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AN ACT

RELATING TO JUVENILE SERVICES; CREATING THE JUVENILE CONTINUUM

GRANT FUND; REPEALING THE REGIONAL JUVENILE SERVICES ACT;

PROVIDING FOR TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO THE JUVENILE CONTINUUM

GRANT FUND.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. JUVENILE CONTINUUM GRANT FUND--CREATED--

PURPOSE--ADMINISTRATION--GRANT APPLICATIONS.--

A. The "juvenile continuum grant fund" is created

as a nonreverting fund in the state treasury. The fund shall

be administered by the children, youth and families department

and shall consist of appropriations, gifts, grants, donations

and bequests made to the fund.

B. Money in the juvenile continuum grant fund is

subject to appropriation by the legislature to the children,

youth and families department for awarding grants to juvenile

justice continuums for the provision of cost-effective

services and temporary, nonsecure alternatives to detention

for juveniles arrested or referred to juvenile probation and

parole or at a risk of such referral.

C. A local or tribal government may apply for a

grant from the juvenile continuum grant fund for a juvenile

justice continuum within its jurisdiction. The amount of the

grant application shall not exceed sixty percent of the annual

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cost of the continuum. A local match of forty percent may

consist of money, land, equipment or in-kind services.

D. The children, youth and families department

shall adopt rules on qualifications for grants and specify the

format, procedure and deadlines for grant applications. The

juvenile justice advisory committee shall review all grant

applications and submit those applications recommended for

final approval to the secretary of children, youth and

families.

E. Disbursements from the juvenile continuum grant

fund shall be made upon vouchers issued and signed by the

secretary of children, youth and families or the secretary's

designee upon warrants drawn by the secretary of finance and

administration.

F. As used in this section, a "juvenile justice

continuum" is a system of services and sanctions for juveniles

arrested or referred to juvenile probation and parole or at

risk of such referral and consists of a formal partnership

among one or more units of local or tribal governments, the

children's court, the district attorney, the public defender,

local law enforcement agencies, the public schools and other

entities such as private nonprofit organizations, the business

community and religious organizations. A juvenile justice

continuum shall be established through a memorandum of

understanding and a continuum board.

Section 2. TEMPORARY PROVISION--TRANSFER OF FUNDS.--All

money, appropriations, gifts, grants and donations in the

regional juvenile services grant fund are transferred to the

juvenile continuum grant fund.

Section 3. REPEAL.--Sections 33-12-1 through 33-12-7

NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1994, Chapter 16, Sections 1 through 7)

are repealed.

Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the

provisions of this act is July 1, 2007.

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