HB 330

                                1  HOUSE BILL 330
                                2     57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026
                                3  INTRODUCED BY
                                4  Linda Serrato and Anita Gonzales
                                5
                                6
                                7
                                8
                                9
                                10  AN ACT
                                11   RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; PROVIDING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
                                12   ETHICS AS AN ELECTIVE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE.
                                13
                                14   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
                                15        SECTION 1.    Section 22-13-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986,
                                16   Chapter 33, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:
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                                17        "22-13-1.1.    GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS--NEXT-STEP PLANS.--
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                                18  A.   The purpose of the New Mexico diploma of
                                19   excellence is to demonstrate that a student is ready for
                                20   success in post-secondary education, gainful employment and
                                21   citizenship and is equipped with the skills to be a lifelong
                                22   learner.    The purpose of the state's minimum graduation
                                23   requirements is to establish rigorous expectations to support
                                24   that success.
                                25  B.   School districts and charter schools are
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                                1    encouraged to make available courses and programs of study that
                                2    allow students to pursue a range of post-secondary
                                3    opportunities and workforce opportunities and gain knowledge in
                                4    entrepreneurship principles, as determined by the student's
                                5    next-step plan and the school district's or charter school's
                                6    graduate profile.
                                7  C.    At the end of grades eight through eleven, each
                                8    student shall prepare an interim next-step plan that sets forth
                                9    the coursework for the grades remaining until high school
                                10   graduation.      Each year's plan shall be aligned to the graduate
                                11   profile of the student's school district or charter school,
                                12   shall be completed on a department-approved template, shall
                                13   explain any differences from previous interim next-step plans,
                                14   shall be filed with the principal of the student's high school
                                15   and shall be signed by the student, the student's parent and
                                16   the student's guidance counselor or other school official
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                                17   charged with coursework planning for the student.
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                                18  D.    Each student must complete a final next-step
                                19   plan during the senior year and prior to graduation.     The plan
                                20   shall be aligned to the graduate profile of the student's
                                21   school district or charter school, shall be completed on a
                                22   department-approved template, shall be filed with the principal
                                23   of the student's high school and shall be signed by the
                                24   student, the student's parent and the student's guidance
                                25   counselor or other school official charged with coursework
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                                1    planning for the student.
                                2  E.   An individualized education plan that meets the
                                3    requirements of Subsections C and D of this section and that
                                4    meets all applicable transition and procedural requirements of
                                5    the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for a
                                6    student with a disability shall satisfy the next-step plan
                                7    requirements of this section for that student.
                                8  F.   A local school board or governing body of a
                                9    charter school shall ensure that each high school student
                                10   develops a next-step plan based on reports of college and
                                11   workplace readiness assessments, as available, and other
                                12   factors and is reasonably informed about:
                                13  (1)   curricular and course options, including
                                14   honors or advanced placement courses, international
                                15   baccalaureate courses, dual-credit courses, distance learning
                                16   courses, career clusters and career pathways, pre-
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                                17   apprenticeship programs or remediation programs that the
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                                18   college and workplace readiness assessments indicate to be
                                19   appropriate;
                                20  (2)   opportunities available that lead to
                                21   different post-high-school options; and
                                22  (3)   alternative opportunities available if the
                                23   student does not finish a planned curriculum.
                                24  G.   The secretary shall:
                                25  (1)   establish specific accountability
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                                1    standards for administrators, counselors, teachers and other
                                2    appropriate school district or charter school employees to
                                3    ensure that every student has the opportunity to develop a
                                4    next-step plan;
                                5  (2)   promulgate rules for accredited private
                                6    schools in order to ensure substantial compliance with the
                                7    provisions of this section;
                                8  (3)   monitor compliance with the requirements
                                9    of this section; and
                                10  (4)   compile such information as is necessary
                                11   to evaluate the success of next-step plans and report annually,
                                12   by December 15, to the legislative education study committee
                                13   and the governor.
                                14  H.   Once a student has entered ninth grade, the
                                15   graduation requirements shall not be changed for that student
                                16   from the requirements specified in the law at the time the
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                                17   student entered ninth grade.
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                                18  I.   For students entering the ninth grade beginning
                                19   in the 2009-2010 school year, at least one of the units
                                20   required for graduation shall be earned as an advanced
                                21   placement or honors course, a dual-credit course offered in
                                22   cooperation with an institution of higher education or a
                                23   distance learning course.
