HOUSE BILL 85

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021

INTRODUCED BY

Derrick J. Lente and Georgene Louis and D. Wonda Johnson and Patricia Roybal Caballero

AN ACT

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR NEW MEXICO TRIBES, NATIONS AND PUEBLOS TO RESPOND TO THE CONSOLIDATED YAZZIE/MARTINEZ V. STATE OF NEW MEXICO LAWSUIT.

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

     SECTION 1. APPROPRIATIONS.--

          A. The following amounts are appropriated from the general fund to the Indian affairs department for expenditure in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 for the following purposes:

                (1) five million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($5,750,000) for tribal departments of education to build capacity to fully develop and implement education blueprints and governance structures to serve New Mexico's Native American students, to engage in collaborations with schools and school districts and to plan community-based education programs and social support services for Native American students, expended as follows:

                     (a) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for each pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Mescalero Apache Tribe; and

                     (b) five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico;

                (2) three million four hundred thousand dollars ($3,400,000) for tribal departments of education to develop early childhood culturally and linguistically relevant curriculum and materials, to design culturally and linguistically relevant assessment tools and culturally appropriate student, teacher and program evaluation instruments, to conduct needs assessments of early childhood education facilities and to develop plans for constructing needed facilities, expended as follows:

                     (a) one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for each pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Mescalero Apache Tribe; and

                     (b) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico;

                (3) five million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($5,750,000) for tribal libraries to develop and staff culturally and linguistically relevant after-school, extended student services and community-based summer school programs, expended as follows:

                     (a) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for each pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Mescalero Apache Tribe; and

                     (b) five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico;

                (4) three million four hundred thousand dollars ($3,400,000) for Native language programs to plan and develop programs; recruit, train and certify language teachers; provide staff development; coordinate curriculum and materials development; develop culturally and linguistically appropriate student, teacher, program assessments and evaluation, expended as follows:

                     (a) one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for each pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Mescalero Apache Tribe; and

                     (b) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico; and

                (5) three million four hundred thousand dollars ($3,400,000) to create, develop and staff information technology departments to increase support network operations and user access to high speed internet connections for tribal education departments and other tribal education entities, including language programs, schools and educational centers; and to create information technology internships to grow tribal information technology workforces, expended as follows:

                     (a) one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for each pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Mescalero Apache Tribe; and

                     (b) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.

          B. One million dollars ($1,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of the university of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 for the indigenous design and planning institute at the school of architecture and planning to prepare a statewide, long-range information technology comprehensive plan for tribal communities, tribal libraries, tribal education resource centers, tribal schools, Native American charter schools and Indian impacted school districts, including tribal case studies, a demographic study of Native American students, inventories of local technology infrastructure and a survey of existing information technology facilities and staff, in order to plan the provision of secure, reliable and distributed internet connections necessary for instruction, materials delivery and linking technologies.

          C. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2023 shall revert to the general fund.

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