HOUSE BILL 157

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

INTRODUCED BY

Joy Garratt and Brian G. Baca and Raymundo Lara

 

 

 

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL; CREATING NEW LICENSES FOR SITE ADMINISTRATORS, SUPERINTENDENTS AND OTHER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS; PROVIDING ENHANCED QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS; ENACTING THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR DEVELOPMENT ACT; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES; SETTING CRITERIA; PROVIDING FOR A DELAYED REPEAL OF CURRENT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR LICENSES; AMENDING, REPEALING AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978.

 

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

     SECTION 1. Section 22-10A-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 238, Section 1, as amended by Laws 2023, Chapter 148, Section 3 and by Laws 2023, Chapter 177, Section 1) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the School Personnel Act:

          A. "child abuse" means a child:

                (1) who has suffered or who is at risk of suffering serious harm because of the action or inaction of the child's parent, guardian, custodian or other adult;

                (2) who has suffered physical abuse, emotional abuse or psychological abuse inflicted or caused by the child's parent, guardian, custodian or other adult;

                (3) who has suffered sexual abuse or sexual exploitation inflicted by the child's parent, guardian, custodian or other adult;

                (4) whose parent, guardian, custodian or other adult has knowingly, intentionally or negligently placed the child in a situation that may endanger the child's life or health; or

                (5) whose parent, guardian, custodian or other adult has knowingly or intentionally tortured, cruelly confined or cruelly punished the child;

          B. "constitutional special school" means the

New Mexico military institute, New Mexico school for the deaf and New Mexico school for the blind and visually impaired;

          C. "contractor" means [an individual] a person who is under contract with a public school and is hired to provide services to the public school, but does not include a general contractor or a building or maintenance contractor who is supervised and has no access to students at the public school;

          D. "discharge" means the act of severing the employment relationship with a licensed school employee prior to the expiration of the current employment contract;

          E. "employed for three consecutive school years" means a licensed school employee has been offered and accepted in writing a notice of reemployment for the third consecutive school year;

          F. "ethical misconduct" means the following behavior or conduct by school district personnel, school employees, school volunteers, contractors or contractors' employees:

                (1) discriminatory practice based on race, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, marital status, religion, citizenship, domestic abuse reporting status or serious medical condition;

                (2) sexual misconduct or any sexual offense prohibited by Chapter 30, Article 6A or 9 NMSA 1978 involving an adult or child, regardless of a child's enrollment status;

                (3) fondling a child or student, including touching private body parts, such as breasts, buttocks, genitals, inner thighs, groin or anus; or

                (4) any other behavior, including licentious, enticing or solicitous behavior, that is reasonably apparent to result in inappropriate sexual contact with a child or student or to induce a child or student into engaging in illegal, immoral or other prohibited behavior;

          G. "governing authority" means the policy-setting body of a school district, charter school, constitutional special school or regional education cooperative, or the final decision maker of a state agency that provides educational services to a school-aged person;

          H. "instructional support provider" means a person who is employed to support the instructional program of a public school, including educational assistant, school counselor, social worker, school nurse, speech-language pathologist, psychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, marriage and family therapist, interpreter for the deaf, diagnostician, attendance coach, practical nurse, school health assistant, school business official, rehabilitation counselor, athletic coach, educational alcohol and drug abuse counselor and substance abuse associate;

          I. "just cause" means a reason that is rationally related to a school employee's competence or turpitude or the proper performance of the school employee's duties and that is not in violation of the school employee's civil or constitutional rights;

          J. "military service member" means a person who is:

                (1) serving in the armed forces of the United States as an active duty member or in an active reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard;

                (2) the spouse of a person who is serving in the armed forces of the United States as an active duty member or in an active reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard; or a surviving spouse of a member who at the time of death was serving on active duty; or

                (3) the child of a person who is serving in the armed forces of the United States as an active duty member or in an active reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard; provided that child is also a dependent of that person for federal income tax purposes;

          K. "moral turpitude" means an act or behavior that gravely violates the accepted standards of moral conduct, justice or honesty and may include ethical misconduct;

