HOUSE BILL 447

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. Trujillo and Andrea Romero

AN ACT

RELATING TO CHILD SAFETY; REQUIRING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT TO WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM TO TRACK CHILDREN MOVING BETWEEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT SERVICES; REQUIRING THE SYSTEM TO BE USABLE BY BOTH DEPARTMENTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO TRACK CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN; CREATING A TASK FORCE; REQUIRING THE EXPERTISE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; CLARIFYING THAT THE STUDENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ASSIGNED TO EACH STUDENT REQUIRED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE IS A UNIQUE NUMBER AND SHALL NEVER BE USED FOR ANOTHER STUDENT.

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

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] STUDENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER UNIQUE TO THAT STUDENT.--The student identification number required pursuant to Section 22-2C-11 NMSA 1978 shall be unique to each student and shall not be used or assigned to another student. That number shall be on all forms, student records, transcripts and databases in which a student is identified by name. A student shall be assigned only one identification number. It shall be the responsibility of every school district and charter school in the state to determine if the student has ever enrolled previously in a public school in New Mexico, and school districts and charter schools shall use the original student identification number."

     SECTION 2. TEMPORARY PROVISIONS--COMPATIBLE TRACKING SYSTEM BETWEEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT--TASK FORCE--MEMBERSHIP--DIRECTIVE--DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE.--

          A. The public education department and the children, youth and families department shall develop a compatible student-child tracking system that is usable among public schools, the public education department and the children, youth and families department and local offices. The departments shall consider if there are other users that should be included in the system.

          B. The departments shall convene a task force of public school personnel; school and children, youth and families department social workers; juvenile probation and parole personnel; children's court judges or their designees; and child advocates. The task force, with the assistance of systems analysts from the two departments and the department of information technology, shall develop the tracking system. Task force members shall be appointed by the secretaries of public education and children, youth and families.

          C. The task force shall work to develop a tracking system that:

                (1) provides for real-time reporting; and

                (2) allows for the cross-checking of the student identification number assigned by a New Mexico public school pursuant to Section 22-2C-11 NMSA 1978, the uniform case number required by Section 32A-20-1 NMSA 1978 for neglected and abused children and any other identification numbers used by the children, youth and families department for other children it serves.

          D. The task force shall report to the legislative education study committee with its design and recommendations for implementation of the tracking system by December 1, 2019.

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