New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SB356 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	SENATE BILL 356
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	-
32	32
33	33	STATE
34	34
35	35	OF
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37	37	NEW
38	38
39	39	MEXICO
40	40
41	41	-
42	42	FIRST SESSION
43	43	,
44	44
45	45	2025
46	46	INTRODUCED BY
47	47	Shannon D. Pinto and Linda M. López and
48	48	Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Harold Pope
49	49	AN ACT
50	50	RELATING TO STATE PERSONNEL; ENACTING THE DIVERSITY ACT;
51	51	CREATING THE CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER WITHIN THE STATE PERSONNEL
52	52	OFFICE; CREATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION LIAISONS WITHIN STATE
53	53	AGENCIES; CREATING THE WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
54	54	COUNCIL; PROVIDING DUTIES; REQUIRING STATE AGENCIES TO DEVELOP
55	55	AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO IDENTIFY, ASSESS AND DECREASE
56	56	INSTITUTIONAL RACISM; PROVIDING CRITERIA BY WHICH STATE
57	57	AGENCIES SHALL IMPLEMENT SUCH POLICIES; REQUIRING AN ANNUAL
58	58	REPORT; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
59	59	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
60	60	SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--This act may be
61	61	cited as the "Diversity Act".
62	62	SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the
63	63	Diversity Act:
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91	91	A. "accessibility" means the degree to which a
92	92	product, device, service, environment or facility is usable by
93	93	as many people as possible, including people that belong to a
94	94	protected class;
95	95	B. "council" means the workforce diversity and
96	96	inclusion council;
97	97	C. "director" means the director of the state
98	98	personnel office;
99	99	D. "diversity" means the practice of including or
100	100	involving people from a range of different racial or ethnic
101	101	backgrounds and may also include persons of every background,
102	102	gender, race, sexual orientation, age and disability;
103	103	E. "equality" means the equivalent treatment of and
104	104	opportunity for members of different groups within society
105	105	regardless of individual distinctions of race, ethnicity,
106	106	gender, age, social class, sexual orientation or other
107	107	characteristics or circumstances;
108	108	F. "equity" means the consistent and systematic
109	109	fair, just and impartial treatment of all people, including
110	110	people who belong to underserved communities;
111	111	G. "gender identity" means the gender-related
112	112	identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related
113	113	characteristics of a person, regardless of the person's
114	114	designated sex at birth;
115	115	H. "inclusion" means the process of creating a
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144	144	working culture and environment that recognizes, appreciates
145	145	and effectively utilizes the talents, skills and perspectives
146	146	of every state employee; uses state employee skills to achieve
147	147	a state agency's objectives and mission; connects each state
148	148	employee to the organization; and encourages collaboration,
149	149	flexibility and fairness in the workplace;
150	150	I. "inequities" means disparities in physical
151	151	health, mental health, economic opportunities, education or
152	152	social factors;
153	153	J. "institutional racism" means actions that result
154	154	in differential access to the goods, services and opportunities
155	155	of society due to the existence of institutional programs,
156	156	policies and practices that intentionally or unintentionally
157	157	place certain racial and ethnic groups at a disadvantage in
158	158	relation to other groups;
159	159	K. "office" means the state personnel office;
160	160	L. "protected class" means a group of people with a
161	161	common characteristic who are legally protected from employment
162	162	discrimination on the basis of that characteristic; such
163	163	characteristics may include a person's race; color; religion;
164	164	sex, which may include pregnancy, transgender status and sexual
165	165	orientation; national origin; age, being forty years of age or
166	166	older; disability; or genetic information;
167	167	M. "state agency" means any state agency, office,
168	168	department, board, commission or authority under the executive
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197	197	branch of the state;
198	198	N. "state employees" means all classified personnel
199	199	pursuant to the Personnel Act;
200	200	O. "underserved communities" means populations, as
201	201	well as geographic communities, who share a particular
202	202	characteristic and have been systematically denied a full
203	203	opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social and
204	204	civic life; such communities may include Black, Latino, Native
205	205	American, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other persons
206	206	of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay,
207	207	bisexual, transgender and queer persons; persons with
208	208	disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons who
209	209	have otherwise been adversely affected by persistent poverty or
210	210	inequality; and
211	211	P. "workforce diversity" means the process of
212	212	recruiting from a diverse, qualified group of potential
213	213	applicants to secure a high-performing workforce drawn from all
214	214	segments of American society.
215	215	SECTION 3. [NEW MATERIAL] CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER--
216	216	CREATED--DUTIES.--
217	217	A. The position of "chief diversity officer" is
218	218	created as a classified position within the office. The chief
219	219	diversity officer shall be hired by and serve at the pleasure
220	220	of the director.
221	221	B. The chief diversity officer shall have a
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250	250	background and education in management or business and
251	251	experience with diversity and inclusion.