          L. "public school" means a school district, charter school, constitutional special school, regional education cooperative or the educational program of another state agency;

          [M. "responsibility factor" means a value of 1.25 for an elementary school principal, 1.45 for a middle school or junior high school principal, 1.65 for a high school principal, 1.15 for an assistant elementary school principal, 1.20 for an assistant middle school or assistant junior high school principal and 1.30 for an assistant high school principal;

          N.] M. "sabbatical leave" means leave of absence with pay as approved by the governing authority during all or part of a regular school term for purposes of study or travel related to a licensed school employee's duties and of direct benefit to the instructional program;

          [O.] N. "school administrator" means a person licensed to administer in a school district, charter school, constitutional special school or regional education cooperative or a person employed with another state agency who administers an educational program and includes local superintendents, school principals, central district administrators, business managers, charter school head administrators and state agency education supervisors;

          [P.] O. "school employee" includes licensed and unlicensed employees of a public school;

          [Q.] P. "school premises" means:

                (1) the buildings and grounds, including playgrounds, playing fields and parking areas and a school bus of a public school, in or on which school or school-related activities are being operated under the supervision of a local school board, charter school or state agency; or

                (2) any other public buildings or grounds, including playing fields and parking areas that are not public school property, in or on which public school-related and -sanctioned activities are being performed;

          [R.] Q. "school volunteer" means a person, including a relative of a student, who commits to serve on a regular basis at a school district, charter school or other educational entity without compensation;

          R. "site administrator" means an assistant principal, a principal or a charter school head administrator;

          S. "state agency" means a regional education cooperative or state institution;

          T. "state institution" means the [New Mexico boys' school, girls' welfare home] juvenile detention centers operated by the children, youth and families department, including the New Mexico youth diagnostic and development center; the John Paul Taylor center; the Sequoyah adolescent treatment center; the Carrie Tingley crippled children's hospital; the New Mexico behavioral health institute at Las Vegas; and any other state agency responsible for educating resident children;

          U. "substitute teacher" means a person who holds a certificate to substitute for a teacher in the classroom;

          V. "superintendent" means a local superintendent, head administrator of a charter school or regional education cooperative, superintendent or commandant of a special school or head administrator of the educational program of a state agency;

          W. "teacher" means a person who holds a level one, level two or level three-A license and whose primary job is classroom instruction or the supervision, below the school principal level, of an instructional program or whose duties include curriculum development, peer intervention, peer coaching or mentoring or serving as a resource teacher for other teachers;

          X. "terminate" means the act of severing the employment relationship with a school employee;

          Y. "unsupervised contact with children or students" means access to or contact with, or the opportunity to have access to or contact with, a child or student for any length of time in the absence of:

                (1) a licensed staff person from the same school or institution;

                (2) a school volunteer who has undergone a background check pursuant to Section 22-10A-5 NMSA 1978; or

                (3) any adult relative or guardian of the child or student;

          Z. "veteran" means a person who has received an honorable discharge or separation from military service in the armed forces of the United States or in an active reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard; and

          AA. "working day" means every school calendar day, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays."

     SECTION 2. Section 22-10A-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 34, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-3. LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE REQUIRED--APPLICATION FEE--CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECKS--GENERAL DUTIES.--

          A. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, any person teaching, supervising an instructional program or providing instructional support services in a public school; any person administering in a public school; and any person providing health care and administering medications or performing medical procedures in a public school shall hold a valid license or certificate from the department authorizing the person to perform that function. [This subsection does not apply to a person performing the functions of a practice teacher or teaching intern as defined by the department] A person applying for a license or certificate from the department shall undergo a criminal history record check pursuant to Section 22-10A-5 NMSA 1978. The criminal history record check requirement shall apply to the following applicants:

                (1) applicants for level one licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-7 NMSA 1978;

                (2) applicants for an alternative level one license pursuant to Section 22-10A-8 NMSA 1978;

                (3) applicants for level two licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-10 NMSA 1978;

