0001|                           HOUSE BILL 1159
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          RICHARD T. KNOWLES
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO CHILDREN; CREATING A JUVENILE EDUCATION ASSISTANCE
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0012|     PROGRAM; PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE EDUCATION OF
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0013|     CERTAIN CHILDREN; TRANSFERRING FUNDS; ENACTING A NEW SECTION OF
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0014|     THE CHILDREN'S CODE.
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0015|     
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0016|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0017|          Section 1.  A new section of the Children's Code is
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0018|     enacted to read:
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0019|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  JUVENILE EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
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0020|     CREATED--ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT--ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA--
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0021|     TRANSFER OF FUNDS--REGULATIONS.--
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0022|               A.  There is created a "juvenile education
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0023|     assistance program" within the children, youth and families
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0024|     department.  The purpose of the program is to provide financial
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0025|     assistance for education annually for up to two thousand
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0001|     children who have failed in public school, who are at risk of
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0002|     failing in public school or who have dropped out of public
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0003|     school. 
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0004|               B.  A child is eligible to receive financial
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0005|     assistance for education from the juvenile education assistance
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0006|     program if he meets the following criteria:
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0007|                    (1)  he has failed in public school, is at risk
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0008|     of failing in public school or has dropped out of public school
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0009|     due to factors including abuse or neglect, delinquency, chronic
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0010|     truancy, learning disabilities, substance abuse or emotional
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0011|     disorders;
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0012|                    (2)  the child's parent or guardian provides a
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0013|     written letter of commitment to use the financial assistance
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0014|     provided by the juvenile education assistance program to
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0015|     further the child's education; 
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0016|                    (3)  the household income for the child's home
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0017|     does not exceed the median household income in New Mexico; and
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0018|                    (4)  the child's parent or guardian provides a
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0019|     written letter of recommendation from a judge who knows the
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0020|     child, a chief juvenile probation and parole officer who knows
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0021|     the child or the principal of the child's current or former
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0022|     public school, which letter of recommendation states that a
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0023|     different educational environment would improve the child's
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0024|     prospects for achieving success in school.
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0025|               C.  Financial assistance provided by the juvenile
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0001|     education assistance program shall be provided in the form of
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0002|     certificates.  Each certificate shall equal the annual unit
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0003|     value for a student, as determined by the state department of
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0004|     public education.   
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0005|               D.  The child's parent or guardian shall use the
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0006|     certificate to help pay the cost of enrolling the child in a
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0007|     primary or secondary public, private or parochial school,
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0008|     provided that the school is accredited by the state department
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0009|     of public education.
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0010|               E.  A primary or secondary public, private or
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0011|     parochial school may present a child's certificate to the
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0012|     children, youth and families department for redemption,
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0013|     provided that the certificate is accompanied by an affidavit
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0014|     attesting to the child's enrollment in the school.
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0015|               F.  The state department of public education shall
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0016|     annually transfer funds to the children, youth and families
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0017|     department in an amount equal to redeemed certificates received
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0018|     by the children, youth and families department.
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0019|               G.  The children, youth and families department
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0020|     shall bear the cost of administering the juvenile education
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0021|     assistance program.
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0022|               H.  The children, youth and families department
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0023|     shall adopt regulations to implement and operate the juvenile
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0024|     education assistance program."
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0025|          Section 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
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0001|     provisions of this act is July 1, 1997.   
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