The bill aims to enhance the protection of minors from sexually explicit material in public schools by prohibiting such content in curricula, instruction, and extracurricular activities. It introduces a new section to the Public School Code that defines "sexual education and biology material" and "sexually explicit material," outlining specific types of content that are deemed inappropriate. The bill mandates that school employees, contractors, and volunteers are prohibited from knowingly providing or recommending sexually explicit material to students. Violations of these provisions could lead to termination, revocation of licenses, or fines for school districts and charter schools.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 30-37-5 NMSA 1978 by removing certain exclusions and defenses related to the crimes enumerated in Chapter 30, Article 37. The amendments clarify that reasonable belief regarding a minor's age or parental accompaniment will no longer serve as defenses against violations of the law concerning sexually explicit material. The effective date for the provisions of this act is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 30-37-5