                (4) applicants for level three licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11 NMSA 1978;

                (5) applicants for an alternative level two or level three license pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.1

NMSA 1978;

                (6) applicants for alternative licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.2 NMSA 1978;

                (7) applicants for level three-B provisional licensure for school principals pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.3 NMSA 1978;

                (8) applicants for level three-B administrator's licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.4 NMSA 1978;

                (9) applicants for provisional site administrator licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.5 NMSA 1978;

                (10) applicants for initial site administrator licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.6 NMSA 1978;

                (11) applicants for professional site administrator licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.7 NMSA 1978;

                (12) applicants for provisional superintendent licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.8 NMSA 1978;

                (13) applicants for superintendent licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-11.9 NMSA 1978;

                [(9)] (14) applicants for licenses granted on the basis of reciprocity pursuant to Section 22-10A-12 NMSA 1978;

                [(10)] (15) applicants for expedited licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-12.1 NMSA 1978;

                [(11)] (16) applicants for Native American language and culture certificates pursuant to Section 22-10A-13 NMSA 1978;

                [(12)] (17) applicants for substitute teacher certificates pursuant to Section 22-10A-15 NMSA 1978;

                [(13)] (18) applicants for instructional support provider [certificates] licenses pursuant to Section 22-10A-17 NMSA 1978;

                [(14)] (19) applicants for educational assistant licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-17.1 NMSA 1978; [and

                (15)] (20) applicants for alternative level three-B licensure pursuant to Section 22-10A-17.2 NMSA 1978; and

                (21) applicants for licensure for student teachers still in a teacher preparation program or a teacher residency pursuant to Section 22-10B-5 NMSA 1978.

          B. In the event that the statutory section numbers referring to the licenses and certificates in Subsection A of this section are amended, the licensure and criminal history record check requirement shall remain in effect for the applicants. The department may require a federal bureau of investigation criminal history record check of a current licensee to analyze whether the department has good and just cause for suspension or revocation of a department-issued license. Applicants and current licensees shall pay the cost of obtaining a federal bureau of investigation criminal history record check. The department shall not share criminal history record check information with another entity unless expressly permitted by applicable federal law or federal regulation.

          C. Except as provided in Subsection D of this section, the department shall charge a reasonable fee for each application for or the renewal of a license or certificate. The application fee may be waived if the applicant meets a standard of indigency established by the department.

          D. No licensing or certificate fee shall be charged for the first three years a license or certificate required by this section is valid if the licensee or certificate holder is a military service member or a veteran.

          E. A person performing the duties of a licensed school employee who does not hold a valid license or certificate or has not submitted a complete application for licensure or certification within the first three months from beginning employment duties shall not be compensated thereafter for services rendered until the person demonstrates that the person holds a valid license or certificate. This section does not apply to practice teachers or teaching interns as defined by rules of the department.

          F. Each licensed school employee shall:

                (1) enforce all laws and rules applicable to the employee's public school;

                (2) if teaching, teach the prescribed courses of instruction;

                (3) exercise supervision over students on public school premises and while the students are under the control of the public school; and

                (4) furnish reports as required."

     SECTION 3. Section 22-10A-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 35, as amended by Laws 2005, Chapter 315, Section 4 and by Laws 2005, Chapter 316, Section 1) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-4. TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS--PROFESSIONAL STATUS--LICENSURE LEVELS--SALARY ALIGNMENT.--

          A. Teaching and school administration are recognized as professions, with all the rights, responsibilities and privileges accorded professions, having their first responsibility to the public they serve. The primary responsibilities of the teaching and [school] site administration professions are to educate the children of this state and to improve the professional practices and ethical conduct of their members.

          B. The New Mexico licensure framework for teachers and school administrators is a progressive career system in which licensees are required to demonstrate increased competencies and undertake increased duties as they progress through the licensure levels. The minimum salary provided as part of the career system shall not take effect until the department has adopted increased competencies for the particular level of licensure and a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation.

