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HM 34

STUDY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE GAPS

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Pamelya Herndon

A statewide task force would study gaps in legal and related DV victim services and recommend cost-effective programs to address those gaps.

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Bill Summary · HM 34

Summary of House Memorial 34 (HM 34) – Study Domestic Violence Service Gaps

Status: Signed by the Governor

  • Bill Type: Memorial (no appropriation)
  • Bill Number: HM 34
  • Title: Study Domestic Violence Service Gaps
  • Introduced: February 21, 2025
  • Committee Action: House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee recommended DO PASS (March 7, 2025)
  • Legislative Actions: Passed House (March 19, 2025); Signed (April 22, 2025)

Purpose and Intent

HM 34 requests the New Mexico Supreme Court to convene a statewide task force to study gaps in legal and related services for domestic violence (DV) victims in New Mexico. The aim is to identify service gaps, particularly for indigent victims, and to develop recommendations for cost-effective legal programs to address those gaps. The memorial emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive, cross-system approach to improving access to justice and protecting DV victims.

Key Provisions

  • Establishment/Request: The Supreme Court would convene a statewide task force to:
    • Assess current legal services available to DV victims in New Mexico.
    • Identify gaps in services, with special attention to indigent victims.
    • Recommend design and implementation of cost-effective legal programs to address identified gaps.
  • Task Force Composition: A diverse group including representatives from:
    • New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence
    • New Mexico Legal Aid
    • Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission
    • Enlace Comunitario
    • University of New Mexico School of Law
    • The New Mexico House of Representatives
    • The New Mexico Senate
    • A rural area family court judge
    • A city with population over 50,000 that has a family court judge
  • Reporting Timeline: The task force must submit a report detailing findings and recommendations to:
    • The interim committee dealing with courts, corrections and justice issues
    • The Governor
    • By November 1, 2025
  • Effective Date: Memorials do not include an explicit effective date; if enacted, HM 34 would take effect 90 days after legislative adjournment (per typical memorial practice), estimated as June 20, 2025.

Fiscal Implications

  • No direct appropriation is included in HM 34.
  • Costs are expected to be related to staff time for participating agencies and the task force.
  • LFC analysis indicates the demands of the task force could be absorbed within existing staffing and funding levels; no new significant funding is required.

Relationship to Other Legislation

  • HM 34 relates to HB 516, which would appropriate $100,000 from the general fund to the Supreme Court to convene a similar task force. HM 34 and HB 516 share the objective of examining gaps in DV legal services and proposing cost-effective programs.

Significance and Impact

  • Addresses critical gaps in DV victim services by recommending data-driven, cross-sector solutions.
  • Emphasizes the role of legal services in increasing the likelihood of obtaining permanent protective orders and reducing future domestic violence.
  • Encourages collaboration among judges, court personnel, attorneys, advocates, and community organizations to design responsive DV programs.
  • Aims to produce actionable recommendations for cost-effective program design and resource allocation.

Background Notes

  • The committee and fiscal notes emphasize the value of ongoing data collection and analysis to monitor DV resource needs, identify hotspots, and justify policy improvements.
  • The AOC and other stakeholders support broader inclusion of victim advocacy groups in the task force.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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