Proposals for the 2027 legislative session would eliminate the statute of limitations for human trafficking, strengthen protections for minors, and give crime victims greater control over pretrial defense interviews.
Source: N.M. Department of Justice
Albuquerque, N.M. — New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and State Representative Meredith Dixon (D-Albuquerque) today announced a legislative package aimed at strengthening protections for survivors of human trafficking and child sexual exploitation while expanding the rights of crime victims throughout the criminal justice process. Shelley Repp, executive director for the New Mexico Dream Center, Tracy Townsend, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Unica Behavioral Health and Camille Bowens, Forensic Interview Supervisor also at Unica Behavioral Health were present today in support of these legislative efforts.
The package includes two proposals for the 2027 legislative session, the TIME Act, which would close gaps in New Mexico’s human trafficking laws and strengthen protections for minors, and a Victims’ Rights Constitutional Amendment, which would give crime victims greater control over pretrial interviews with defense attorneys and provide additional protections for their personal information.
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“As a prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand how the criminal justice process can retraumatize survivors who have already endured unimaginable harm,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “No victim should have to relive that trauma unnecessarily or face additional barriers to seeking justice. We have a responsibility to ensure our laws protect victims, respect their dignity, and hold perpetrators accountable.”
“Survivors deserve a justice system that recognizes the trauma they have experienced and gives them the protections they need to come forward,” said Representative Meredith Dixon. “These bills would remove barriers to prosecuting human trafficking, strengthen protections for children, and ensure victims have a meaningful voice in the legal process. I’m proud to carry this package and grateful to Attorney General Torrez, and the advocates who work every day to support survivors and help them rebuild their lives.”
The TIME Act
The TIME Act would strengthen New Mexico’s human trafficking and child sexual exploitation laws by:
- Eliminating the statute of limitations for prosecuting human trafficking.
- Raising the age of protection for child sexual exploitation from 16 to 18.
- Establishing a first-degree felony penalty when a human trafficking victim is under 18.
- Prohibiting certain defenses based on a victim’s sexual history, a minor’s purported consent, a mistake about age, or the use of a peace officer acting as a decoy.
- Preventing trafficking victims from being charged with prostitution or as accessories to trafficking-related offenses.
- Adding commercial sex trafficking to the sex offender registry, with lifetime registration when the victim is a minor.
Victims’ Rights Constitutional Amendment
The proposed constitutional amendment would strengthen victims’ rights during criminal proceedings by:
- Allowing victims to refuse pretrial interviews with defense attorneys or establish reasonable conditions for participating.
- Requiring defense attorneys to coordinate contact with victims through the prosecuting attorney’s office.
- Protecting victims’ addresses, phone numbers, and workplaces from disclosure to the accused, absent a court order.
- Allowing victims to have an advocate present during interviews and to end an interview at any time.
- Expanding the offenses covered by these protections to include robbery, stalking, assault and battery against a household member, and human trafficking.
“This legislative package would strengthen accountability for traffickers, close gaps in protections for children, and give victims greater control over how they participate in criminal proceedings,” Torrez added. “I’m grateful to Representative Dixon for her leadership and to the advocates who work alongside survivors every day.”
Summaries of the legislative proposals are below:
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