HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 21

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

A JOINT MEMORIAL

URGING THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN ADMINISTRATOR TO PRESS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY TO MANDATE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT EXCHANGE AND FILING AND RULING ON APPLICATIONS FOR ADOPTION WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OF RECEIPT.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico entered the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children some fifteen years ago; and

     WHEREAS, procedures to decrease the time required for processing an out-of-state adoption are readily available; and

     WHEREAS, the interstate compact is a legal document binding on the state; and

     WHEREAS, all states and jurisdictions in the United States have adopted and signed on to the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children; and

     WHEREAS, an interstate commission consisting of appointees from each of the states and other jurisdictions already exists; and

     WHEREAS, a compact administrator resides in the child protective services agency of each state or jurisdiction; and

     WHEREAS, interstate child placement is apt to be heartbreakingly slow for both parents and children; and

     WHEREAS, at present, documents are accepted only on paper and only in one jurisdiction at a time; and

     WHEREAS, rulings as to filings for interstate adoption are sometimes not ruled upon for months;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children administrator in the child protective services agency be requested to advocate for changes to upgrade filings to electronic documents and to authorize simultaneous filings in several jurisdictions; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children administrator in the child protective services agency be asked to advocate with other state administrators to mandate that a ruling on an interstate child placement be issued within twenty-four hours of receipt; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of the children, youth and families department.