252	252	C. The chief diversity officer shall:
253	253	(1) lead the development and implementation of
254	254	proactive diversity, equality, equity and inclusion initiatives
255	255	in support of the state's strategic plan to create a culture of
256	256	diversity, equality, equity and inclusion pursuant to Section 6
257	257	of the Diversity Act;
258	258	(2) collaborate with and support other state
259	259	agencies in assessing potential barriers and developing
260	260	strategies for state agencies to recruit and retain a diverse
261	261	workforce;
262	262	(3) assess state agencies' needs for, and
263	263	recommend training initiatives on, cultural competency,
264	264	gender identity differences, disability, accessibility, sexual
265	265	harassment and other topics designed to increase awareness and
266	266	support of equity, equality and inclusive values;
267	267	(4) ensure that all state agencies maintain
268	268	compliance with all relevant and applicable laws and rules;
269	269	(5) exercise authority to advise state agency
270	270	directors with regard to matters for which the chief diversity
271	271	officer has authority pursuant to this section;
272	272	(6) have full access to the office's human
273	273	resource management systems;
274	274	(7) establish and maintain state-agency-
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303	303	specific strategic plans that publicly state diversity
304	304	definitions and goals for the state agency;
305	305	(8) define a set of strategic metrics that are
306	306	directly linked to key organizational priorities and goals
307	307	actively used to implement the strategic plan;
308	308	(9) establish training regarding diversity
309	309	dynamics and best practices for effectively leading diverse
310	310	groups;
311	311	(10) establish and maintain a strategic plan
312	312	for outreach to, and recruiting from, underserved communities;
313	313	(11) conduct regular, rigorous evaluations and
314	314	assessments of diversity for state agencies; and
315	315	(12) perform such additional duties and
316	316	exercise such powers as the director may prescribe.
317	317	D. On or before December 31 of each year, the chief
318	318	diversity officer shall:
319	319	(1) conduct an evaluation of race as self-
320	320	identified by applicants, candidates and employees subject to
321	321	the Personnel Act as related to hiring, promotion,
322	322	retention and pay;
323	323	(2) develop policies to identify, assess,
324	324	reduce and prevent inequities due to institutional racism in
325	325	hiring, promotion and pay for those agencies with positions to
326	326	which the provisions of the Personnel Act apply;
327	327	(3) conduct an analysis of state government
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356	356	employment data sets of race as self-identified by employees to
357	357	track progress toward ending institutional racism; and
358	358	(4) develop and provide anti-institutional
359	359	racism training for all employees subject to the Personnel Act
360	360	that shall include:
361	361	(a) a historical perspective on the
362	362	population of New Mexico, spotlighting the many racial and
363	363	ethnic subpopulations that live and work in New Mexico and the
364	364	need for all New Mexicans to be aware of, appreciate and
365	365	celebrate the cultural differences in the state;
366	366	(b) strategies to eliminate cultural
367	367	prejudices and discrimination while strengthening the common
368	368	threads that bind individuals into one state and one country;
369	369	(c) strategies to improve engagement
370	370	with employees, customers or clients from different cultural
371	371	backgrounds; and
372	372	(d) strategies to counteract unconscious
373	373	bias and foster a climate of diversity and inclusion in the
374	374	state government workplace.
375	375	SECTION 4. [NEW MATERIAL] DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
376	376	LIAISONS--WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COUNCIL--CREATED--
377	377	DUTIES.--
378	378	A. Each state agency shall designate a diversity
379	379	and inclusion liaison, who shall report directly to the head of
380	380	the agency and collaborate with the chief diversity officer.
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409	409	B. The chief diversity officer shall convene the
410	410	"workforce diversity and inclusion council" composed of the
411	411	diversity and inclusion liaisons from each state agency.
412	412	C. Each diversity and inclusion liaison shall
413	413	provide to the chief diversity officer the data and information
414	414	required pursuant to Section 5 of the Diversity Act.
415	415	D. Diversity and inclusion liaisons shall work with
416	416	the chief diversity officer to implement recommendations
417	417	proposed by state agencies or by the chief diversity officer.
418	418	E. The diversity and inclusion liaisons shall
419	419	assist the chief diversity officer in developing and providing
420	420	anti-institutional racism training for all employees subject to
421	421	the Personnel Act.
422	422	F. The chief diversity officer, in collaboration
423	423	with the diversity and inclusion liaisons, shall ensure that
424	424	each state agency includes a prominent statement on all job
425	425	advertisements and annual reviews that:
426	426	(1) clearly articulates the state's commitment
427	427	to reducing and preventing institutional racism; and
428	428	(2) states that all employees are required to
429	429	participate in anti-institutional-racism training.
430	430	G. The council shall convene regularly and may
431	431	establish subcommittees as appropriate.
