NM HM39

Requests the Secretary of Public Safety and Executive Director of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs to convene a task force to study sexual assault examination kits and report on backlog processing progress

Task force membership includes 12 designated positions: representatives from public safety, the coalition, state auditor, attorney general, rape crisis centers, sexual assault nurse examiner programs, forensic laboratories, and the Albuquerque police crime laboratory

Task force would begin meeting in July 2026 and report to interim legislative committees on courts/corrections/justice and health/human services

Required reporting topics include statewide progress on meeting processing timelines under Section 30-9-21 NMSA 1978, adequacy of survivor services, potential solutions to processing challenges, and recommended legislation

Context: 54% of New Mexicans have experienced sexual assault or rape in their lifetimes according to the 2024 Crime Victimization Report, and it has been 10 years since the last sexual assault examination kit backlog task force was convened