Education

HB 120 limits the use of physical restraint and seclusion in New Mexico public schools. It bans chemical, mechanical, prone restraint, and unsupervised seclusion, allowing physical restraint or seclusion only when a student poses imminent serious harm and less restrictive options fail. Schools must train staff in de-escalation and positive behavior strategies, document all restraint/seclusion use, and create safety plans with input from special education experts. The bill directly affects all public school students in New Mexico by restricting potentially harmful interventions and requiring staff to prioritize safer alternatives.

This procedural memorial (HM 4) requests the Legislative Finance Committee to study health insurance access for public higher education educators and graduate student employees across New Mexico's public universities. The study will examine current coverage gaps - such as UNM being the only institution providing employer-funded medical insurance for graduate students - and evaluate options for expanding medical, dental, and vision coverage, including fiscal impacts and workforce effects, with a report due by October 2026.

HB 253 requires New Mexico school districts and charter schools to report projected enrollment numbers for students in distance learning programs. It changes school funding calculations by excluding distance learning students from membership counts used to determine state funding, and establishes a new approval process for these programs requiring state education department review. The bill also sets enrollment limits for distance learning with specific exceptions, clarifies requirements for students with disabilities in such programs, and renames the "Statewide Cyber Academy Act" as the "Distance Learning Act" while updating related definitions. These changes directly affect school districts, charter schools, and students enrolled in distance learning programs.