AMEND ABUSE & NEGLECT ACT

SB 85 amends New Mexico's Abuse and Neglect Act and Family Violence Protection Act to improve coordination with military installations. It requires child welfare and domestic violence agencies to notify designated military authorities when a military member is involved in abuse allegations, and mandates courts to allow remote appearances for domestic violence protection hearings. The bill also requires sending copies of protection orders to military authorities if a party is a service member. These changes directly affect military families and service members in New Mexico facing abuse or neglect cases. The law aims to streamline communication between civilian agencies and military installations while maintaining existing legal protections.