CHILD ADVOCATE OFFICE DATA SHARING

HB 202 requires New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department, Health Care Authority, Department of Health, and other state agencies to create a written agreement with the Office of Child Advocate for sharing specific data and system access. The bill mandates that this agreement include security protocols, audit logging, breach plans, and compliance with federal privacy laws like HIPAA and FERPA. It also establishes a working group to develop the agreement by October 2026 and appropriates $75,000 to the Office of Child Advocate for technical support. The law directly affects the Office of Child Advocate and the listed state agencies by structuring how they share sensitive child-related information.