SENATE BILL 324

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Benny Shendo, Jr.

AN ACT

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; CREATING THE NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIAL WORK STUDIES INSTITUTE AT NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY--NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIAL WORK STUDIES INSTITUTE CREATED.--

          A. The "Native American social work studies institute" is created at the Albuquerque campus of New Mexico highlands university. The purpose of the institute is to invigorate the social work system for Native Americans in New Mexico and to prepare social work professionals, both Native American and non-Native American, for work in Native American communities on- and off-reservation.

          B. The institute will serve as the incubator for the development of a Native American core sequence of social work courses by:

                (1) identifying methodologies and practices that yield positive outcomes and reveal integrative planes of practice across Native American programs;

                (2) identifying core elements of practice for construction of the core sequence of courses;

                (3) serving as a resource and library for Native American life ways and indigenous practice;

                (4) establishing a six-member curriculum committee comprised of Apache, Navajo and Pueblo social workers; and

                (5) identifying and fostering development of Native American faculty to teach native content courses.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of New Mexico highlands university for expenditure in fiscal year 2016 to create the Native American social work studies institute at the Albuquerque campus of the university. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2016 shall revert to the general fund.

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