SENATE MEMORIAL 17

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

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. López and Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Cindy Nava

and Angel M. Charley and Shannon D. Pinto

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW MEXICO COALITION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAMS CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE CURRENT STATE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMINATION KITS IN NEW MEXICO AND REPORT PROGRESS ON THE PROCESSING OF BACKLOGGED SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMINATION KITS.

 

     WHEREAS, according to the 2024 New Mexico Crime Victimization Report, fifty-four percent of all New Mexicans have experienced sexual assault or rape in their lifetimes; and

     WHEREAS, of those surveyed, forty percent reported being twelve years or younger at the time of the first incident; and

     WHEREAS, twenty-eight percent of respondents to the New Mexico Crime Victimization Report survey reported being injured to the extent of receiving medical care; and

     WHEREAS, respondents of color were more likely than white, non-Hispanic respondents to have been sexually assaulted; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has implemented processes to address its sexual assault examination kit backlog and seeks to ensure that another backlog does not form; and

     WHEREAS, a sexual assault survivor has the opportunity to receive information about the status of the sexual assault survivor's sexual assault examination kit; and

     WHEREAS, it has been ten years since the last sexual assault examination kit backlog task force was convened;        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of public safety and the executive director of the New Mexico coalition of sexual assault programs be requested to convene a task force to study the current state of sexual assault examination kits in New Mexico and report progress on the processing of backlogged sexual assault examination kits; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be composed of:

          A. the secretary of public safety or the secretary's designee;

          B. the executive director of the New Mexico coalition of sexual assault programs or the executive director's designee;

          C. the state auditor or the state auditor's designee;

          D. the attorney general or the attorney general's designee;

          E. the director of a rape crisis center that serves a community with a population of one hundred thousand or greater;

          F. the director of a rape crisis center that serves a community with a population of less than one hundred thousand;

          G. the director of a sexual assault nurse examiner program that serves a community with a population of one hundred thousand or greater;

          H. the director of a sexual assault nurse examiner program that serves a community with a population of less than one hundred thousand;

          I. the director of the department of public safety's forensic laboratories bureau;

          J. the sexual assault kit initiative program coordinator in the department of public safety;

          K. the director of the Albuquerque police department's crime laboratory; and

          L. the statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of public safety or the secretary's designee and the executive director of the New Mexico coalition of sexual assault programs or the executive director's designee serve as co-chairs of the task force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force meet beginning in July 2026; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force report to the interim legislative committee dealing with courts, corrections and justice issues and to the legislative health and human services committee with the task force's recommendations and updates on:

          A. statewide progress made in processing sexual assault examination kits to meet the time line defined in Section 30-9-21 NMSA 1978;

          B. the adequacy of services available to survivors who are affected by the processing of sexual assault examination kits;

          C. potential solutions identified by the task force to any current challenges in the processing of sexual assault examination kits; and

          D. any legislation the task force recommends for introduction; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of public safety, the executive director of the New Mexico coalition of sexual assault programs, the attorney general, the director of the department of public safety's forensic laboratories bureau, the director of the Albuquerque police department's crime laboratory and the statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator.

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