employee reports a violation of a requirement of this section

Social Security Act § 1867(i), final clause; excerpt

FEDERAL WITNESS TAMPERING

18 U.S.C. § 1512

A05 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A05

18 U.S.C. § 1512

Federal witness tampering

Meaning
The section contains different offenses concerning witnesses, victims, informants, evidence and specified communications. The quoted timing rule does not erase other elements.
Limits
Government criminal enforcement is distinct from a personal damages claim. Do not infer criminal liability from a disagreement or a missing record. Definitions, controlling treatment, causation and criminal limitation rules are not fully reviewed here; no civilian report deadline or guaranteed prosecution is supplied.
Tests and conditions
  • Who/activity: identify the relevant person, communication or proceeding. Nexus: identify the subsection’s federal connection. Response/intent: identify the alleged force, threat, persuasion, misleading conduct or other specified act and required mental state.
Excerpt and pinpoint
an official proceeding need not be pending or about to be instituted at the time of the offense

Subsection (f)(1); excerpt

FEDERAL WITNESS / INFORMANT RETALIATION

18 U.S.C. § 1513

A06 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A06

18 U.S.C. § 1513

Federal witness / informant retaliation

Meaning
Subsection (e) addresses knowingly taking harmful action with intent to retaliate for specified truthful information; harm can include interference with lawful employment or livelihood.
Limits
This criminal statute is not interchangeable with an employment retaliation claim. A later adverse event does not complete its elements. Government enforcement, definitions, remedies outside this provision and limitation questions require separate review; reporting does not guarantee a prosecution.
Tests and conditions
  • Who/activity: identify the person, information and recipient. Nexus: possible federal offense and the relevant officer definition. Response/knowledge/causation: identify harm, knowledge and retaliatory intent. Other subsections concern different acts and settings.
Excerpt and pinpoint
for providing to a law enforcement officer any truthful information relating to the commission or possible commission of any Federal offense

Subsection (e), part of the offense; excerpt

COVERED FEDERAL PERSONNEL

5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8), (b)(9)

A07 · STATUTE · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A07

5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8), (b)(9)

Covered federal personnel

Meaning
Paragraph (8) specifies disclosure categories and conditions. Paragraph (9) separately addresses specified complaint, assistance, cooperation and refusal activity.
Limits
OSC disclosure and PPP complaint channels differ. MSPB jurisdiction, exhaustion/election, deadlines, burdens and remedies require additional authority review; not all federal workers or contractors share this route. Do not use ordinary public channels for classified or otherwise restricted information.
Tests and conditions
  • Who: check covered position, agency and exclusions. Activity/belief/nexus: identify the exact paragraph and recipient. Response: defined personnel action, including specified threatened or omitted actions. Knowledge/causation: apply the correct statute and procedural route.
Excerpt and pinpoint
any disclosure of information by an employee or applicant which the employee or applicant reasonably believes evidences

Subsection (b)(8)(A), introductory words; excerpt

HOSPITAL GRIEVANCE PROCESS

42 C.F.R. § 482.13(a)(2)

A08 · REGULATION · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A08

42 C.F.R. § 482.13(a)(2)

Hospital grievance process

Meaning
This hospital Condition of Participation calls for grievance procedures and specified written-resolution information, including investigation steps, results and completion date.
Limits
This is a regulation, not a statute or a promise of individual compensation. Facility oversight, professional licensing, civil-rights complaints and private claims remain distinct. Coverage, enforcement and any personal remedy need their own authority.
Tests and conditions
  • Check whether the facility and concern fall within the rule. Identify the grievance recipient, submission method, facility time frames, contact person and written disposition. Read the entire paragraph rather than treating this excerpt as a complete process.
Excerpt and pinpoint
The hospital must establish a process for prompt resolution of patient grievances

Paragraph (a)(2), opening words; excerpt

HIPAA ACCESS: A BOUNDED RIGHT

45 C.F.R. § 164.524

A09 · REGULATION · Excerpt only; read the full section and its context.

