This bill amends existing statutes related to public education in New Mexico, specifically focusing on enhancing safety and support services for multicultural students. It broadens the elements of discrimination or disparate treatment that are subject to discipline within school policies. 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 also expands the list of characteristics that cannot be used as a basis for discipline, discrimination, or disparate treatment to include disability, home language, gender, family income level, and the use of protective hairstyles or cultural/religious headdresses.

Additionally, the bill revises the requirements for bilingual multicultural education programs to ensure they use the home or heritage language as a medium of instruction alongside English, emphasizing the importance of cultural history and parental involvement. It also creates a Black education liaison within the department to focus on issues related to Black education and improve educational outcomes for Black students. The liaison will maintain an online reporting portal for incidents of racism or racial discrimination, ensuring that submissions are not public records. Overall, the bill aims to foster 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