New Mexico legislation · 2026 Regular Session
New Mexico HB308: SUBSTITUTE CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL CHANGES
Status: Failed, February 4, 2026
What the bill says
An act relating to government reorganization; removing the substitute care advisory council from administrative attachment to the regulation and licensing department; administratively attaching the substitute care advisory council to the attorney general; providing for transfers of the substitute care advisory council and council functions, personnel, appropriations, money, property and contractual obligations from the regulation and licensing department to the attorney general; amending and repealing sections of the nmsa 1978; making an appropriation.
From the introduced text, February 4, 2026:
AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION; REMOVING THE SUBSTITUTE CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL FROM ADMINISTRATIVE ATTACHMENT TO THE REGULATION AND LICENSING DEPARTMENT; ADMINISTRATIVELY ATTACHING THE SUBSTITUTE CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL; PROVIDING FOR TRANSFERS OF THE SUBSTITUTE CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND COUNCIL FUNCTIONS, PERSONNEL, APPROPRIATIONS, MONEY, PROPERTY AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS FROM THE REGULATION AND LICENSING DEPARTMENT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL; AMENDING AND REPEALING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: SECTION 1. Section 32A-8-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, Chapter 77, Section 204, as amended) is amended to read: "32A-8-2. PURPOSE OF ACT.--The purpose of the Citizen Substitute Care Review Act is to provide a permanent system for .233325.2 wen = lairetam derocsrednu eteled = ]lairetam detekcarb[ independent and objective monitoring of children placed in the custody of the department by examining the policies, procedures and practices of the department and [where appropriate] specific cases to evaluate the extent to which the department is effectively discharging its child protection responsibilities." SECTION 2. Section 32A-8-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, Chapter 77, Section 206, as amended) is amended to read: "32A-8-4. SUBSTITUTE CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL--MEMBERS-- COMPENSATION--RESPONSIBILITIES--ADVISORY COMMITTEE.-- A. The "substitute care advisory council" is created and, in accordance with the provisions of Section 9-1-7 NMSA 1978, is …