                                24  J.   The department shall establish a procedure for
                                25   students to be awarded credit through completion of specified
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                                1    career technical education for certain graduation requirements,
                                2    and districts may choose to allow students who successfully
                                3    complete an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a
                                4    degree to receive additional weight in the calculation of the
                                5    student's grade point average.
                                6  K.   Successful completion of the requirements of the
                                7    New Mexico diploma of excellence shall be required for
                                8    graduation for students entering the ninth grade beginning in
                                9    the 2009-2010 school year.    Successful completion of a minimum
                                10   of twenty-four units aligned to the state academic content and
                                11   performance standards shall be required to earn a New Mexico
                                12   diploma of excellence.    These units shall be as follows:
                                13  (1)   four units in English, with major emphasis
                                14   on grammar, nonfiction writing and literature; provided that
                                15   department-approved work-based training or career and technical
                                16   education courses that meet state English academic content
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                                17   performance standards shall qualify as one of the four required
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                                18   English units;
                                19  (2)   four units in mathematics, of which one
                                20   shall be the equivalent to or higher than the level of algebra
                                21   2, unless the parent submitted written, signed permission for
                                22   the student to complete a lesser mathematics unit; and provided
                                23   that a financial literacy course or department-approved work-
                                24   based training or career and technical education course that
                                25   meets state mathematics academic content and performance
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                                1    standards shall qualify as one of the four required mathematics
                                2    units;
                                3  (3)   three units in science, two of which shall
                                4    have a laboratory component; provided that department-approved
                                5    work-based training or career and technical education courses
                                6    that meet state science academic content and performance
                                7    standards shall qualify as one of the three required science
                                8    units;
                                9  (4)   three and one-half units in social
                                10   science, which shall include United States history and
                                11   geography, world history and geography, government and
                                12   economics and one-half unit of New Mexico history;
                                13  (5)   one unit in physical education, as
                                14   determined by each school district or charter school, which may
                                15   include a physical education program that meets state content
                                16   and performance standards or participation in marching band,
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                                17   junior reserve officers' training corps or interscholastic
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                                18   sports sanctioned by the New Mexico activities association or
                                19   any other co-curricular physical activity;
                                20  (6)   one unit in one of the following:    a
                                21   career cluster course, workplace readiness or a language other
                                22   than English; and
                                23  (7)   seven and one-half elective units that
                                24   meet department content and performance standards.   Career and
                                25   technical education courses shall be offered as an elective.
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                                1    Student service learning shall be offered as an elective.
                                2    Financial literacy shall be offered as an elective.     Pre-
                                3    apprenticeship programs may be offered as electives.      Media
                                4    literacy may be offered as an elective.
                                5  L.   For students entering the eighth grade in the
                                6    2012-2013 school year, one-half unit in health education is
                                7    required prior to graduation.     Health education may be required
                                8    in either middle school or high school, as determined by the
                                9    school district or charter school.      Health education courses
                                10   shall include:
                                11  (1)   age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault
                                12   awareness and prevention training that meets department
                                13   standards developed in consultation with the federal centers
                                14   for disease control and prevention that are based on evidence-
                                15   based methods that have proven to be effective; and
                                16  (2)   lifesaving skills training that follows
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                                17   nationally recognized guidelines for hands-on psychomotor
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                                18   skills cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.      Students shall
                                19   be trained to recognize the signs of a heart attack, use an
                                20   automated external defibrillator and perform the Heimlich
                                21   maneuver for choking victims.     The secretary shall promulgate
                                22   rules to provide for the:
                                23  (a)   use of the following instructors for
                                24   the training provided pursuant to this paragraph:      1) school
                                25   nurses, health teachers and athletic department personnel as
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                                1    instructors; and 2) any qualified persons volunteering to
                                2    provide training at no cost to the school district or charter
                                3    school that the school district or charter school determines to
                                4    be eligible to offer instruction pursuant to this paragraph;
                                5    and
                                6  (b)   approval of training and
                                7    instructional materials related to the training established
                                8    pursuant to this paragraph in both English and Spanish.
                                9  M.   For students entering the ninth grade in the
                                10   2017-2018 school year and subsequent school years:
                                11  (1)   one of the units in mathematics required
                                12   by Paragraph (2) of Subsection K of this section may comprise a
                                13   computer science course if the course is not used to satisfy
                                14   any part of the requirement set forth in Paragraph (3) of that
                                15   subsection; and
                                16  (2)   one of the units in science required by
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                                17   Paragraph (3) of Subsection K of this section may comprise a
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                                18   computer science course if the course is not used to satisfy
                                19   any part of the requirement set forth in Paragraph (2) of that
                                20   subsection.
