SENATE MEMORIAL 20

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2022

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. Lopez and Antoinette Sedillo Lopez

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CHILDREN'S COURT IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION OF THE NEW MEXICO SUPREME COURT TO CONSIDER CREATING A CHILDREN'S CODE REFORM TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE CHILDREN'S CODE.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's Children's Code is the legal framework regarding a child's care, health and safety in the state, as well as for any abuse or neglect investigations; and

     WHEREAS, community advocates have expressed a need and desire to amend the Children's Code to make it more responsive; and

     WHEREAS, a task force to explore these issues would be beneficial;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the children's court improvement commission of the New Mexico supreme court be requested to consider creating a Children's Code reform task force to study and make recommendations for amendments to the Children's Code; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the children's court improvement commission of the New Mexico supreme court consider appointing task force members from or to receive input and recommendations from:

          A. the children, youth and families department;

          B. children's court judges;

          C. the department of health;

          D. the human services department;

          E. the public education department;

          F. the workforce solutions department;

          G. the department of public safety;

          H. the corrections department;

          I. the economic development department;

          J. the early childhood education and care department;

           K. the administrative office of the courts;

          L. the children's court improvement commission;

          M. local law enforcement agencies;

          N. the legislative finance committee;

          O. the public defender department's juvenile division;

          P. the New Mexico district attorney association;

          Q. the governments of New Mexico's twenty-three Indian nations, tribes and pueblos;

          R. the tribal-state judicial consortium;

          S. the substitute care advisory council;

          T. the New Mexico CASA association;

          U. the children's court mediation program;

          V. the university of New Mexico school of law's Corinne Wolfe center for child and family justice;

          W. the New Mexico tribal Indian children welfare consortium;

          X. parents', children's and youth attorneys;

          Y. mental health service providers;

          Z. former foster youth;

          AA. system-involved parents;

          BB. New Mexico voices for children;

          CC. NMCAN;

          DD. New Mexico appleseed;

          EE. the university of New Mexico school of medicine's department of pediatrics;

          FF. representatives of the university of New Mexico school of medicine's department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences who have experience working with children;

          GG. the university of New Mexico school of medicine's department of family and community medicine;

          HH. a nonprofit legal firm representing foster children, grandparents and kin;

          II. a nonprofit organization serving families and children through counseling and social programs;

          JJ. the national council of juvenile and family court judges;

          KK. other children and family policy community advocacy and stakeholder groups;

          LL. the New Mexico sentencing commission; and

          MM. the Indian affairs department; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the president pro tempore and minority floor leader of the senate each appoint one member to the task force and that the speaker and minority floor leader of the house of representatives each appoint one member to the task force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the children's court improvement commission of the New Mexico supreme court be requested to provide staff for the Children's Code reform task force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Children's Code reform task force be requested to report its findings and recommendations to the governor, the legislative finance committee, the legislative health and human services committee, the legislative interim committee that studies courts, corrections and justice issues and other appropriate interim committees by November 1, 2023; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the house of representatives; the senate; the secretary of children, youth and families; the secretary of health; the secretary of human services; the secretary of public education; the secretary of workforce solutions; the secretary of public safety; the secretary of corrections; the secretary of economic development; the secretary of early childhood education and care; the director of the administrative office of the courts; the chief justice of the New Mexico supreme court for the children's court improvement commission; the secretary of public safety; the chair of the legislative finance committee; the chief public defender of the public defender department; the president of the New Mexico district attorney association; New Mexico's twenty-three Indian nations, tribes and pueblos; the tribal-state judicial consortium; the substitute care advisory council; the director of the New Mexico CASA association; the children's court mediation program; the dean of the university of New Mexico school of law; the New Mexico tribal Indian children welfare consortium; the executive director of New Mexico voices for children; the president of the board of NMCAN; the executive director of New Mexico appleseed; the president of the university of New Mexico school of medicine; the president of the national council of juvenile and family court judges; the chair of the New Mexico sentencing commission; the secretary of Indian affairs; and other stakeholders as identified by the children's court improvement commission.

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