HOUSE BILL 488

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

INTRODUCED BY

E. Diane Torres-Velásquez and Linda M. López

and Patricia Roybal Caballero and Yanira Gurrola

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; PROVIDING THAT BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION SHALL USE STUDENTS' HOME OR HERITAGE LANGUAGE.

 

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

     SECTION 1. Section 22-23-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1973, Chapter 285, Section 6, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-23-6. BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS--ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT.--

          A. To be eligible for state financial support, each bilingual multicultural education program shall:

                (1) provide for the educational needs of linguistically and culturally different students, including Native American children and other students who may wish to participate, in grades kindergarten through twelve, with priority to be given to programs in grades kindergarten through three, in a district;

                (2) fund programs for culturally and linguistically different students in the state in grades kindergarten through three for which there is an identifiable need to improve the language capabilities of both English and the home language of these students before funding programs at higher grade levels;

                [(3) use two languages as mediums of instruction for any part or all of the curriculum of the grade levels within the program;]

                (3) use the home or heritage language as the medium of instruction for any part or all of the curriculum of the grade levels within the program and use English for an additional part within the program when there is an identifiable need to improve the students' English language proficiency;

                (4) use teachers who have specialized in elementary or secondary education and who have received specialized training in bilingual education [conducted through the use of two languages]. These teachers or other trained personnel shall administer language proficiency assessments in both English and in the home or heritage language until proficiency in each language is achieved;

                (5) emphasize the history and cultures associated with the students' home or heritage language;

                (6) establish a parent advisory committee, representative of the language and culture of the students, to assist and advise in the development, implementation and evaluation of the bilingual multicultural education program; and

                (7) provide procedures to ensure that parental notification is given annually prior to bilingual multicultural education program placement.

          B. Each bilingual multicultural education program shall meet each requirement of Subsection A of this section and be approved by the department to be eligible for state financial support."

- 3 -