                                21  N.   Final examinations shall be administered to all
                                22   students in all classes offered for credit.
                                23  O.   Beginning with students entering the ninth grade
                                24   in the 2025-2026 school year, successful completion of a
                                25   minimum of twenty-four units aligned to the state academic
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                                1    content and performance standards shall be required for
                                2    graduation and the award of a diploma of excellence.    These
                                3    units shall be as follows:
                                4  (1)     four units in English, which shall include
                                5    a three-unit sequence; provided that department-approved work-
                                6    based learning, career technical education or English language
                                7    development courses that meet state English or English language
                                8    development academic content and performance standards may
                                9    qualify as required English units;
                                10  (2)     four units in mathematics, two of which
                                11   shall include a sequence of algebra 1 and geometry or another
                                12   integrated pathway of mathematics equivalent to algebra 1 and
                                13   geometry; provided that financial literacy courses or
                                14   department-approved work-based learning or career technical
                                15   education courses that meet state mathematics academic content
                                16   and performance standards may qualify as required mathematics
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                                17   units; and provided further that algebra 2 shall be offered as
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                                18   a mathematics course;
                                19  (3)     three units in science, two of which shall
                                20   have a laboratory component; provided that department-approved
                                21   work-based learning or career technical education courses that
                                22   meet state science academic content and performance standards
                                23   may qualify as required science units;
                                24  (4)     four units in social science, which shall
                                25   include United States history and geography, which course
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                                1    content contains New Mexico history; government and economics
                                2    and personal financial literacy, which course content contains
                                3    civics; and world history and geography;
                                4  (5)   one unit in physical education, as
                                5    determined by the school district or charter school, which may
                                6    include a physical education program that meets state academic
                                7    content and performance standards or participation in marching
                                8    band, dance programs, junior reserve officers' training corps
                                9    or interscholastic sports sanctioned by the New Mexico
                                10   activities association or any other co-curricular physical
                                11   activity;
                                12  (6)   one-half unit in health education;
                                13   provided that this one-half unit may be earned in either middle
                                14   or high school;
                                15  (7)   five and one-half elective units that meet
                                16   department academic content and performance standards and that
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                                17   shall include a two-unit pathway concentration of the student's
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                                18   choice in a language other than English, including American
                                19   sign language; fine arts; health; military career preparation;
                                20   a career technical education program; or community or service
                                21   learning, a capstone course or work-based learning; provided
                                22   that financial literacy, computer science, student service
                                23   learning, career technical education courses and a sequence of
                                24   languages other than English shall be offered as electives; and
                                25   provided further that media literacy and pre-apprenticeship
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                                1    programs may be offered as electives; and
                                2  (8)   two units set by each local school board
                                3    or governing body of a charter school that meet department
                                4    academic content and performance standards.
                                5  P.   If a high school student who has taken one or
                                6    both units provided in Paragraph (8) of Subsection O of this
                                7    section moves from one school district or charter school to
                                8    another, the receiving school district or charter school shall
                                9    accept those earned units toward the student's graduation.
                                10  Q.   For students entering the ninth grade in the
                                11   2025-2026 school year, one-half unit of health education is
                                12   required prior to graduation.    Health education courses shall
                                13   include:
                                14  (1)   age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault
                                15   awareness and prevention training that meets department
                                16   standards developed in consultation with the federal centers
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                                17   for disease control and prevention that are based on evidence-
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                                18   based methods that have proven to be effective; and
                                19  (2)   lifesaving skills training that follows
                                20   nationally recognized guidelines for hands-on psychomotor
                                21   skills cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.    Students shall
                                22   be trained to recognize the signs of a heart attack, use an
                                23   automated external defibrillator and perform the Heimlich
                                24   maneuver for choking victims.    The secretary shall promulgate
                                25   rules to provide for the:
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                                1  (a)   use of the following instructors for
                                2    the training provided pursuant to this paragraph:  1) school
                                3    nurses, health teachers and athletic department personnel as
                                4    instructors; and 2) any qualified persons volunteering to
                                5    provide training at no cost to the school district that the
                                6    school district determines to be eligible to offer instruction
                                7    pursuant to this paragraph; and
                                8  (b)   approval of training and
                                9    instructional materials related to the training established
                                10   pursuant to this paragraph in both English and Spanish.
