SENATE BILL 54

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Gabriel Ramos

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL PERSONNEL; REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF CERTAIN REQUIRED TRAININGS OR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL PERSONNEL; MAKING CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 22-10A-19.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2021, Chapter 51, Section 9) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-19.3. ANTI-RACISM AND RACIAL SENSITIVITY TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.--[Each year] Within the first year of employment, all school personnel shall successfully complete an online or in-person anti-racism, racial awareness and sensitivity training or professional development approved by the department that addresses race, racism and racialized aggression and demonstrates how to create and foster an equitable and culturally responsive learning environment for racial minority students."

     SECTION 2. Section 22-10A-32 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988, Chapter 48, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-32. SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL, SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS, CONTRACTORS AND CONTRACTORS' EMPLOYEES--REQUIRED TRAINING PROGRAM.--

          A. All school district personnel, school employees, school volunteers, contractors and contractors' employees shall be required to complete a training in the detection and reporting of child abuse and neglect, ethical misconduct, professional responsibilities, sexual abuse and assault and substance abuse. [Except as otherwise provided in this subsection] This requirement shall be completed within the school district employee's, school employee's, school volunteer's, contractor's or contractor's employee's first year of employment.

          B. The department shall:

                (1) develop or adopt [training programs, including training] materials [and necessary training staff] to meet the requirements of Subsection A of this section [to];

                (2) make the training available in every public school [The department shall];

                (3) promulgate rules for the administration of the training [programs. The department shall];

                (4) coordinate the development of the [programs] training with appropriate staff in school districts and at public schools, the [human services department] health care authority, the department of health, the early childhood education and care department and the children, youth and families department [The department shall]; and

                (5) consult with the federal centers for disease control and prevention when developing or adopting the evidence-based training component on child sexual abuse and assault to include methods and materials that have proven to be effective.

          C. At a minimum, the training required [under] by this section shall include:

                (1) reporting requirements, including minimal standards triggering reporting;

                (2) trauma-informed instruction;

                (3) identification of circumstances and factors that are indicators of likely abuse or inappropriate behaviors;

                (4) ethical misconduct;

                (5) professional responsibilities;

                (6) investigations and procedures; and

                (7) relevant legal and regulatory definitions.

          [C.] D. The training [programs] developed or adopted pursuant to this section shall be made available by the department to the deans of every college of education in New Mexico for use in providing such training to students seeking elementary and secondary education licensure."

     SECTION 3. Section 22-34-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 22, Section 3) is amended to read:

     "22-34-3. DIABETES CARE--DIABETES CARE PERSONNEL-- TRAINING--IMMUNITY.--

          A. By December 31, 2019 and in consultation with the American diabetes association, the department of health, the New Mexico school nurse's association and the juvenile diabetes research foundation, the secretary of public education shall adopt and promulgate rules for the training of school employees for the care of students with diabetes. These rules shall require each governing body to ensure that [annual] diabetes training programs are provided for all school nurses and diabetes care personnel within the first year of employment and when circumstances at a public school require the provision of diabetes training programs. At a minimum, the training guidelines shall address:

                (1) recognition and treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia;

                (2) understanding the appropriate actions to take when blood glucose levels are outside of the target ranges indicated by a student's diabetes medical management plan;

                (3) understanding health care practitioner instructions regarding diabetes medication drug dosage, frequency and manner of administration;

                (4) performance of finger stick blood glucose testing and ketone testing and recording of results;

                (5) the administration of glucagon and insulin and the recording of results;

                (6) understanding how to administer glucagon and insulin through the insulin delivery system;

                (7) recognizing diabetes-related complications that require emergency assistance; and

                (8) as relates to students with diabetes, understanding recommended schedules and food intake for meals and snacks, the effect of physical activity upon blood glucose levels and actions to be implemented in the case of schedule disruption.

          B. A governing body shall not require that diabetes care personnel be health care practitioners.

          C. Each governing body shall ensure that the training established pursuant to Subsection A of this section is provided to a minimum of two school employees at each school attended by a student with diabetes. If at any time fewer than two school employees are available to be trained at a school, the principal or other school administrator shall distribute to all staff a written notice stating that the school is seeking volunteers to serve as diabetes care personnel. The notice shall inform staff of the following:

                (1) the school is required to provide diabetes care to one or more students with diabetes and is seeking personnel willing to be trained to provide that care;

                (2) the tasks to be performed by diabetes care personnel;

                (3) that participation is voluntary and no school, school district or governing body will take action against any staff member who does not volunteer to be designated;

                (4) that training will be provided to employees who volunteer to provide care; and

                (5) the identity of the person whom staff should contact in order to volunteer to be diabetes care personnel.

          D. The training required pursuant to Subsection A of this section shall be provided by:

                (1) a school nurse if the school has a school nurse; or

                (2) a health care practitioner with expertise in diabetes.

          E. Each governing body shall ensure that [the following training is provided on an annual basis to all] school personnel who have a primary responsibility for supervising a student with diabetes during some portion of the school day and [to] bus drivers responsible for the transportation of a student with diabetes have successfully completed a training on the following:

                (1) recognition of hypoglycemia;

                (2) recognition of hyperglycemia; and

                (3) actions to take in response to diabetes related emergency situations."

     SECTION 4. Section 22-35-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 181, Section 4) is amended to read:

     "22-35-4. BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAMS ESTABLISHMENT.--

          A. Following adoption of a bullying prevention policy, each public school shall:

                (1) establish an annual bullying prevention program for students included in New Mexico's health education content standards with benchmarks and performance standards;

                (2) provide [annual] a training on bullying prevention to [all] school employees and volunteers who have significant contact with students within an employee's first year of employment or before or at a reasonable time after a volunteer's service is authorized; and

                (3) [incorporate information on the bullying prevention policy into new employee training] ensure that the policy is developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate.

          B. Each school district and public school shall develop a plan for the way in which the policy is to be publicized, including:

                (1) making each school district's anti-bullying policy [and developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate variants of the policy] available on public websites;

                (2) identifying a point of contact for bullying-related concerns; and

                (3) informing parents and students about the policy at least annually through student handbooks and other resources."

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