46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR A TRUANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM WITHIN THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT--ADDITIONAL DUTIES--TRUANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM.--

A. The children, youth and families department shall establish and implement a truancy prevention program. Upon application of a community-based truancy agency, the department may award a grant that is intended to reduce and prevent repeated school absences by combating the root causes of truancy. The application and the grant award shall include such provisions as the department deems necessary to ensure compliance with the intent of the program, provided that:

(1) a grant award shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000);

(2) a grant award shall be contingent upon an equal matching amount to be contributed to the program by the community-based truancy agency;

(3) the application and the contract awarding the grant shall explain in detail how the community-based truancy agency will use the money to track students, communicate with parents, make telephone and house calls and, if necessary, prosecute parents who abuse their children by keeping them out of school; and

(4) the application and the contract awarding the grant shall explain in detail how the community-based truancy agency will work with local school districts, law enforcement agencies, courts and juvenile authorities in implementing the program.

B. Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall reflect the ethnic, cultural, economic and geographic diversity of New Mexico.

C. The department shall promulgate such rules concerning application requirements, reporting requirements and program monitoring as are necessary to ensure compliance with the intent of this section.

D. The department shall report annually to the governor and the legislature on the truancy prevention program. The report shall include information on each grant awarded, school attendance rates, reporting and monitoring activities and such other information as is necessary for the governor and legislature to measure the results of the program.

E. As used in this section, "community-based truancy agency" means a program or unit within the following that has as its purpose the reduction or prevention of truancy:

(1) a municipality or county;

(2) a school district;

(3) a local law enforcement agency;

(4) a district, magistrate or municipal court;

(5) a district or city attorney;

(6) a local juvenile authority; or

(7) a consortium of two or more of the above agencies.

Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--One million dollars ($1,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the children, youth and families department for expenditure in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 for the purpose of making grant awards pursuant to the provisions of this act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2005 shall revert to the general fund.