The bill amends the Adoption Act in New Mexico to streamline the adoption process for children who have been prenatally abandoned. It introduces a new definition of "prenatal abandonment," which occurs when an acknowledged or alleged father fails to provide reasonable support to the mother and child during pregnancy, either by not maintaining contact or by not offering financial or emotional support for at least sixty days. Additionally, it specifies that prenatal abandonment can also occur if the father is convicted of domestic violence against the mother during her pregnancy.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that prenatal abandonment by an acknowledged or alleged father, who is later identified as the biological father through genetic testing, will be considered a form of abandonment. It also states that the consent to adoption is not required from an acknowledged or alleged father who has prenatally abandoned the child. These changes aim to facilitate the adoption process by addressing situations where the biological father's lack of involvement may hinder the adoption of children who are in need of stable homes.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 32A-5-3, 32A-5-15, 32A-5-19