New Mexico legislation · 2026 Regular Session
New Mexico SB165: DELINQUENCY ACT CHANGES
Status: In committee, February 17, 2026
What the bill says
An act relating to delinquency; requiring the children, youth and families department to imprison a convicted serious youthful offender until the offender is transferred to a corrections facility upon reaching twenty-one years of age and providing exceptions; amending the delinquency act; changing the definitions for "serious youthful offender" and "youthful offender"; providing that a children's court attorney may refer a child back to juvenile probation services if a delinquency petition is not filed against the child…
From the committee substitute text, February 12, 2026:
AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENCY; REQUIRING THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT TO IMPRISON A CONVICTED SERIOUS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER UNTIL THE OFFENDER IS TRANSFERRED TO A CORRECTIONS FACILITY UPON REACHING TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE AND PROVIDING EXCEPTIONS; AMENDING THE DELINQUENCY ACT; CHANGING THE DEFINITIONS FOR "SERIOUS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER" AND "YOUTHFUL OFFENDER"; PROVIDING THAT A CHILDREN'S COURT ATTORNEY MAY REFER A CHILD BACK TO JUVENILE PROBATION SERVICES IF A DELINQUENCY PETITION IS NOT FILED AGAINST THE CHILD; REQUIRING VALIDATION OF AND REPORTING ON THE DETENTION RISK ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT; EXTENDING THE TERMS OF COMMITMENT FOR DELINQUENT OFFENDERS; EXTENDING THE TERMS OF COMMITMENT FOR YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS SUBJECT TO JUVENILE SANCTIONS; REQUIRING THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT TO IMPRISON A YOUTHFUL OFFENDER GIVEN AN ADULT SENTENCE UNTIL THE OFFENDER IS TRANSFERRED TO A .233606.5 wen = lairetam derocsrednu eteled = ]lairetam detekcarb[ SJC/SB CORRECTIONS FACILITY UPON REACHING TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE AND PROVIDING EXCEPTIONS; REQUIRING TOLLING OF A SUPERVISED RELEASE TERM IF A CHILD ABSCONDS FROM SUPERVISED RELEASE; AMENDING THE JUVENILE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ACT; DEFINING NEW TERMS; CLARIFYING THAT QUALIFIED GRANTEES MAY PROVIDE SERVICES TO PERSONS OTHER THAN PERSONS ADJUDICATED PURSUANT TO THE DELINQUENCY ACT; PROVIDING THAT QUALIFIED GRANTEES SHALL PRIORITIZE SERVICES FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH; REQUIRING THAT A GRANTEE'S COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROGRAM BE EVIDENCE- OR RESEARCH-BASED AND INCORPORATE BEST PRACTICES IN RISK REDUCTION; …