                                11  R.   Beginning with students entering the ninth grade
                                12   in the 2026-2027 school year, ethics of artificial intelligence
                                13   shall be offered as a computer science elective.
                                14  [R.] S.      Nothing in the minimum graduation
                                15   requirements specified in Subsection O of this section affects:
                                16  (1)    a school district's or charter school's
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                                17   authority to require more units for graduation than provided in
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                                18   this section; or
                                19  (2)    a student's opportunity to take advanced
                                20   placement or honors courses, international baccalaureate
                                21   courses or distance learning courses offered by the public
                                22   school or dual credit courses offered in cooperation with
                                23   institutions of higher education.
                                24  [S.] T.      Subject to the department's academic
                                25   content and performance standards and other provisions of this
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                                1    section, every school district and charter school shall develop
                                2    a graduate profile:
                                3  (1)    that is specific to each community;
                                4  (2)    that articulates the core academic
                                5    competencies and subjects that are key to graduates' post-high-
                                6    school success; and
                                7  (3)    to which required units are aligned.
                                8  [T.] U.    Units earned in health, algebra 1 and
                                9    geometry prior to enrolling in high school shall satisfy unit
                                10   requirements required to earn a New Mexico diploma of
                                11   excellence.
                                12  [U.] V.    The department shall adopt and promulgate
                                13   rules to implement graduation requirements by no later than
                                14   December 31, 2024.     The rules shall include revisions to expand
                                15   course offerings so that students have access to a range of
                                16   rigorous academic options and career technical education
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                                17   courses and to establish guidance for the development of
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                                18   graduate profiles.
                                19  [V.] W.    As used in this section:
                                20  (1)    "capstone course" means a multifaceted
                                21   academic and intellectual experience that may take a wide
                                22   variety of forms and that culminates in a final product,
                                23   performance or presentation explaining how the final product,
                                24   performance or presentation explicates the chosen course to an
                                25   evaluation panel convened by the public school to evaluate the
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                                1    quality of course and the final product, performance or
                                2    presentation;
                                3  (2)   "career technical education" means
                                4    organized programs offering a sequence of courses, including
                                5    technical education and applied technology education, that are
                                6    directly related to the preparation of students for paid or
                                7    unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring
                                8    an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a degree;
                                9  (3)   "career technical education course" means
                                10   a course with content that provides technical knowledge, skills
                                11   and competency-based applied learning and that aligns with
                                12   educational standards and expectations as defined in rule;
                                13  (4)   "career cluster" means a grouping of
                                14   occupations in industry sectors based on recognized
                                15   commonalities that provide an organizing tool for developing
                                16   instruction within the educational system;
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                                17  (5)   "career pathways" means a sub-grouping
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                                18   used as an organizing tool for curriculum design and
                                19   instruction of occupations and career specialities that share a
                                20   set of common knowledge and skills for career success;
                                21  (6)   "final next-step plan" means a next-step
                                22   plan that shows that the student has committed or intends to
                                23   commit in the near future to a four-year college or university,
                                24   a two-year college, a trade or vocational program, an
                                25   internship or apprenticeship, military service or a job;
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                                1  (7)    "graduate profile" means a document that a
                                2    school district or charter school uses to specify the
                                3    cognitive, personal and interpersonal competencies that
                                4    students should have when they graduate;
                                5  (8)    "interim next-step plan" means an annual
                                6    next-step plan in which the student specifies post-high-school
                                7    goals and sets forth the coursework that will allow the student
                                8    to achieve those goals; and
                                9  (9)    "next-step plan" means an annual personal
                                10   written plan of studies developed by a student in a public
                                11   school or other state-supported school or institution in
                                12   consultation with the student's parent and school counselor or
                                13   other school official charged with coursework planning for the
                                14   student that includes one or more of the following:
                                15  (a)   advanced placement, international
                                16   baccalaureate or honors courses;
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                                17  (b)   dual-credit courses offered in
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                                18   cooperation with an institution of higher education;
                                19  (c)   distance learning courses;
                                20  (d)   career technical education or work-
                                21   based learning courses; and
                                22  (e)   pre-apprenticeship programs.
                                23  [W.] X.    The secretary may establish a policy to
                                24   provide for administrative interpretations to clarify
                                25   curricular and testing provisions of the Public School Code."
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