HOUSE BILL 304

46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2004

INTRODUCED BY

Rick Miera

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL; PROVIDING A THREE-TIERED CAREER LICENSING FRAMEWORK FOR EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS; PROVIDING FOR MINIMUM SALARIES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

     Section 1. A new section of the School Personnel Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS--THREE-TIERED LICENSING FRAMEWORK--QUALIFICATIONS--MINIMUM SALARIES.--

          A. A level one educational assistant license is a three-year license for beginning educational assistants that requires an annual intensive performance evaluation by a teacher or school administrator and required professional development, as determined by the department, for at least three full school years before applying for another level of license. An applicant for a level one educational assistant license shall:

                (1) be at least eighteen years of age;

                (2) have a high school diploma or its equivalent;

                (3) show satisfactory evidence of having completed a school district-level orientation; and

                (4) pass a department-approved test for paraprofessionals.

          B. A level two educational assistant license is a nine-year license for educational assistants who annually demonstrate essential competency to perform their duties and who meet professional development requirements as determined by the department.

          C. A level three-A educational assistant license is a nine-year license for educational assistants who annually demonstrate essential competency to perform their duties and who meet professional development requirements as determined by the department. An applicant for a level three-A educational assistant license shall have completed at least forty-eight hours of a bachelor's degree or have an associate's degree, either of which includes at least fifteen hours of basic skills, and have practiced as a level two educational assistant for at least three years.

          D. A level three-B educational assistant license is a nine-year license for educational assistants who annually demonstrate essential competency to perform their duties and who meet professional development requirements as determined by the department. An applicant for a level three-B educational assistant license shall hold a bachelor's or higher degree and have practiced as a level two educational assistant for at least three years.

          E. The minimum salaries for each licensure level are:

                (1) for level one educational assistants, twelve thousand dollars ($12,000);

                (2) for level two educational assistants, fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000);

                (3) for level three-A educational assistants, twenty thousand dollars ($20,000); and

                (4) for level three-B educational assistants, twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)."

     Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--Eight million two hundred ten thousand dollars ($8,210,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state equalization guarantee distribution for expenditure in fiscal year 2005 to fund the first year of the educational assistant licensure framework and to bring all educational assistants to a minimum salary of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000). Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2005 shall revert to the general fund.

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