DELINQUENCY ACT CHANGES

HB 134 would revise New Mexico's Delinquency Act to expand definitions of "serious youthful offender" and "youthful offender," affecting minors facing juvenile justice proceedings. Key changes include removing mandatory consultations with probation before filing petitions, eliminating required detention risk assessments, and allowing 14+ youth to waive amenability hearings. The bill also modifies court procedures by permitting electronic detention hearings, requiring segregation of serious youthful offenders from adults, and allowing transfers to adult facilities upon reaching 18. It removes restrictions on court-ordered commitments, mandates equal consideration of all amenability factors during sentencing, and shifts authority over releasing delinquent youth from the Children's Department. The bill was postponed indefinitely in June 2025 and remains pending.