A09

45 C.F.R. § 164.524

HIPAA access: a bounded right

Meaning
The rule concerns access to covered information in designated record sets. It contains exceptions and denial/review procedures, not an unqualified right to every file held by an institution.
Limits
Access, amendment and accounting are separate questions. Do not assume an access request requires a new audit analysis or reaches every internal log. A complaint to HHS OCR is separate from the request to the entity.
Tests and conditions
  • Identify the covered entity, requester or representative, records sought, format, request date, response and stated basis for denial. Check the rule’s timing and extension conditions rather than importing a public-records deadline.
Excerpt and pinpoint
an individual has a right of access to inspect and obtain a copy of protected health information about the individual in a designated record set

Paragraph (a)(1), excerpt subject to its surrounding exceptions

AUTHORITY RESEARCH

New Mexico source gate

Official source discovery is complete enough to identify the publisher, but not to certify the operative NMSA text for these topics.

A bounded statutory reproduction is now documented on the IPRA records/process card. That source does not close the current official-codification gate.

The New Mexico Compilation Commission identifies itself as the state’s official legal publisher and supplies the NMOneSource gateway. The current codified sections could not be retrieved for this pass. The links below are repository links, not verified section-text links.

FIRST CODE TRANCHE

Whistleblower Protection Act: NMSA 1978 §§ 10-16C-1 to -6. Human Rights Act retaliation: relevant portions of § 28-1-7. IPRA: Chapter 14, Article 2. New Mexico Civil Rights Act: Chapter 41, Article 4A.

WITNESS / RECORDS / SAFETY TRANCHE

Witness provisions: § 30-24-3. Evidence tampering: § 30-22-5. Public-record tampering: § 30-26-1. Peace-officer duty: § 29-1-1. Safety retaliation: § 50-9-25. These citations are research targets, not certified summaries.

Record a source gap as “not verified,” not “no law” or “no protection.” Keep the later Stage 4 corrections and its unresolved flags; the older federal-rights dataset supplies structure and research leads, not controlling legal authority.

RECORDS · NEW IN THIS CANDIDATE

Which records process fits?

The copy, holder, requester and purpose determine which questions to ask.

PERSONAL ACCESS IS NOT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

FERPA education records and qualifying treatment records have different access rules. The student’s own access is separate from public inspection of records held by a public institution. A confidential record can satisfy a public-record definition without being publicly releasable.

HIPAA IS NOT THE DEFAULT FOR EVERY CLINICAL FILE

Its PHI definition excludes the specified FERPA education and treatment records. HIPAA designated-record-set access, amendment and accounting have different scopes and clocks. A therapist’s file is not automatically a set of psychotherapy notes.

AMENDMENT IS NOT A SUBSTANTIVE APPEAL

FERPA amendment/hearing, HIPAA disagreement and Privacy Act amendment/review are different. IPRA and FOIA principally address access, not a universal right to rewrite records. Preserve independent appeal and claim deadlines.

The Records Access & Corrections companion provides the full workflow, source cards, clocks and sixteen templates. Here, use SPPO / Privacy Act, health-IT / court records, and the shared law-card index.

RECORDS · FEDERAL GATEWAYS

School and federal personal records

The correct records route is not necessarily the institution’s general grievance office.

R43 · SCOPED OFFICIAL GATEWAY CHECK

FERPA: school records and SPPO

Possible fit
Possible noncompliance with FERPA education-record access, amendment/hearing or disclosure rules. Use the actual school process and the Student Privacy Policy Office complaint gateway as appropriate.
Limits
SPPO is distinct from ED OCR’s discrimination office. Its page encourages local resolution for FERPA but does not impose that as a universal prerequisite. Complaint filing time is not investigation time.
Before using
Use current complaint form, eligibility, consent and submission instructions; check § 99.64’s 180-day violation/knowledge trigger and possible good-cause extension.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. Keep request/notice dates and independent clocks.

Law: 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. §§ 99.3, 99.5

R44 · SCOPED OFFICIAL GATEWAY CHECK

Federal personal records: Privacy Act

Possible fit
Access to, or amendment of, covered federal records about an eligible individual; identify the actual agency and system of records.
Limits
System-specific exemptions, eligibility and retrieval criteria matter. Ten working days concerns amendment acknowledgment, not final action. FOIA may supply a separate overlapping access route.
Before using
Find the agency’s current access/amendment and refusal-review instructions, accepted identity verification and exact notice requirements.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. Keep request/notice dates and independent clocks.

