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Read. Follow. Verify.New Mexico HB 334 Establishes New Competency Evaluation and Restoration Procedures for Juveniles in Delinquency Proceedings
Last action · February 4, 2026: Not PrintedSponsors: Nicole Chavez and 2 others
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 334 establishes detailed evaluation, nonresidential and residential restoration, and review procedures for juveniles facing delinquency charges who may be incompetent to stand trial due to mental disorders or developmental disabilities. The bill suspends delinquency proceedings upon a competency question, mandates specific timelines for evaluation hearings, defines dangerousness criteria for specific violent offenses, and sets pathways for dismissal, treatment, or criminal commitment.
Changes court procedures, treatment timelines, and custody decisions for minors accused of crimes who have mental health conditions or developmental disabilities, directly altering how courts handle competency restoration and involuntary commitments.
- House Bill 334 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the 57th Legislature of New Mexico by Representative Nicole Chavez with cosponsors Alan T. Martinez and Andrea Reeb. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Minors in delinquency proceedings
Minors whose competency is questioned are subject to mandatory professional evaluations, treatment timelines, potential nonresidential or residential restoration programs, and possible court hearings regarding dangerousness and commitment.
Children, Youth and Families Department
The department retains legal custody during involuntary placements, must admit children for competency restoration within thirty days, and is required to submit initial assessments, progress reports, and certification notices when unable to meet a child's needs.
Children's court attorneys
Attorneys are authorized to use evaluation reports, petition for involuntary placements, and introduce evidence relevant to a child's guilt during disposition hearings.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a child is found not competent to stand trial and is not considered dangerous?
What is the maximum timeframe evaluated for restoring a child to competency in residential treatment?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.
Procedural history
1 action- Feb 4, 2026New Mexico LegislatureNot Printed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Juvenile Competency Framework
HB 334 replaces prior generalized competency stay provisions with a structured, multi-tiered framework governing evaluations, nonresidential restoration, residential treatment, review hearings, and criminal commitments for incompetent juveniles.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.nmlegis.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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