New Mexico legislation · 2026 Regular Session
New Mexico HB339: JUVENILE JUSTICE CHANGES
Status: Failed, February 4, 2026
What the bill says
An act relating to delinquency; amending the delinquency act; changing the definition of "serious youthful offender" to include a child fifteen to eighteen years of age charged with criminal sexual penetration in the first degree; allowing for the transfer of a serious youthful offender to the children's court for a juvenile disposition under certain circumstances; requiring mandatory commitment until the age of twenty-six for a serious youthful offender adjudicated in the children's court and subject to juvenile sanctions; requiring mandatory commitment for certain delinquent offenders…
From the introduced text, February 4, 2026:
AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENCY; AMENDING THE DELINQUENCY ACT; CHANGING THE DEFINITION OF "SERIOUS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER" TO INCLUDE A CHILD FIFTEEN TO EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL SEXUAL PENETRATION IN THE FIRST DEGREE; ALLOWING FOR THE TRANSFER OF A SERIOUS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER TO THE CHILDREN'S COURT FOR A JUVENILE DISPOSITION UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; REQUIRING MANDATORY COMMITMENT UNTIL THE AGE OF TWENTY-SIX FOR A SERIOUS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER ADJUDICATED IN THE CHILDREN'S COURT AND SUBJECT TO JUVENILE SANCTIONS; REQUIRING MANDATORY COMMITMENT FOR CERTAIN DELINQUENT OFFENDERS; REQUIRING MANDATORY COMMITMENT FOR CERTAIN YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS; PROVIDING THAT THE COURT RETAINS JURISDICTION OVER THE DISPOSITION OF CERTAIN DELINQUENT OFFENDERS AND YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS COMMITTED TO THE CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT; ENACTING A NEW SECTION 32A-2-19.1 NMSA 1978 TO CLARIFY TERMS OF .233134.2 wen = lairetam derocsrednu eteled = ]lairetam detekcarb[ COMMITMENT FOR ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT CHILDREN; MAKING CONFORMING AMENDMENTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: SECTION 1. Section 32A-2-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, Chapter 77, Section 32, as amended) is amended to read: "32A-2-3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Delinquency Act: A. "delinquent act" means an act committed by a child that would be [designated] charged as a crime [under the law] if committed by an adult, [not including] except for an act …