Law: 5 U.S.C. § 552a · 5 U.S.C. § 552

RECORDS · SPECIAL GATEWAYS

Health-IT and court-record questions

These gateways answer different questions from a professional discipline complaint.

R45 · SCOPED OFFICIAL GATEWAY CHECK

Electronic health information: information blocking

Possible fit
The ONC official gateway identifies claim submission and actor-specific ONC/HHS OIG roles for possible interference with electronic health information.
Limits
Actor, knowledge, practice and exceptions must be checked. Failure to satisfy an exception alone does not establish information blocking. A report is not a damages award.
Before using
Use the current claim portal linked from the official page; record specific requested information, dates, actors, replies and any asserted basis for delay. No portal submission was tested.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. Keep request/notice dates and independent clocks.

R46 · SCOPED OFFICIAL GATEWAY CHECK

Court records: correct court and clerk

Possible fit
The NM Courts gateway distinguishes court-case records from court administrative public records. Contact the court/clerk responsible for the particular case or record.
Limits
A records request is not a motion, appeal, amendment of a judgment or automatic access to sealed/protected material. Federal FOIA does not govern federal courts.
Before using
Verify the case number, court, access/copy rules, any sealed status and the proper procedural route for correcting a court record.
While waiting
No completion estimate verified here. Keep request/notice dates and independent clocks.

RECORDS · AUTHORITY INDEX

Records authority cards

The same source-linked cards also appear in the Records Access & Corrections companion.

RECORDS · AUTHORITY & VERSION

FERPA education records

RA01 · 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. §§ 99.3, 99.5

RA01

20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. §§ 99.3, 99.5

FERPA education records

Meaning
The definition also requires maintenance by the educational agency/institution or a party acting for it. Media do not decide coverage. Eligible-student rights generally transfer at age 18 or attendance at a postsecondary institution.
Limits
Student employment, sole-possession notes and law-enforcement-unit records have specific tests. A label such as “clinical,” “private” or “disciplinary” does not settle them. This card does not decide a civil remedy.
Tests and conditions
  • Check covered institution, attendance, actual record, maintenance and every relevant exclusion. The definition includes a person who is or has been in attendance, so leaving an institution does not itself remove retained records from the definition.
Excerpt and pinpoint
Directly related to a student;

§ 99.3, education records, paragraph (a)(1); one of two required components.

RECORDS · AUTHORITY & VERSION

HIPAA amendment and disagreement

RA08 · 45 C.F.R. § 164.526

RA08

45 C.F.R. § 164.526

HIPAA amendment and disagreement

Meaning
The entity must act within 60 days of receipt, with one additional period of up to 30 days if timely written reasons and a completion date are given. Acceptance entails an appropriate amendment, identification of affected records and linked/appended correction.
Limits
A disagreement can be reasonably length-limited. The entity may rebut but must give the individual a copy. The rule provides linkage and future-disclosure requirements, including permitted accurate summaries; it does not promise erasure or an independent amendment hearing.
Tests and conditions
  • Denial grounds include originator (with an unavailability qualification), designated-record-set/access scope and accuracy/completeness. Denial must explain the basis, disagreement process and complaint route. Relevant recipients and notification duties have their own conditions.
Excerpt and pinpoint
appending or otherwise providing a link to the location of the amendment.

§ 164.526(c)(1); excerpt describing minimum accepted-amendment method.

RECORDS · AUTHORITY & VERSION

IPRA: record, access and process

RA10 · NMSA 1978 §§ 14-2-6, 14-2-8–12

RA10

NMSA 1978 §§ 14-2-6, 14-2-8–12

IPRA: record, access and process

Meaning
Public-body/public-business classification and public inspectability are different inquiries. A confidential student record can fit the public-record definition while protected information is not publicly releasable. Apply FERPA and the relevant access exceptions separately.
Limits
This is an official agency reproduction, not current official codification verified through this release date. Do not infer a right to all student or medical records, a guaranteed release by day 15, or the meaning of “public record” in a different criminal statute. Current text/cases must be checked.
Tests and conditions
  • The reproduced text requires reasonable specificity and requester information for written requests; email/fax qualify. It addresses prompt inspection, 3-business-day advice when inspection is delayed, a 15-calendar-day outside period subject to the burdensome/broad-request provision, and segregation/electronic format.
Excerpt and pinpoint
that relate to public business, whether or not the records are required by law to be created or maintained.

