The "Office of Child Ombud Act" establishes a new Office of Child Ombud in New Mexico, tasked with overseeing the welfare of children and families involved with child protective services. The act creates a state child ombud, appointed for a six-year term, who will have the authority to investigate complaints, review departmental policies, and uphold children's rights. A State Child Ombud Selection Committee will be formed to ensure a diverse and qualified selection process for the ombud position. The office will also operate a toll-free hotline for complaints, compile annual reports on child welfare services, and emphasize confidentiality in handling sensitive information.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws regarding the confidentiality of records related to child neglect or abuse proceedings. It expands access to these confidential records to include the office of child ombud and its employees and contractors, specifically for implementing the act. It clarifies that a child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian can access necessary information for the child's treatment or care, while also providing for the redaction of identifying information in disclosed records. The bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the general fund for the establishment of the office, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund at the end of fiscal year 2026, and sets the effective date for the act's provisions as July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 32A-2-32, 32A-4-33