Here’s a quick rundown of bills that passed during the 60 day Legislative session that affect UNM. The descriptions are taken from the bill summaries as stated in the fiscal impact reports.
Lottery Scholarship grace period
Passed in the Senate - Y:34 N:5, Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:62 N:6
Senate Bill 420 amends the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act to allow a 16-month grace period for qualified students to enroll in a public post-secondary educational institution after graduating from high school or receiving a high school equivalency credential.
The bill also extends the grace period for qualified students who serve in the military between high school and college. Under SB 420, these students have four months, rather than 120 days, from graduation to begin service in the U.S. armed forces and 16 months, rather than one year, from completion of honorable service or medical discharge to attend a public post-secondary educational institution.
Limit school use of restraint and seclusion
Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:58 N:0, Passed in the Senate - Y:30 N:4
House Judiciary Committee Substitute for House Education Committee Substitute for House Bill 75 adds a new section to the Public School Code to specify the conditions when restraint or seclusion techniques may be permitted in schools; to require schools to adopt policies and procedures for the use of restraint or seclusion techniques in a school safety plan; requires schools to establish reporting and documentation procedures when restraint or seclusion is used on a student, including notification of the student’s parent or guardian.
Loan repayment for certain students
Passed in the Senate - Y:27 N:0, Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:60 N:6
The Senate Finance Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 197 converts the Minority Doctoral Assistance Loan for Service Program Act to the Minority Doctoral Loan Repayment Act.
The bill provides for repayment of loans for “an individual who is a member of an ethnic minority or is a woman and who has successfully completed a doctoral degree-granting program at an eligible institution in the field of engineering, physical or life science or mathematics or another academic discipline in which ethnic minorities or women are underrepresented.”
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The bill further requires the department to give preference to a recipient who has completed a postsecondary degree at an institution designated in Article XII, Section 11 of the Constitution of New Mexico.
Brain injury training for student athletes
Passed in the Senate - Y:31 N:7, Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:53 N:0
Senate Bill 38 requires school districts and youth athletic leagues to provide a brain injury training and information form to student athletes.
Athletes and guardians are required to confirm, by signature, that the athlete received brain injury training and understands the training before beginning or continuing to participate in athletic activities in schools or athletic leagues.
Transfer of college credits
Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:60 N:0, Passed in the Senate - Y:39 N:0
The House Education Committee amendments add to the definition of “general education core curriculum” to specify that the general education core curriculum is a group of lower-division courses that are accepted by all institutions for transfer purposes.
The amendments add to the definition of “meta-major” to clarify that the fifteen credits of lower-division courses are developed in consultation with faculty and approved by HED and that a meta-major can include courses across the institution that address diversity.
The title in Section 2 of the bill is changed to “INITIAL ARTICULATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF META-MAJOR AND TRANSFER MODULE.” The amendments require HED to facilitate the development and approval of transfer modules by August 2019 in consultation with the faculty.
Finally, the general education curriculum as amended by the House Education Committee excludes associate degrees in applied science and includes “courses that include the interdisciplinary study of differences that recognize and respect New Mexico’s diverse cultures, histories and identities.”
Innovations in teaching act
Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:37 N:30, Passed in the Senate - Y:23 N:13
The House Education Committee Substitute for House Bill 105 creates a new section in the Public School Code, entitled the Innovations in Teaching Act, to be implemented by PED beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.
The new section provides an application process for teachers to apply for innovative teaching projects. PED may grant waivers from standards-based assessment results for up to two years. This bill also outlines the reporting, and evaluation processes for proposed innovative teaching projects.
-Compiled by Celia Raney
