HM 34 — STUDY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE GAPS

HOUSE MEMORIAL 34 57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICO - FIRST SESSION 2025 INTRODUCED BY Pamelya Herndon 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE SUPREME COURT TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE GAPS IN LEGAL SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COST-EFFECTIVE LEGAL PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS.

167 WHEREAS, the center for court innovation has found that e t 17 providing a combination of resources to victims of domestic w l n d 18 violence, from full legal representation and limited-scope = = 19 a l legal services to non-legal advice and assistance, is most i a e r 20 effective in meeting the wide array of domestic violence a t m m 21 victims' needs;

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, the United States department of justice's office c e s k 23 of justice programs has found that a victim of domestic e a n b 24 violence who is able to obtain a permanent protection order is u [ eighty percent less likely to be a victim of a future instance .230528.1 of domestic violence;

and HM 34 Page 1 WHEREAS, a cross-system collaboration among many stakeholders, judicial officers, court personnel, community- based attorneys and advocates and culturally specific community-based organizations is most effective in designing programs that meet the legal needs of specific communities;

e t 17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF w l n d 18 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the supreme = = 19 a l court be requested to convene a statewide task force to:

i a e r 20 A.

assess the current legal services available to a t m m 21 victims of domestic violence in New Mexico;

d r e 22 B.

identify gaps in the available services, c e s k 23 especially for victims of domestic violence who are indigent;

e a n b 24 and u [ C.

make recommendations for the design and .230528.1 - 2 - implementation of cost-effective legal programs to address those gaps;

HM 34 Page 2 B.

a city with a population greater than fifty e t 17 thousand people who is a family court judge;

and w l n d 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to = = 19 a l submit a report of the task force's findings and i a e r 20 recommendations to the interim committee dealing with courts, a t m m 21 corrections and justice issues and the governor by November 1, d r e 22 2025;

and c e s k 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be e a n b 24 transmitted to the New Mexico coalition against domestic u [ violence, New Mexico legal aid, the supreme court, enlace .230528.1 - 3 - comunitario, the university of New Mexico school of law and the state bar of New Mexico.

-HM 434 -Page 53 725 9 11 13 15 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .230528.1