The bill establishes the Secretary of Children, Youth and Families Nominating Committee, which will provide a list of qualified nominees for the Secretary position, who will be appointed by the governor with Senate consent. It transfers rulemaking authority for the Plan of Safe Care process from the Children, Youth and Families Department to the Health Care Authority, updates requirements for Plans of Safe Care, and mandates a statewide multilevel response system. The bill also enacts the Families First Act within the Children's Code, requiring a strategic plan that aligns with federal foster care prevention service requirements.

Additionally, the bill amends various sections of the New Mexico Statutes, including the establishment of a multilevel response system for evaluating services to families involved in neglect or abuse reports, and introduces new definitions and requirements under the Families First Act. It emphasizes the importance of reasonable efforts to prevent child removal and facilitate family reunification while ensuring confidentiality for sensitive information. The bill also modifies the Citizen Substitute Care Review Act, focusing on oversight of children in substitute care, establishing a substitute care advisory council, and introducing new provisions for volunteer member participation in case reviews. Significant changes include the deletion of previous provisions regarding local substitute care review boards and the establishment of a director for the council to oversee operations.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 9-2A-3, 9-2A-6, 9-2A-8, 32A-1-4, 32A-3A-13, 32A-3A-14, 32A-4-3, 32A-4-4.1, 32A-4-21, 32A-4-33, 32A-8-2, 32A-8-4
JC substitute: 9-2A-3, 9-2A-6, 9-2A-8, 32A-1-4, 32A-3A-13, 32A-3A-14, 32A-4-3, 32A-4-4.1, 32A-4-21, 32A-4-33, 32A-8-2, 32A-8-4