New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SB461 Compare Versions

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

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28	28	SENATE BILL 461
29	29	57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2025
30	30	INTRODUCED BY
31	31	Shannon D. Pinto
32	32	AN ACT
33	33	RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; CREATING THE LEGISLATIVE EQUITY AND
34	34	EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION TASK FORCE TO FUNCTION FROM JULY 1,
35	35	2025 TO JULY 1, 2029; PROVIDING FOR APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS BY
36	36	THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL; REQUIRING THE TASK FORCE TO
37	37	REVIEW THE MARTINEZ AND YAZZIE CONSOLIDATED LAWSUIT, STUDY
38	38	EDUCATION SYSTEMS, EXPENDITURE OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING AND
39	39	MAKE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS; CREATING THE EQUITY AND
40	40	EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION FUND; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.
41	41	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
42	42	SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN
43	43	EDUCATION TASK FORCE.--
44	44	A. The legislative interim "equity and excellence
45	45	in education task force" is created and shall function from
46	46	July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2029. The task force is charged with
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74	74	developing a long-term vision and plan with associated goals to
75	75	ensure that public school students are prepared for post-
76	76	secondary education and the workforce, capable of success in
77	77	the national and global economies and able to effectively
78	78	participate in civic society.
79	79	B. The task force consists of:
80	80	(1) six legislative members appointed by the
81	81	New Mexico legislative council, including three members from
82	82	each chamber of the legislature so as to give the two major
83	83	political parties the same proportionate representation on the
84	84	task force as prevails in each chamber; provided, however, that
85	85	there shall be at least one member from the minority party from
86	86	each chamber; and
87	87	(2) the following public members appointed by
88	88	the New Mexico legislative council:
89	89	(a) three teachers who are current or
90	90	former "teachers of the year", appointed from a list of
91	91	recommendations by the two organizations that represent
92	92	teachers in public schools;
93	93	(b) two persons with expertise in Indian
94	94	education;
95	95	(c) two persons with expertise in
96	96	bilingual education;
97	97	(d) two persons with expertise in
98	98	special education;
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127	127	(e) three elementary school principals
128	128	of Title I schools pursuant to the federal Elementary and
129	129	Secondary Education Act appointed from a list of
130	130	recommendations by the New Mexico coalition of educational
131	131	leaders, one member from an urban school district, one member
132	132	from a rural school district and one member from a small town
133	133	or suburban school district;
134	134	(f) three superintendents of school
135	135	districts appointed from a list of recommendations by the New
136	136	Mexico superintendents' association, one member from an urban
137	137	school district, one member from a rural school district and
138	138	one member from a small town or suburban school district;
139	139	(g) two representatives of the business
140	140	community that are chief executive officers or owners of
141	141	businesses in New Mexico, one member appointed from a list of
142	142	recommendations by the New Mexico chamber of commerce and one
143	143	member appointed from a list recommended by the greater
144	144	Albuquerque chamber of commerce; and
145	145	(h) two representatives of a department-
146	146	approved four-year teacher preparation program at a public
147	147	post-secondary educational institution appointed from a list of
148	148	recommendations by the New Mexico association of colleges of
149	149	teacher education.
150	150	C. All members of the task force shall be appointed
151	151	by July 1, 2025, and the task force shall hold its first
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180	180	meeting by September 1, 2025. The New Mexico legislative
181	181	council may appoint advisory members as it deems necessary.
182	182	Public members of the task force are entitled to per diem and
183	183	mileage at the same rate as public employees pursuant to the
184	184	Per Diem and Mileage Act and shall receive no other
185	185	compensation, perquisite or allowance. The legislative
186	186	education study committee and the legislative finance committee
187	187	shall provide staff for the task force.
188	188	D. The task force shall:
189	189	(1) hold at least three meetings during the
190	190	legislative interim;
191	191	(2) review the Martinez and Yazzie, et al., v.
192	192	the State of New Mexico consolidated lawsuit, including the
193	193	decision and order, the finding of fact and conclusions of law
194	194	and the final judgment issued by the first judicial district
195	195	court and any pleadings filed after February 28, 2019;
196	196	(3) study high-performing education systems,
197	197	locally, regionally and nationally, to learn best practices;
198	198	(4) study how the department, school districts
199	199	and public schools are using state and federal funding to close
200	200	achievement and opportunity gaps and improve educational
201	201	outcomes for all students; and
202	202	(5) make findings and recommendations to
203	203	ensure:
204	204	(a) equitable access to high-quality and
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233	233	culturally and linguistically relevant curriculum, instruction
234	234	and instructional resources;
235	235	(b) that the public school workforce is
236	236	competent, stable and culturally and linguistically
237	237	representative of the students in the state;
238	238	(c) the development of culturally and
239	239	linguistically relevant whole-child supports, including trauma-
240	240	informed teaching practices, wraparound services and community
241	241	partnerships and parent and family engagement; and
242	242	(d) the effective coordination and
243	243	collaboration among state agencies, boards of education of
244	244	school districts, charter school governing bodies, public
245	245	schools, tribal governments, the business sector and post-
246	246	secondary educational institutions.
247	247	E. On or before September 1, 2026 and September 1
248	248	of each succeeding year, the task force shall provide an
249	249	interim report of its findings and recommendations to the
250	250	governor and the legislature. On or before July 1, 2029, the
251	251	task force shall provide its final report to the governor and
252	252	the legislature and if the task force provides legislative
253	253	proposals, the legislative education study committee and the
254	254	legislative finance committee shall consider those proposals
255	255	before the end of the 2029 legislative interim.
256	256	F. The "equity and excellence in education fund" is
257	257	created as a reverting fund in the state treasury. The fund
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286	286	consists of appropriations, gifts, grants and donations. The
287	287	fund shall be administered by the public education department,
288	288	and money in the fund is appropriated to the department to pay
289	289	per diem and mileage expenses of public members of the task
290	290	force, expert witnesses and other necessary expenses of the
291	291	task force. Expenditures from the fund shall be by warrant of
292	292	the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to
293	293	vouchers signed by the secretary of public education or the
294	294	secretary's authorized representative.
295	295	SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred fifty thousand
296	296	dollars ($250,000) is appropriated from the public education
297	297	reform fund to the equity and excellence in education fund for
298	298	expenditure in fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to carry out the
299	299	purposes of the equity and excellence in education fund. Any
300	300	unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
301	301	fiscal year 2029 shall revert to the public education reform
302	302	fund.
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