# New Mexico HB 5: OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE ACT

New Mexico HB 5, OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE ACT, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Michelle Paulene Abeyta (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-03-21 (Signed by Governor - Chapter 13 - Mar. 21) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB5-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: New Mexico HB 5
- State: New Mexico
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE ACT
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-12
- Last action: 2025-03-21, Signed by Governor - Chapter 13 - Mar. 21
- Sponsor: Michelle Paulene Abeyta (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (92 yes, 13 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Families get child services complaint reviews: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the child advocate office accepts complaints through a toll-free hotline and online portal. Reviews cover children in state custody, receiving department-supervised services, referred to the department, or whose parent, guardian, or custodian faces department investigation.…
- Independent child advocate office for families: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, New Mexico creates an independent Office of Child Advocate for families affected by state child services. It sits under the Attorney General but controls its own budget and decisions. The Governor appoints the advocate with Senate approval for a six-year term, with up to two…
- Child records protected, public access limited: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, child advocate case files, third-party records, court records, and investigation and monitoring information are exempt from public inspection. This protects family privacy but limits the public's access to oversight records. Limited disclosure remains allowed by court order,…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Michelle Paulene Abeyta (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dayan Hochman-Vigil (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Gail Armstrong (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Javier Martínez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Reena Szczepanski (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-14 | Senate | Final Senate Vote | pass | 28 | 13 |   |
| 2025-03-04 | House | Final House Vote | pass | 64 | 0 |   |

## Actions (11)

- 2025-03-21: Signed by Governor - Chapter 13 - Mar. 21 (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: House has concurred with Senate Amendments (House)
- 2025-03-14: Passed in the Senate - Y:28 N:13 (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: fl/aaaa (legislature)
- 2025-03-13: SJC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation with amendment(s) (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Sent to SJC - Referrals: SJC (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:64 N:0 (House)
- 2025-03-04: House of Representatives Floor Amendment (House)
- 2025-03-01: HJC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation with amendment(s) (House)
- 2025-02-21: HHHC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (House)
- 2025-02-12: Sent to HHHC - Referrals: HHHC/HJC (Senate)

## Bill text

- Final Version, 2025-03-21: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0005.pdf)
- Senate Floor Amendment 1 3/14/25, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS1.pdf)
- Senate Floor Amendment 3 3/14/25, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS3.pdf)
- Senate Floor Amendment 4 3/14/25, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS4.pdf)
- Senate Floor Amendment 5 3/14/25, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS5.pdf)
- SJC Committee Report 3/13/25, 2025-03-13: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005JU1.pdf)
- House Floor Amendment 1 3/04/25, 2025-03-04: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FH1.pdf)
- HJC Committee Report 3/01/25, 2025-03-01: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005JC1.pdf)
- HHHC Committee Report 2/21/25, 2025-02-21: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005HC1.pdf)
- Introduced, 2025-02-12: [HTML](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005.html), [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025 (signed)
- SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE (signed)
- SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES (signed)
- SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE (signed)
- SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK (signed)
- HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES (signed)

## Sources
- [Final Version (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/HB0005.pdf)
- [Senate Floor Amendment 1 3/14/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS1.pdf)
- [Senate Floor Amendment 3 3/14/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS3.pdf)
- [Senate Floor Amendment 4 3/14/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS4.pdf)
- [Senate Floor Amendment 5 3/14/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FS5.pdf)
- [SJC Committee Report 3/13/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005JU1.pdf)
- [House Floor Amendment 1 3/04/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005FH1.pdf)
- [HJC Committee Report 3/01/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005JC1.pdf)
- [HHHC Committee Report 2/21/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005HC1.pdf)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005.html)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0005.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB2-2025)
- [SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB45-2025)
- [SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB343-2025)
- [SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB345-2025)
- [SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB133-2025)
- [HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB157-2025)
- [New Mexico bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico/bills)
- [New Mexico state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB5-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).