SCHOOL-AGE APPROPRIATE FILTERING PROJECT

SB 49 creates a three-year pilot program in New Mexico public schools to test a voluntary rating system for library materials based on age-appropriateness. Participating school districts and charter schools must implement the rating system, publish rated materials for parents, and administer a department-approved survey to measure parent engagement and trust. Each selected school receives $25,000 upon selection and another $25,000 after completing the survey phase, with $3.21 million allocated from the public education reform fund for the project. The program requires geographic diversity in participant selection and mandates annual reports to the legislative education committee, focusing on evaluating how the rating system impacts parent-school relationships.