HOUSE BILL 433

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Anita Gonzales and Joy Garratt and Meredith A. Dixon

and Cathrynn N. Brown

AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS DEPARTMENT AND THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE, TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES AND COURSE INSTRUCTORS AND THE SALARIES AND COMPENSATION PACKAGES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS; REQUIRING A REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

     SECTION 1. TEMPORARY PROVISION--HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT--STUDY--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES--INSTRUCTORS--SALARIES AND COMPENSATION--RECOMMENDATIONS--REPORT.--

          A. The higher education department, in collaboration with the public education department, the workforce solutions department and the legislative education study committee, shall conduct a comprehensive study regarding the availability of career and technical education courses and course instructors and the salaries and compensation packages of career and technical education instructors in the state.

          B. The study required pursuant to this section shall:

                (1) identify and evaluate the availability of career and technical education courses offered in the state, with a focus on ways to address and meet current and anticipated future needs and demands for students and industry, including:

                     (a) whether a known or identified demand for a course exceeds the course availability or the course is not available;

                     (b) whether the courses offered adequately address the needs of the students seeking specific skills for workforce jobs or the industry employers seeking workers with those specific skills;

                     (c) whether the courses offered adequately address the current or future industry workforce needs, including shortages that may be identified during the evaluation or by industry employers;

                     (d) the reason for any course shortages or anticipated future course shortages;

                     (e) whether there is an opportunity to work with industry employers to identify ways to incorporate industry employer incentives to help address workforce shortages and future needs; and

                     (f) whether any other current or future matters or concerns exist related to career and technical education courses, particularly any matters or concerns indicated by industry employers;

                (2) evaluate the salaries and compensation packages for career and technical education instructors in the state, including:

                     (a) an in-depth review of the salaries paid to instructors, with a focus on instructors teaching at community colleges;

                     (b) the number of instructors currently employed, including the number of career and technical education courses each instructor teaches;

                     (c) whether there is a shortage of career and technical education instructors and an indication of any area of career and technical education in which a shortage exists and the reason for any shortage identified; and

                     (d) a comparison of the salaries and compensation packages for career and technical education instructors with those of higher education instructors in the state; and

                (3) create a comprehensive report from the study that includes the findings from the evaluation of the career and technical education courses in Paragraph (1) of this subsection and the findings from the evaluation of the career and technical education instructors in Paragraph (2) of this subsection.

          C. In addition to the findings required in Subsection B of this section, the comprehensive report shall include all matters or concerns identified from the study, including any known reasons for the findings, issues identified or anticipated, input from industry employers and recommendations for immediate steps to take and longer-term actions to address matters or concerns identified in the study.

          D. The study required in this section shall be completed no later than October 1, 2025, at which time the study shall be provided to the governor, the legislative finance committee and any other appropriate legislative committees.

          E. As used in this section, "industry employers" means employers or businesses identified by the workforce solutions department to provide input and recommendations to that department as part of that department's collaboration with the higher education department and the legislative education study committee for the study required pursuant to this section.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the higher education department for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 to conduct the study required pursuant to Section 1 of this act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.

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