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HOUSE MEMORIAL 40
57
TH LEGISLATURE
- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
FIRST SESSION
, 2025
INTRODUCED BY
Andrea Romero
A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE
CREATION OF A GROUP TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A
STATE OFFICE OF PEACE.
WHEREAS, global, national and local communities are facing
and working to resolve increasingly complex and urgent issues
related to violence, conflict and safety; and
WHEREAS, New Mexico has a unique role in discussions
related to peace and conflict, given its historical
relationship to the nuclear weapons industry and the
significant proportion of members of the armed forces who are
from the state; and
WHEREAS, there is growing momentum and interest in peace-
building through development of dispute resolution skills
within schools, places of employment and incarceration
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facilities; and
WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of this work, over the
years and as recently as February 2025, there have been a
number of efforts at the national and state levels to establish
departments of peace; and
WHEREAS, a state-level office of peace in New Mexico could
work for the benefit of all New Mexico residents using peace-
building principles and including work in the areas of
restorative justice, prevention of conflict, the addressing of
violence, mediation and the promotion of justice; and
WHEREAS, a group to study the feasibility of creation of a
state office of peace would provide an opportunity for
community members with relevant expertise and experience to
collaborate on developing recommendations;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico
legislative council be requested to direct the creation of a
group to study the feasibility of creating a state office of
peace and to develop and make recommendations to the
appropriate interim legislative committee on creation of the
office; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the group be composed of no
more than seven members, with one member appointed from each of
the following stakeholder groups by a representative of the
university of New Mexico school of law:
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A. peace-building, mediation or conflict
resolution;
B. restorative justice, including as that practice
is used by communities and courts of Indian nations, tribes and
pueblos;
C. education;
D. military service or law enforcement;
E. legal studies;
F. labor; and
G. community relations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislative
council be requested to engage the university of New Mexico
school of law to coordinate the activities of the group,
including meeting at regular intervals, and to prepare a final
report on the group's work, including its findings and
recommendations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the group be requested to
present its report to the appropriate interim legislative
committee by November 30, 2025; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative
council and the dean of the university of New Mexico school of
law.
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