          C. A level one license is a provisional license that gives a beginning teacher the opportunity, through a formal mentorship program, for additional preparation to be a quality teacher. A level two license is given to a teacher who is a fully qualified professional who is primarily responsible for ensuring that students meet and exceed department-adopted academic content and performance standards; a teacher may choose to remain at level two for the remainder of the teacher's career. A level three-A license is the highest level of teaching licensure for those teachers who choose to advance as instructional leaders in the teaching profession and undertake greater responsibilities such as curriculum development, peer intervention and mentoring. [A level three-B]

          D. An initial site administrator license is for teachers and instructional support providers who commence a new career path in [school] site administration by becoming [school administrators] assistant school principals, school principals or charter school administrators. A professional site administrator license is given to an assistant school principal, school principal or charter school head administrator who is a fully qualified professional who may choose to remain at this level for the remainder of the assistant school principal's, school principal's or charter school head administrator's career.

          E. A superintendent license is the highest level of administrative licensure for those administrators who choose to undertake the responsibilities of leading a school district. Charter school governing bodies may choose to require head administrators to hold a superintendent license based on the needs of the school.

          [D.] F. All teacher and school administrator salary systems shall be aligned with the licensure framework in a professional educator licensing and salary system.

          [E. All teachers and school administrators who hold teaching or administrator certificates on the effective date of the 2003 act shall meet the requirements for their level of licensure by September 1, 2006 and shall be issued licenses.]

          G. All teachers, instructional support providers and school administrators who hold valid level three-B licenses on July 1, 2028 shall be granted a professional site administrator license.

          H. All school administrators who hold valid level three-B licenses and have worked as local superintendents prior to July 1, 2028 shall be granted a superintendent license."

     SECTION 4. A new section of the School Personnel Act, Section 22-10A-11.5 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10A-11.5. [NEW MATERIAL] PROVISIONAL SITE ADMINISTRATOR LICENSURE.--

          A. A provisional site administrator license is a one-year license granted to a level two or three-A teacher who meets the qualifications for that license.

          B. To qualify for a provisional site administrator license, the candidate shall:

                (1) meet the requirements for a level two or three-A license;

                (2) be enrolled in a department-approved site administrator induction and mentoring program in the school district; and

                (3) be accepted into a department-approved site administrator preparation program.

          C. The provisional license is renewable up to three times upon annual proof of enrollment in a department-approved site administrator preparation program and satisfactory evaluations each year from the school district's mentoring program. After successful completion of the department-approved site administrator preparation program and satisfactory evaluations, the provisional license may be converted to a professional site administrator license if the candidate completes the requirements for that license."

     SECTION 5. A new section of the School Personnel Act, Section 22-10A-11.6 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10A-11.6. [NEW MATERIAL] INITIAL SITE ADMINISTRATOR LICENSE.--

          A. As used in this section, "responsibility factor" means a value of 1.25 for an elementary school principal, 1.45 for a middle school or junior high school principal, 1.65 for a high school principal, 1.15 for an assistant elementary school principal, 1.20 for an assistant middle school or assistant junior high school principal and 1.30 for an assistant high school principal.

          B. An initial site administrator license is a three-year license granted to an applicant who meets the qualifications for that license. Up to two one-year renewals may be granted upon request by the local superintendent.

          C. The department shall grant an initial site administrator license to an applicant who:

                (1) has successfully completed a department-approved site administrator preparation program or an out-of-state council for the accreditation of educator preparation- or association for advancing quality in educator preparation-accredited administrator preparation program and a department-approved clinical experience in New Mexico;

                (2) has at least three years of experience as a teacher or instructional support provider;

                (3) holds a post-baccalaureate degree or national board for professional teaching standards certification; and

                (4) meets any additional requirements as determined by the department.

          D. The minimum annual salary for a licensed site administrator serving as a school principal or assistant school principal is the minimum salary for a level three-A teacher multiplied by the applicable responsibility factor.

          E. The department shall adopt a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation, including data sources linked to student achievement and an educational plan for student success progress, for school principals and assistant school principals and rules for the implementation of that evaluation system linked to the level of responsibility at each school level."

     SECTION 6. A new section of the School Personnel Act, Section 22-10A-11.7 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10A-11.7. [NEW MATERIAL] PROFESSIONAL SITE ADMINISTRATOR LICENSURE.--

          A. A professional site administrator license is a five-year license granted to an applicant who meets the qualifications for that license.

          B. The department shall grant a professional site administrator license to an applicant who:

                (1) holds a post-baccalaureate degree or national board for professional teaching standards certification;

                (2) has successfully completed a department-approved site administrator preparation program;

                (3) has at least one year of experience as a site administrator;

                (4) has successfully completed a department- approved site administrator induction program; and

                (5) meets any additional requirements as determined by the department.

          C. Licenses may be renewed on successful completion of department-required professional development and satisfactory annual performance evaluations."

     SECTION 7. A new section of the School Personnel Act, Section 22-10A-11.8 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10A-11.8. [NEW MATERIAL] PROVISIONAL SUPERINTENDENT LICENSURE.--

          A. A provisional superintendent license is a one-year license granted to an applicant who meets the qualifications for that license. A provisional license may be renewed up to three times with annual proof of enrollment in a department-approved aspiring superintendent academy and the recommendation of an induction coach.

          B. The department shall grant a provisional superintendent license to an applicant who:

                (1) has at least one year of experience as a school administrator;

                (2) is enrolled in a department-approved superintendent induction and mentoring program; and

                (3) meets any additional requirements as determined by the department."

     SECTION 8. A new section of the School Personnel Act, Section 22-10A-11.9 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10A-11.9. [NEW MATERIAL] SUPERINTENDENT LICENSURE.--

          A. A superintendent license is a five-year license granted to an applicant who meets the qualifications for that license.

          B. The department shall grant a superintendent license to an applicant who:

                (1) has at least one year of experience as a site administrator;

                (2) has successfully completed a department-approved aspiring superintendent academy;

                (3) is enrolled in a department-approved superintendent induction and mentoring program, which must be successfully completed before license renewal; and

                (4) meets any additional requirements as determined by the department.

          C. Licenses may be renewed upon successful completion of department-required professional development."

     SECTION 9. A new section of the School Personnel Act, Section 22-10A-11.10 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10A-11.10. [NEW MATERIAL] LICENSURE FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS NOT LICENSED AS SITE ADMINISTRATORS OR SUPERINTENDENTS.--The department may establish new licensure requirements for school administrators who are not licensed as site administrators or superintendents."

     SECTION 10. Section 22-10A-12 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 43, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-12. LIMITED RECIPROCITY.--

          A. A teacher or school principal licensed in another state may be granted a level two, [or] level [three] three-A or site administrator license if the teacher or [school principal] site administrator has teaching experience, demonstrates the required competencies and meets other requirements and qualifications for the license for which the teacher or school principal applies, including clearance of the required background check. The local superintendent may require a mentorship period for the licensee if the superintendent deems it necessary. A teacher or [school principal] site administrator who holds an out-of-state license may apply for a lower level license if the teacher or [school principal] site administrator does not meet the requirements for the higher level.

          B. The department may grant [a level three-B] an initial site administrator license to [a] an out-of-state candidate who does not meet the other requirements and qualifications of that license if the candidate: [has a school administrator license issued in another state and has worked as a school administrator in good standing for at least six years]

                (1) has a standard, valid, unencumbered school administrator license from another state;

                (2) has worked as a site administrator for at least three years;

                (3) has a recent satisfactory performance evaluation;

                (4) is enrolled in a department-approved site administrator induction program; and

                (5) meets other requirements of the department."

     SECTION 11. Section 22-10A-14 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 45, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-14. CERTIFICATES OF WAIVER.--

          A. If a local superintendent or governing authority of a state agency certifies to the department that an emergency exists in the hiring of a qualified person, the department may issue a certificate of teaching waiver or assignment waiver.

          B. The department may issue a certificate of teaching waiver to a person who holds a baccalaureate degree but does not meet other requirements for licensure as a level one teacher. Certificates of teaching waivers are one-year waivers and may be renewed only if the holder provides satisfactory evidence of continued progress toward a level one license.

          C. At the request of a local superintendent, the department may issue a certificate of assignment waiver to a licensed teacher who is assigned to teach outside the teacher's teaching endorsement area. A certificate of assignment waiver may be renewed each school year if the teacher provides satisfactory evidence of continued progress toward meeting the requirements for endorsement.

          D. If a local superintendent or governing authority certifies to the department that an emergency exists in the hiring of a qualified site administrator, the department may issue a certificate of principalship waiver to a person who holds a level two or level three-A license but does not meet the other requirements for a site administrator license. Certificates of principalship waivers are one-year waivers and are not renewable.

          E. If a local school board certifies to the department that an emergency exists in the hiring of a qualified local superintendent, the department may issue a certificate of superintendency waiver to a person who holds a professional site administrator license but does not meet the other requirements for a superintendent license. Certificates of superintendency waivers are one-year waivers and are not renewable."

     SECTION 12. A new section of the Public School Code, Section 22-10D-1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10D-1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--Chapter 22, Article 10D NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "School Administrator Development Act"."

     SECTION 13. A new section of the Public School Code, Section 22-10D-2 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10D-2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the School Administrator Development Act:

          A. "program" means a department-approved school administrator preparation program; and

          B. "site administrator" means a school principal, assistant school principal or charter school head administrator."

     SECTION 14. A new section of the Public School Code, Section 22-10D-3 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

     "22-10D-3. [NEW MATERIAL] STANDARDS-BASED SITE ADMINISTRATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS--REQUIREMENTS--DEPARTMENT APPROVAL.--

          A. A public post-secondary education institution, tribal college or other qualified entity that wants to offer a school administrator preparation program is required to have the program approved by the department in accordance with criteria set forth in the School Administrator Development Act. The department shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of the School Administrator Development Act.

          B. The department shall promulgate rules to establish criteria for programs that include the following research-based features of effective leader preparation programs:

                (1) comprehensive curriculum aligned to national and state standards;

                (2) deliberate candidate recruitment and selection;

                (3) robust clinical experience;

                (4) cohort structure with trained coaches; and

                (5) formal partnerships between programs and school districts and charter schools.

          C. The department shall convene a task force of site administrators, local superintendents and representatives of educator preparation programs to develop common performance tasks and rubrics that shall be completed by applicants for initial or professional site administrator licenses and superintendent licenses.

          D. No later than July 1, 2026, programs shall be approved by the department before enrolling new students seeking site administrator licensure. Students enrolled before the effective date of the School Administrator Development Act may be granted licensure in accordance with existing program approvals.

          E. The department shall provide by rule a process for approving new and revised programs. The department shall consult the professional practices and standards council and publish a manual outlining the requirements for program approval. The process shall be aligned with the School Administrator Development Act and meet the general requirements of the program as determined by the department.

          F. All programs seeking approval pursuant to the School Administrator Development Act, including those approved prior to the effective date of that act, shall submit an application to the department by January 15, 2026. Applications shall provide the information outlined in the school administrator preparation professional practices and standards manual published in accordance with Subsection E of this section.

          G. The department shall monitor program success and candidate outcomes through educator accountability report indicators, including data tracking of graduates through a completer survey issued to all graduates within one year of program completion that measures completers' perception of their own readiness and individual effectiveness in the position, the number of people licensed through each licensure pathway and through each clinical experience type and the number and types of licenses held by each school and school district leader.

          H. Nothing in this section shall preclude the department from establishing or accepting equivalent requirements for the purposes of reciprocal licensure for out-of-state school administrators as provided in Section 22-10A-12 NMSA 1978."

     SECTION 15. DELAYED REPEAL.--Sections 22-10A-11.3, 22-10A-11.4 and 22-10A-17.2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2009, Chapter 117, Section 2, Laws 2015, Chapter 74, Section 2 and Laws 2017, Chapter 68, Section 1, as amended) are repealed effective July 1, 2028.

     SECTION 16. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.

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