SB 305 New Mexico Senate · 2025 Regular Session

QUALITY FOSTER PARENT TASK FORCE

SB 305 creates a 13-member task force to address challenges in New Mexico's foster care system, specifically focusing on recruiting and retaining foster parents. The task force includes appointed officials, foster family representatives, youth, tribal members with lived experience under the Indian Child Welfare Act, and other stakeholders like service providers and juvenile justice experts. It must study successful models from other states (citing Utah's 1998 bill as an example), conduct research with a university, and submit a final report by July 2026. The bill appropriates $100,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to support this work.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Governor

Introduced Feb 6, 2025 Last action Jun 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

introduced version → PA substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten from an introduced version to a committee substitute version. The most significant change is expanding the task force membership from 13 to 16 members, adding representatives from the aging and long-term services department, LGBTQ+ community, and rural counties. The funding remains at $100,000, but the reporting requirements were slightly modified to include 'interim' committees. The overall purpose of creating a task force to study foster parent recruitment and retention remains unchanged.

Scope change

The task force membership composition was expanded to include additional stakeholder groups, broadening the scope of perspectives included in the study.

REQUIREMENT

Task force membership increased from 13 to 16 members by adding representatives from aging and long-term services, LGBTQ+ community, and rural counties.

Added a new member representing a young person who has aged out of the foster care system.

Changed the tribal member appointment authority from the secretary of children, youth and families to the Indian affairs department.

MODIFIED

Reporting requirements updated to specify submission to 'interim' legislative committees rather than just the committees.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 17, 2025

How they voted

34–1

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 40

Mar 17, 2025

D Democratic24

19 Yea 1 Nay 4

79% Yea

R Republican16

15 Yea 1

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 18, 2025

Introduced

Sent to House Judiciary Committee

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

passed Senate

upper

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

floor substitute adopted (1 amendment)

lower

Mar 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

DO PASS, as amended, committee report adopted

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute

upper

Feb 6, 2025

Introduced

Sent to Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee & Senate Finance Committee

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors