FIFTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION, 2021
February 3, 2021
Mr. Speaker:
Your EDUCATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
HOUSE BILL 22
has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows:
1. On page 6, between lines 24 and 25, insert the following
new section:
"SECTION 8. Section 22-10A-17.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2004,
Chapter 30, Section 1) is amended to read:
"22-10A-17.1. EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS--LICENSING FRAMEWORK--
QUALIFICATIONS--MINIMUM SALARIES.--
A. All persons who perform services as educational
assistants in public schools or in those special state-supported
schools within state agencies [must] shall hold valid, educational
[assistants] assistant licensure issued by the [public education]
department. Educational assistants shall be assigned, and serve as
assistants, to school staff [duly] licensed by the [public
education] department. While there may be brief periods when
educational assistants are alone with and in control of a classroom
of students, their primary use shall be to work alongside or under
the direct supervision of [duly] licensed staff.
B. The [public education] department [will] shall, through appropriate rules, institute a licensure system for educational assistants. The highest level of license [must] shall ensure that educational assistants who hold that level of licensure meet the standard for paraprofessionals established in federal statute and regulation for employment in a Title 1 program. [Educational assistants hired on or after January 8, 2002, who provide instructional support in a Title 1 program, must meet the
qualifications for the highest level of licensure on the effective
date of this statute. Paraprofessionals hired prior to January 8,
2002 must meet the qualifications for the highest level of licensure
by January 8, 2006.]
C. A licensed educational assistant who is a resident of
New Mexico, who is authorized to work in the United States, who has
been employed by a public school in a position that works directly
with students for at least two years and is in good standing with
the school district and who is enrolled in or accepted by an
undergraduate teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited
public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico shall be
granted professional leave by that public school to attend a teacher
preparation program in New Mexico; provided that the public school
may require that the professional leave minimizes disruption to the
school day and may require an educational assistant to make up hours
in exchange for hours missed from the school day.
[C.] D. The minimum annual salary for licensed educational assistants shall be twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) effective in the 2004-2005 school year.
[D.] E. The minimum salaries specified in Subsection [C] D of this section may be adjusted in accordance with appropriations
for that purpose in each school year as established by the secretary
[of public education].
[E.] F. School districts shall initiate the implementation of a career salary framework that supports the licensure system in [public education] department rules in fiscal year 2005.
G. As used in this section, "teacher preparation
program" means a program that has been formally approved as
meeting the requirements of the department and that leads to
level one teacher licensure, including a program in a two-year
post-secondary educational institution that meets the requirements
for a teacher education transfer module established pursuant to
Subsection C of Section 21-1B-4 NMSA 1978."".
2. Renumber the succeeding section accordingly.,
and thence referred to the STATE GOVERNMENT, ELECTIONS AND INDIAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
Respectfully submitted,
G. ANDRES ROMERO, CHAIR
Adopted Not Adopted
(Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk)
Date
The roll call vote was 13 For 0 Against
Yes: 13
No: 0
Excused: Dow, Stapleton
Absent: None
.219392.3
Z:\2021 Session\CommitteeReports\HB0022EC1.wpd