SB 23 requires all New Mexico public school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting student use of phones, tablets, and other wireless devices during the school day, with specific exceptions. These exceptions include using devices for educational purposes with teacher permission, managing health emergencies, or for accessibility tools like text-to-speech software required by a student’s individualized education plan. The bill also creates a $1 million annual grant program through the Education Technology Infrastructure Fund to support schools implementing this policy, allowing them to apply for funding to upgrade technology infrastructure. The policy must be published online by each school district and includes procedures for handling device confiscation during violations. This directly affects all public school students and staff in New Mexico’s 33 school districts.
HB 297 allocates $2.4 million from the state general fund to the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents for Project ECHO's literacy support programs. The funding will directly support educators in New Mexico schools by providing training and resources to improve literacy instruction methods. It covers fiscal years 2027 through 2029, with any unspent funds returning to the state treasury by 2029. This is a funding bill focused on enhancing educator capacity, not a policy change affecting broader public law.
This House Memorial (HM 57) requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to examine best practices for credentialing bilingual educators in New Mexico. The study will involve the public education department, higher education institutions, and professional organizations like the New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education, with a focus on improving how bilingual educators are certified. It requires a report by August 15, 2026, to inform future actions on credentialing standards. This request does not change current laws but aims to address a shortage of qualified bilingual educators affecting students.
This memorial requests New Mexico's Public Education Department to study creating a "gifted in-field" teacher endorsement for secondary school educators. It asks the department to collaborate with universities and organizations to examine how teachers with deep content expertise (e.g., in math or science) plus gifted education knowledge could better serve secondary gifted students. The study would evaluate criteria for this endorsement, aiming to address current gaps where teachers lack subject-specific expertise while teaching gifted students. This would primarily affect secondary gifted education teachers and the students they serve.
House Memorial 47, introduced by Representatives Romero and Sanchez, requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to examine teacher workload practices in New Mexico. The study will assess how teachers allocate time between instruction and non-instructional duties (like data reporting, assessments, and compliance), and evaluate how state/local requirements impact scheduling. It aims to develop recommendations by December 31, 2026, to support teacher effectiveness and improve student outcomes, particularly for students with disabilities, English learners, and those in rural communities. This memorial does not create new law but formally asks the committee to conduct the study.
House Memorial 44 requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to examine family engagement practices in New Mexico public schools during the 2026 interim. The study will assess current frameworks, identify systemic barriers preventing meaningful family involvement (especially for historically marginalized communities), review evidence-based models, and analyze teacher training opportunities. It will culminate in recommendations for systemic improvements, including potential funding for family liaisons and professional development. This procedural memorial does not enact policy but seeks a data-driven foundation for future action affecting all public school families and educators.
SB 307 transfers authority over academic tenure decisions from university regent boards to faculty and institutional policies. It explicitly states that regent boards cannot award, deny, revoke, or impose conditions on tenured faculty positions. Instead, all tenure decisions must follow each institution's established policies and be based on recommendations from the faculty itself. This bill directly affects state university regent boards and faculty members at New Mexico's public higher education institutions.
HB 34 updates New Mexico's school nurse licensure rules to clarify that charter schools must follow the same requirements as public school districts. It establishes three license levels: Level One (a 3-year provisional license requiring mentorship and annual evaluations for new nurses without 3+ years of experience), Level Two (a 9-year license for nurses who complete Level One or have 3+ years of experience), and Level Three (a 9-year license requiring advanced education and leadership skills). The bill sets minimum salaries for each level equal to corresponding teacher salary grades and mandates annual competency reviews by school districts or charter schools. These changes apply to all school nurses employed in New Mexico public and charter schools starting July 1, 2026.
SB 188 creates a new law requiring New Mexico public school districts and charter schools to provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to full-time school employees who have worked for 52 consecutive weeks. The leave covers birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child, is paid at the employee’s regular rate, and must be used within a 52-week period. School districts will be reimbursed by the state for costs like substitute staff, and schools must report on employee demographics and leave usage annually. This law directly affects school employees and ensures job protection during leave without impacting retirement benefits or requiring leave exhaustion.
SB 84 creates a two-year pilot program offering a one-credit high school course on water management and conservation, directly affecting participating schools and students in New Mexico. The Public Education Department will develop the curriculum with partners like higher education and tribal nations, select three schools (one from each of three specific county types), and report annually on program effectiveness. The bill appropriates $5 million for fiscal years 2027-2028 to cover curriculum development, teacher salaries, and operational costs, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund. The program aims to provide practical environmental education preparing students for water-related careers.
