This bill amends existing statutes related to public education in New Mexico, specifically focusing on enhancing safety and support services for multicultural students. Key changes include the establishment of an online portal for reporting racially motivated incidents and racialized aggression involving students or school personnel, replacing the previous hotline system. The bill broadens the elements of discrimination or disparate treatment that are subject to discipline, explicitly prohibiting such actions based on a student's race, religion, culture, disability, home language, gender, family income level, and the use of protective hairstyles or cultural/religious headdresses. Additionally, it mandates that all school discipline policies include a specific prohibition against racialized aggression and ensures that reports made through the online portal are not considered public records.

Furthermore, the bill revises the requirements for bilingual multicultural education programs to emphasize the use of home or heritage languages as mediums of instruction, while also ensuring that English is used when necessary to improve proficiency. It also establishes the Hispanic Education Advisory Council to advise on improving educational outcomes for Hispanic students and creates a Black Education Liaison within the department to focus on issues related to Black education. The liaison will assist in developing public policy and improving educational outcomes for Black students, while also maintaining resources and information on the department's website. Overall, the bill aims to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students in New Mexico.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 22-23-6, 22-23B-2, 22-23B-5, 22-23C-5