LESC bill analyses are available on the New Mexico Legislature website (www.nmlegis.gov). Bill analyses are
prepared by LESC staff for standing education committees of the New Mexico Legislature. LESC does not assume
any responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they are used for other purposes.
LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
BILL ANALYSIS
57th Legislature, 1st S ession, 2025
Bill Number SB19 Sponsor Steinborn
Tracking Number .228592.5 Committee Referrals SEC/SRC
Short Title Boards of Regents Training Requirements
Original Date 1/28/2025
Analyst Montoya Last Updated
BILL SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 19 (SB19) would add a new section to Chapter 21 NMSA 1978, which governs state
and private education institutions. SB19 would establish training requirements for all members
appointed to the B oards of R egents of state educational institutions cited in Article XII, Section 11
of the New Mexico Constitution. SB19 would require all applicable regents to complete 10 hours of training during the first year of
their term. Current members of applicable boards with at least one year remaining in their term
would also be required to complete the training outlined by SB19.
The Higher Education Department (HED) would be responsible for developing and providing the training outlined in SB19. This bill would require applicable members to complete training in the
five following areas:
• Two hours covering the provisions of the C onstitution of New Mexico and state law
pertaining to state educational institutions and related postsecondary education matters;
• Two hours covering financial management, budgeting, and fiduciary duties;
• Two hours covering student success and student support services;
• Two hours covering institutional governance, innovation, best practices, and available
federal, state, and nongovernmental resources to assist the boards of regents and members
of the boards; and
• Two hours covering ethics and state law regarding ethics oversight and public
accountability, including the Procurement Code, the Open Meetings Act and the Inspection
of Public Records Act.
SB19 would require all current board members subject to SB19 to complete the required training
by December 31, 2025. SB19 does not contain an effective date and, as a result, would go into
effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns if enacted (June 20, 2025).
SB19 – Page 2
FISCAL IMPACT
SB19 does not carry an appropriation.
SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Importance of Training. Representatives from higher education administrative management
stress the importance of training in good governance practices, with a focus on r egents' fiduciary
duties of loyalty and care, as well as their responsibility to act with reasonable diligence and
prudence in their service capacity. Many institutions already offer training for regents and provide
legal counsel to ensure ongoing guidance and support.
Training Requirements for School Board and Charter Council Members. SB19 is similar in
nature to Laws 2024, Chapter 43 (SB137)
, enacted during the 2024 legislative session, to address
issues that pertain to local school boards and charter school governing councils for students in
grades kindergarten through grade 12. These training requirements addressed the need for
improved transparency in campaign finances, decision-making processes, and varying levels of
access and participation in training by members. Laws 2024, Chapter 43 mandated the Public
Education Department (PED) develop a mandatory training course for local school boards and charter school governing councils that incorporates the following topics: explanation of department rules, policies and procedures, statutory powers and duties of local school boards and
charter school governing councils, legal concepts pertaining to public schools, finance, budget, and other subjects deemed appropriate by PED. Additionally, Laws 2024, Chapter 43 stipulated
minimum training requirements for new and incumbent school board and governing council members. LESC staff provided a
background and implementation update to LESC members
during the 2024 interim.
Applicability. SB19 addresses only the higher education institutions enumerated in the New
Mexico Constitution. These include: University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Highlands University, Western New Mexico University, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico Military Institute, New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, New Mexico School for the Deaf, and Northern New Mexico College. It omits New Mexico Junior College, Central New Mexico Vocational Technical College, and all the other independent (non-branch) community colleges.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
HED reports that it anticipates the need to develop eLearning modules in collaboration with subject
matter experts and instructional designers, and the need to organize in- person training retreats for
boards of regents statewide. This effort will likely involve a one-time cost for creating the training
curriculum and ongoing expenses for delivering the training. HED also reports it may face increased costs related to full-time employees, software, and additional workload to meet these
new requirements. SB19 does not include funding to cover these expenses. Any new costs would likely be absorbed by HED's existing operating budget. Currently, HED reports it provides training on fiduciary and legal responsibilities, including compliance with state and federal laws, as well as oversight of tuition, fees, and programs, and the
role of HED. These training courses are offered periodically or upon request. Since HED already
provides some training, this may help ease additional costs, though it is difficult to quantify the
SB19 – Page 3
increased expense at this time. HED may need to review its existing training programs to ensure
they meet the time and completion requirements specified in SB19.
Higher education institutions may experience increased training, per diem, and travel expenses for
their regents attending training sessions.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• LESC Files
• New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED)
• University of New Mexico (UNM)
• New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)
• New Mexico Independent Colleges (NMICC)
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