This memorial requests the Legislative Finance Committee to establish a task force aimed at studying and recommending safe staffing levels for the Corrections Department and the Children, Youth and Families Department in New Mexico. The bill highlights the critical public safety services provided by these departments and notes their significant understaffing issues, with vacancy rates exceeding thirty percent in various frontline positions. The task force is tasked with analyzing current staffing levels, identifying reasons for inadequacies, evaluating recruiting and retention strategies, and suggesting legislative actions and appropriations necessary to address these staffing challenges.

The proposed task force will include representatives from the state personnel office, the Corrections Department, the Children, Youth and Families Department, and various employee unions, as well as state legislators. It is requested that the task force meet monthly from May 2025 to November 2025, with a report due by December 1, 2025. The findings will be shared with relevant departments, the governor's office, and the legislature, and will also be made publicly available on the legislature's website.