Santa Fe, NM – Today the House of Representatives approved a proposal authorizing law enforcement officers to quickly detain domestic violence suspects. The legislation, House Bill 86, passed the House by a vote of 64 to 0.

“I’m glad the House passed this bill,” Kelly Fajardo, the bill’s sponsor, said. “Domestic violence situations can escalate quickly, and law enforcement officers need this ability to detain suspects to protect families from further violence. I hope the Senate will move quickly and pass this bill as well.”

Currently, officers must obtain a warrant to arrest an individual who flees the scene of a suspected domestic violence incident. Fajardo’s bill would allow police to arrest a suspected offender within 10 hours of the incident without needing a warrant.