SANTA FE, N.M. – The House of Representatives passed two public safety bills with bipartisan support on Monday.
Senate Bill 3, the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act, proposed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, would make it easier for authorities to intervene for those experiencing severe mental illness who are at high risk of harming themselves or others. The bill passed by a vote of 58-10.
The bill allows doctors, close family members, law enforcement, or the courts to petition for an individual to receive supervised, outpatient mental health treatment through the state’s community-based Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program.
House Bill 61 will increase the penalty for aggravated battery on a peace officer to a second-degree felony. It passed by a vote of 55-11.
