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HOUSE BILL 537
57
TH LEGISLATURE
-
STATE
OF
NEW
MEXICO
-
FIRST SESSION
,
2025
INTRODUCED BY
Raymundo Lara and Eleanor Chávez
AN ACT
RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; REQUIRING POST-SECONDARY
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO DESIGNATE HIGHER EDUCATION LIAISONS
FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS; PRESCRIBING DUTIES;
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] HIGHER EDUCATION LIAISON.--
A. Each post-secondary educational institution
enumerated in Article 12, Section 11 of the constitution of New
Mexico, except the New Mexico military institute, New Mexico
school for the blind and visually impaired and New Mexico
school for the deaf, shall designate one full-time-equivalent
staff member to act as a higher education liaison for current
and incoming students experiencing homelessness. The staff
member shall be designated from one of the following offices or
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departments within the institution:
(1) financial aid;
(2) student services or affairs;
(3) student housing; or
(4) any other appropriate office capable of
performing the liaison's duties.
B. The higher education liaison shall:
(1) identify and contact students who
indicated being homeless or at risk of homelessness on a free
application for federal student aid;
(2) inform incoming and enrolled students
experiencing homelessness about resources and assistance
available on campus and within the community in meeting basic
needs;
(3) assist students experiencing homelessness
with completing applications for other available financial aid;
(4) assist students experiencing homelessness
with managing coursework; and
(5) publish training materials for faculty and
staff of the institution to recognize signs of homelessness in
students and refer the students to the higher education liaison
and publish information about on-campus and community resources
for students experiencing homelessness.
C. The higher education department shall:
(1) work with the New Mexico basic needs
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consortium to provide training to ensure best practices by the
higher education liaisons, faculty and staff regarding students
experiencing homelessness; and
(2) administer an annual survey regarding
students experiencing homelessness and publish a report of the
survey on the higher education department's website.
SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Five hundred thousand dollars
($500,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the higher
education department for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 to
provide training to higher education liaisons, faculty and
staff regarding students experiencing homelessness. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
fiscal year 2026 shall revert to the general fund.
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