DOMESTIC ABUSE DEFINITIONS

SB 80 amends New Mexico's Family Violence Protection Act by expanding and updating the legal definition of "abuse" (replacing "domestic abuse"). The bill adds specific examples to the definition, including digital harassment, harm to animals, threats about immigration status, unauthorized sharing of private images, and harm to children. It explicitly clarifies that courts may include provisions protecting a victim's animals in orders of protection. This change directly affects victims seeking protection orders, courts issuing those orders, and law enforcement handling domestic violence cases under the updated definition.