The bill amends the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act to enhance the eligibility criteria for state financial support for bilingual multicultural education programs. It stipulates that to qualify for funding, programs must either use a home or heritage language as the primary medium of instruction or adopt a department-approved language revitalization instruction model aimed at preserving at-risk heritage languages. Additionally, the bill emphasizes the need for programs to cater to culturally and linguistically different students, particularly in the early grades, and to include instruction on the history and cultures associated with the languages used in the program.

Key changes include the removal of previous requirements for programs to use two languages as mediums of instruction and the introduction of new provisions that require the establishment of a parent advisory committee representative of the students' language and culture. The bill also mandates that programs provide parents with adequate notice regarding their ability to place students in the program, ensuring greater transparency and involvement in the educational process. Overall, these amendments aim to strengthen bilingual education and support the linguistic and cultural needs of diverse student populations in New Mexico.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 22-23-6