The applicable time period for commencing prosecution pursuant to Section 30-1-8 NMSA 1978 shall not commence to run for an alleged violation of abandonment or abuse of a child, as provided in Section 30-6-1 NMSA 1978, a third or fourth degree felony as provided in Section 30-9-11 NMSA 1978 or a third or fourth degree felony as provided in Section 30-9-13 NMSA 1978 until the victim attains the age of eighteen or the violation is reported to a law enforcement agency, whichever occurs first.

History: Laws 1987, ch. 117, § 1; 2026, ch. 21, § 2.

ANNOTATIONS

The 2026 amendment, effective May 20, 2026, amended the section to reflect amendments to 30-1-8 NMSA 1978, which eliminated the statute of limitation period for certain sexual crimes, and made certain clarifying amendments; in the section heading, after "offenses against children", added "alleged violations for the abandonment or abuse of a child"; after "alleged violation of" added "abandonment or abuse of a child, as provided in", after "30-6-1" added "NMSA 1978, a third or fourth degree felony as provided in Section", after "30-9-11" deleted "or 30-9-13", and after the next occurrence of "NMSA 1978" added "or a third or fourth degree felony as provided in Section 30-9-13 NMSA 1978".

Applicability. — Laws 1987, ch. 117, § 2 provided that the provisions of Laws 1987, ch. 117, § 1 apply only to crimes committed on or after June 19, 1987.

Report of a violation to a law enforcement agency. — The statute of limitations to commence a prosecution for a violation of Section 30-6-1, 30-9-11 or 30-9-13 NMSA 1978 is triggered only for the specific violation that was reported to a law enforcement agency and does not commence to run until the facts that form the basis for the violation that is being prosecuted were reported to a law enforcement agency. State v. Whittington, 2008-NMCA-063, 144 N.M. 85, 183 P.3d 97.