KINSHIP CAREGIVER SUPPORT PILOT PROGRAM
HB 252 creates a three-year pilot program in New Mexico to support kinship caregivers - such as grandparents, relatives, or emotionally significant non-relatives raising children - across five specified counties (Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, McKinley, and Dona Ana). The program provides economic support through community partners, referrals to services like legal assistance for custody or guardianship, and access to public benefits, with eligibility based on household income and child needs. It allocates $4.5 million from the general fund for fiscal years 2026-2028 to cover staff, legal aid, and program administration. The department must report annually on the pilot’s impact and outcomes to the legislative finance committee.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Feb 4, 2025
Signed Apr 10, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
introduced version
→
Final Version
·
5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was reformatted from an introduced draft to a final version, with substantive changes to the pilot program's scope and implementation details. The final version expands the program's geographic focus from four specific counties to five to seven counties, increases participant targets from 50 to 50 per community, and adds new budget categories for staff assistance and legal custody support. The emergency declaration remains unchanged, maintaining immediate effect.
Scope change
Expanded from four specific counties (Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, McKinley, Dona Ana) to five to seven counties with 50 participants per community, and added legal custody assistance to the program budget.
REQUIREMENT
Changed pilot program location from four specific counties to five to seven counties with 50 participants in each community.
Added requirement for department to collaborate with state agencies including early childhood education and care department.
FISCAL
Added budget category for legal assistance to help participants attain legal custody or kinship guardianship of children.
TIMELINE
Maintained June 1, 2025 deadline for rule adoption and December 1 annual reporting requirements.
TECHNICAL
Reformatted document from introduced draft style to final legislative format with updated section numbering and act title.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 22, 2025 · House Feb 27, 2025
How they voted
35–0
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 40
Mar 22, 2025
D
Democratic24
91% Yea
R
Republican16
81% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
10
Key actions
8
Committee
4
Apr 10, 2025
Signed into law
Signed
executive
Mar 22, 2025
Executive · Passed
House concurred in Senate amendments
executive
Mar 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
passed Senate
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
DO PASS committee report adopted
upper
Mar 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
DO PASS, as amended, committee report adopted
upper
Feb 28, 2025
Introduced
Sent to Senate Judiciary Committee & Senate Finance Committee
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
passed House
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
DO PASS, as amended, committee report adopted
lower
Feb 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
DO PASS committee report adopted
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Introduced
Sent to House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee & House Appropriations & Finance Committee
lower
5 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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