Bill > SB84

This bill modifies New Mexico's laws concerning child abuse and neglect investigations, focusing on information sharing, confidentiality, and transparency. It introduces several key provisions, including defining new terms like "personal identifier information" and "near fatality", establishing more detailed rules about when and how the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) can disclose information about child abuse and neglect cases. The bill requires CYFD to release specific information about child fatalities and near fatalities within five business days, including details like the child's age, gender, location, and circumstances surrounding the incident. Additionally, the bill mandates the creation of a public, searchable dashboard on the department's website that will be updated quarterly and includes an annual report to the governor and legislature with comprehensive data about child welfare cases, such as the number of child fatalities, foster care placements, investigations, and removals. The legislation also strengthens protections for personal identifying information, requires written court orders when excluding media from abuse or neglect proceedings, and provides more detailed guidelines about when and how information can be shared with various parties, including researchers, law enforcement, and healthcare professionals, while maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive personal details.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=S&legtype=B&legno=84&year=25