NM SM19

Requests the Attorney General to study Indian child welfare laws nationwide and their effects on Native American children in foster care, in consultation with the Children, Youth and Families Department and Indian Affairs Department

Addresses the concern that Native American children in New Mexico remain in foster care longer than non-Native American children

References the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 and notes that 17 states have enacted their own state-level Indian Child Welfare Acts since then

New Mexico passed the Indian Family Protection Act in 2022, but seeks guidance from other states' laws to potentially improve outcomes

Requires findings and recommendations to be reported to appropriate interim legislative committees by October 1, 2026