§ 14-2-6(H), end of “public records” definition, as reproduced in the NMDOJ 2025 guide.

RECORDS · AUTHORITY & VERSION

FOIA: federal records and review

RA11 · 5 U.S.C. § 552

RA11

5 U.S.C. § 552

FOIA: federal records and review

Meaning
FOIA governs covered federal agencies and existing agency records, not state/local bodies, Congress or federal courts. It provides requested readily reproducible formats and reasonably segregable nonexempt portions.
Limits
Use current agency regulations and the actual notice. Fee, identity, exemptions, exhaustion and litigation rules require separate analysis. OGIS assistance is not an agency appeal or a promise that an appeal clock stops. Source retrieval alone does not certify later amendments/cases.
Tests and conditions
  • Ordinary initial determination: 20 working days, with proper-component receipt/routing and permitted tolling rules. Written unusual-circumstances provisions allow specified extensions. A determination is not necessarily completed production. Adverse decisions provide an appeal period of at least 90 days; expedited-processing decisions have a distinct 10-day rule.
Excerpt and pinpoint
reasonably describes such records

§ 552(a)(3)(A)(i); excerpt.

RECORDS · AUTHORITY & VERSION

Privacy Act access and amendment

RA12 · 5 U.S.C. § 552a

RA12

5 U.S.C. § 552a

Privacy Act access and amendment

Meaning
The Privacy Act supplies a separate federal personal-records pathway. The basic “individual” definition is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident; a system of records has a personal-identifier retrieval criterion. Other eligibility provisions and exemptions need individual checking.
Limits
Do not import HIPAA’s access clock. Verify the agency’s access/amendment procedures, identity requirements, system and exemptions. FOIA and Privacy Act processing can overlap; neither label guarantees release or deletion of every record. Court and damage remedies are not decided here.
Tests and conditions
  • Amendment-request acknowledgment: 10 working days. Amendment action must be prompt, but that is not a uniform 10-day decision rule. Administrative review of amendment refusal: normally within 30 working days of a review request, with a good-cause extension by the agency head.
Excerpt and pinpoint
permit the individual to request amendment of a record pertaining to him

§ 552a(d)(2); excerpt.

MAINTENANCE

Versions, updates and corrections

A durable guide is not one that never changes. It is one whose claims, versions and corrections remain traceable.

TWO LINKS, TWO PURPOSES

Use an internal authority ID for the explanation. The card holds a full citation, a preserved edition link and—once verified—a current official text link. A stable archived URL preserves what was read, not what the law will be tomorrow.

SEPARATE DATES

Record source retrieval, publisher currency, effective dates, legal-treatment review, route/contact check, build date and actual release date. A change anywhere on a Code title does not prove a particular section was amended.

TIMING AND ROUTE CHANGES

A new organization name, scope, form, status policy or published interval must flag its dependent routes and pages. An editorial review date is a maintenance checkpoint, not the expiration date of a right. Never auto-promote “link working” into “law current.”

IF A LINK FAILS

Use the printed citation, publisher and section title to locate the text on the official site. Compare version and scope before using a replacement. Report the edition/page/card ID and broken address through a confirmed corrections channel.

THIS FILE DOES NOT UPDATE ITSELF

This is v1.0-rc1, drafted September 19, 2026. No public update website or corrections inbox has been supplied or established. Obtain a later dated edition through the person who supplied this review copy; do not assume it is the newest.

A link checker can detect some failures; it cannot determine current legal meaning, jurisdiction, an injunction, an accepted complaint or a personal deadline. Human source and legal review remain separate tasks.