432	432	SECTION 5. [NEW MATERIAL] ANNUAL REPORT--REPORT
433	433	CONTENTS--PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF REPORT.--
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462	462	A. No later than July 1 of each year, each state
463	463	agency shall submit a report to the office on the activities of
464	464	the state agency pursuant to the Diversity Act. The report
465	465	shall include:
466	466	(1) demographic data on each element of the
467	467	state agency's workforce that is disaggregated by rank and
468	468	grade or grade-equivalent, with respect to the following
469	469	groups:
470	470	(a) applicants for each position within
471	471	the state agency;
472	472	(b) applicants hired to the state
473	473	agency;
474	474	(c) state employees promoted within the
475	475	state agency;
476	476	(d) members of any external advisory
477	477	committee or board who are subject to appointment by people in
478	478	senior positions at the state agency;
479	479	(e) state employees participating in
480	480	professional development programs; and
481	481	(f) state employees participating in
482	482	mentorship or retention programs;
483	483	(2) aggregate demographic statistics for all
484	484	employees, including race for those employees who self-
485	485	identify;
486	486	(3) an assessment of the state agency's
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515	515	compliance with relevant elements identified by the United
516	516	States equal employment opportunity commission;
517	517	(4) an assessment of the state agency's anti-
518	518	institutional racism policies in hiring, promotion, retention,
519	519	pay equity, community engagement and workplace participation;
520	520	(5) the steps in the state agency's hiring and
521	521	promotion processes that incorporate the values of diversity,
522	522	equity and inclusion;
523	523	(6) data on the promotion outcomes of women
524	524	and racial or ethnic minorities;
525	525	(7) demographic data, disaggregated by rank
526	526	and grade or grade-equivalent, of contractors and
527	527	subcontractors, as well as the nongovernmental and civil
528	528	society organizations that win bids or obtain contracts and
529	529	grants and serve as subcontractors to the state agency;
530	530	(8) a description of the state agency's
531	531	efforts to propagate rules of fairness, impartiality and
532	532	inclusion;
533	533	(9) a description of the state agency's
534	534	efforts to enforce anti-harassment and anti-discrimination
535	535	policies;
536	536	(10) the state agency's acknowledgment of its
537	537	obligation to refrain from unlawful discrimination in any phase
538	538	of the employment process, including recruitment, hiring,
539	539	evaluation, assignments, promotion, retention and training;
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568	568	(11) the state agency's intentions to prevent
569	569	retaliation for state employees participating in employment-
570	570	related activities protected by state or federal law;
571	571	(12) an assessment of the state agency's
572	572	delivery of reasonable accommodations for state employees with
573	573	disabilities; and
574	574	(13) recommendations using data-driven
575	575	approaches toward advancing solutions for problems identified
576	576	and proactive measures addressing diversity, equity and
577	577	inclusion in the workforce.
578	578	B. The chief diversity officer shall compile the
579	579	state agency data collected pursuant to Subsection A of this
580	580	section into an annual report and submit the report no later
581	581	than October 1 of each year to the governor, the appropriate
582	582	interim legislative committee dealing with courts, corrections
583	583	and justice issues, the legislative finance committee and the
584	584	legislature to address diversity, inclusion and institutional
585	585	racism as a part of the annual fiscal budget or request for
586	586	proposals submission for each state agency.
587	587	C. The chief diversity officer shall:
588	588	(1) ensure that the data included within the
589	589	annual report is in a machine-readable format that is
590	590	downloadable, searchable and sortable; and
591	591	(2) publish the annual report on the office's
592	592	website.
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621	621	D. A copy of the report shall be maintained in the
622	622	legislative council service library, the state library and the
623	623	state records center and archives.
624	624	SECTION 6. [NEW MATERIAL] DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
625	625	STRATEGIC PLANS.--
626	626	A. The head of each state agency shall develop and
627	627	maintain a comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion
628	628	strategic plan in coordination with the chief diversity officer
629	629	and the diversity and inclusion liaison for that agency and the
630	630	council.
631	631	B. The diversity, equity and inclusion strategic
632	632	plan shall:
633	633	(1) integrate the diversity, equity and
634	634	inclusion goals into the mission, operations, programs and
635	635	infrastructure of the state agency to enhance equitable
636	636	opportunities for the populations served by the agency and to
637	637	foster an increasingly diverse, equitable and inclusive
638	638	workplace environment; and
639	639	(2) outline the:
640	640	(a) proactive measures toward addressing
641	641	equal employment opportunities pursuant to federal and state
642	642	law;
643	643	(b) intentions of fostering pay equity
644	644	pursuant to federal and state law;
645	645	(c) practices to promote diversity,
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674	674	equity and inclusion in hiring, promotion, retention,
675	675	succession planning and leadership opportunities; and
676	676	(d) practices of employee engagement and
677	677	inclusivity in the workforce.
678	678	C. The head of each state agency shall coordinate
679	679	with the chief diversity officer to effectively support ongoing
680	680	progress and accountability to achieve diversity, equity and
681	681	inclusion goals.
682	682	SECTION 7. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred fifty thousand
683	683	dollars ($250,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the
684	684	state personnel office for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 to
685	685	carry out the provisions of the Diversity Act. Any unexpended
686	686	or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year
687	687	2026 shall revert to the general fund.
688	688	SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
689	689	provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.
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