Contact: Erika Martinez
(505) 986-4819
Erika.Martinez@nmlegis.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2015
Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla Disappointed that House Republican Leadership Didn’t Allow Hearings on Critical Foster Care Legislation
Santa Fe, NM – Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla (D-14-Bernalillo) sponsored several important pieces of legislation during the 2015 legislative session that would have supported the health and well-being of foster children. Unfortunately, for the foster children and their families, the House Republican leadership denied hearings for these vital bills.
Senate Bill 198 (SB 198) would have given caregivers of foster children the authority to allow those children to participate in age appropriate, out-of-home activities without prior approval from the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD). This bill, which would have positively affected almost 3,000 children in New Mexico, passed the full Senate by a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 38-0.
Senate Bill 23 (SB 23) would have required CYFD to give foster care placement preference to the family of a child in CYFD custody if it was deemed in the best interest of the child. According to Sen. Padilla, who was raised in foster care, this measure is much needed for the emotional health of these children and can be helpful in keeping families together. This legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 37-2.
“These bipartisan initiatives would have provided foster children with the support they need to live as healthy a life as possible. Now the legislative session is over and I am disappointed that debates on these bills did not take place in the full House of Representatives, after being approved by the required House committees,”said Sen. Padilla. “I find it hard to accept that House Republican leadership bypassed these opportunities to lessen the challenges faced by foster children. I wholeheartedly believe that if all Representatives would have been allowed to vote on these measures, they would have done the right thing for these kids. It’s unfortunate their Republican leadership did not allow that to happen.”
Sen. Padilla said that despite his disappointment, he will continue to introduce legislation designed to better the lives of foster children in New Mexico.
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