WORKING TOOL

Route-verification worksheet

Optional local organization aid. Keep case-specific records outside the public guide’s legal registry.

route-verification · working template

Route-verification worksheet

Private organization; not a filing, deadline calculation or privilege claim.

/header>
Purpose / result sought:
Person’s role(s) and actual institution:
Professional credential / employing agency:
Candidate office and jurisdiction to verify:
Official source title, URL and date checked:
Accepted method, form and required attachments:
What the office can decide / cannot provide:
Privacy, respondent disclosure and release terms:
Independent deadline / trigger / source / uncertainty:
Other routes and any prerequisite or election:
Exact version sent, date/time/time zone and files:
Receipt / reference number / bounce / referral:
Next review or appeal step and verified source:

Use the bounded follow-up and waiting log only when appropriate. Keep case-specific evidence outside the public machine-readable backbone.

COPY / ADAPT

A bounded follow-up

A short factual inquiry can clarify the process when the office permits status requests. It does not file an appeal or suspend a deadline.

status-follow-up · working template

Bounded status inquiry

Only where the recipient permits status inquiries; do not use to replace required forms, appeals or urgent steps.

/header>
I submitted [type of submission] on [date] through [accepted route].
My reference number is [number, if issued].

Please confirm the current stage and whether any information is missing. If another office is responsible, please identify its official route and whether the matter was forwarded.

Please identify any published next-step or review instructions applicable to this submission, and any estimate you are able to provide. I understand an estimate is not a guarantee.

This message [adds no new allegations / identifies the attached, clearly labeled correction]. Please associate it with the existing reference number.

Preserve the exact message, delivery evidence and reply. Some offices cannot provide status updates. New allegations, corrections, an appeal or an emergency may need a different process.

PRIVATE ORGANIZATION TOOL

Keep a waiting and notice log

An optional organization tool, not a legal hold or a determination of what must be preserved or produced.

form-waiting-log · working template

Waiting and notice log

Local records only. Do not enter private case facts into the public source registry.

/header>
Submission and accepted method:
Reference number / recipient:
Receipt evidence and date/time/time zone:
Current stage (unknown is allowed):
Who is expected to act next:
Published interval / type / source / date checked:
Actual notice and any required response:
Separate filing, appeal or preservation questions:
New facts or correction (source and date):
Next appropriate checkpoint and reason:

The AI, Evidence & Witnesses companion develops disclosure and legal-process safeguards. Before a consequential upload or submission, check the actual recipient, governing process and any preservation or confidentiality obligations.

DOCUMENT FAMILY

How this fits version 1

Keep the Core easy to use while letting readers reach the exact source and the appropriate route.

CORE GUIDE

Task-first explanations, a short authority appendix containing the cards actually cited, essential warnings and links into specialist modules. Do not require opening another PDF merely to understand a Core citation.

RECORDS ACCESS & CORRECTIONS

The separately supplied companion explains record classification, personal/public access, amendment and independent clocks. It contains sixteen canonical templates with TXT exports. It is also v1.0-rc1, not a public-approved edition.

QUICK TOOLS

Short copyable tools, generated from the same registry. Each standalone tool needs its own scope, version, caution and source IDs—not a vague reliance on warnings elsewhere.

AUTHORITIES & REPORTING ROUTES

This atlas contains fourteen law-text cards, a New Mexico source gate, 46 route records and eight inherited timing records. Four new records gateways and shared source cards connect to the Records Access & Corrections companion. The native v0.7 Core has not been migrated or recertified.

WITNESS / WHISTLEBLOWER AND AI / EVIDENCE

Keep detailed status-first protection cards, independent witness safeguards, AI transformations, disclosure and legal-process distinctions in focused supplements. Generate common material from one canonical record.

MACHINE-READABLE FIRST

Manuscript, routes, authorities, timings, scenarios, sources, templates and style tokens are canonical JSON. PDF, HTML, text, page maps and the combined backbone are generated from them; shared content is not maintained as separate pasted copies.

This atlas is an assistant-prepared reviewer draft, not an approved public release. The package includes the source/route records, build code, maintenance plan and an honest QA ledger. Your choices remain yours; the guide explains information and questions rather than deciding your case.

Back to the Public Rights Field Guide library