Santa Fe, NM - The House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to protect employees of the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) while performing their duties to safeguard New Mexico's children. House Bill 142, sponsored by Reps. Jimmie Hall and Doreen Gallegos, passed the House by a unanimous vote of 67 to 0.
"Because of the sensitive nature of their work, CYFD workers must often intercede in highly volatile situations," Hall said. "We must show these workers that we support them as they carry out their duties to protect children from unsafe environments."
Current law enhances penalties for assaulting peace officers, but not public service workers such as juvenile probation officers or behavioral health therapists. The bill would establish offenses such as assault and battery of a public service worker as crimes in New Mexico statute.
Statistics show that public service workers have an increased risk of experiencing workplace violence. Half of human service professionals will confront client violence at some point during their careers, and 25 percent of professional social workers will encounter a violent situation while on the job.
