New Mexico Register / Volume XXIX,
Issue 10 / May 29, 2018
Notice of proposed rulemaking
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the New Mexico
Higher Education Department (NMHED or department) will hold a public rulemaking
hearing on June 29, 2018. The hearing will
begin at 11:00 a.m. and will be held at NMHED located at 2044 Galisteo Street,
Suite 4, Santa Fe, NM 87505. The purpose of the rulemaking hearing is to
take public comment regarding proposed amendments to 5.7.6 NMAC - FIRE FIGHTER
AND PEACE OFFICER SURVIVORS SCHOLARSHIP.
Amendments:
5.7.6.2 NMAC, SCOPE
5.7.6.7 NMAC, definitions;
5.7.6.9 NMAC, DURATION OF
SCHOLARSHIP;
5.7.6.10 NMAC, AMOUNT OF
SCHOLARSHIP;
5.7.6.11 NMAC,
ADMINISTRATION OF FIRE FIGHTER AND PEACE OFFICER SURVIVORS SCHOLARSHIP;
5.7.6.12 NMAC, TERMINATION
OF SCHOLARSHIP
Purpose:
The
purpose of the proposed rule change is to modify eligibility requirements for
the Fire Fighter and Peace Officer Survivors Scholarship. The proposed amendments are based upon
changes that were made to the program through the signing of House Bill 55 in
the 2018 regular New Mexico legislative session. The program was modified to statutorily
expand benefits covered by the scholarship.
The program was statutorily modified to increase benefit eligibility to
a term of six years.
Summary of
proposed changes:
Amendment
to 5.7.6.2 NMAC modifies the scope to align with new statutory requirements.
Amendments
to 5.7.6.7 NMAC modify the definition of cost of attendance and research
institution according to the statutory changes. Any defined terms that are not
used within the body of the rule were removed.
Amendments
to 5.7.6.9 NMAC modify the duration of the scholarship term from five to six
academic years, pursuant to statutory changes.
Amendments
to 5.7.6.10 NMAC modify the scholarship amounts to include eligible costs
pursuant to statutory changes.
Amendments
to 5.7.6.11 NMAC modify administrative procedures for the department in setting
award amounts consistent with the new statutory provisions.
Amendments
to 5.7.6.12 NMAC add clarifying language about termination of the scholarship.
Non-substantive
renumbering changes are made throughout the rule.
Details for Obtaining a Copy, Public
Hearing and Comments: The proposed rule is available at NMHED located
at 2044 Galisteo Street, Suite 4, Santa Fe, NM
87505-2100. The proposed rule is
also posted on the NMHED website and may be accessed at http://www.hed.state.nm.us/ under the “Recent Posting”
section. To request that a copy of the
proposed rule be sent to you by mail or e-mail, please contact fin.aid@state.nm.us or
1-800-279-9777.
A public hearing will be held from
11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at NMHED on June 29,
2018. Any person who is or may be
affected by this proposed rule may appear and testify. Interested
persons may submit written comments to NMHED at 2044 Galisteo Street, Suite 4, Santa Fe,
NM 87505 or fin.aid@state.nm.us.
Written comments must be received no later
than 5:00 p.m. on June 28, 2018. Please note that any written comments received will become
part of the rulemaking record, be posted to the New Mexico Sunshine Portal, and
be accessible to the public. If
submitting written comments by email, please indicate
in the subject line the number and section of each rule(s) for which you are
providing comments. Oral comments will also
be accepted at the rule hearing, subject to time limitations.
Legal authority for this
rulemaking can be found in Section 9-25-8 NMSA 1978, Sections 21-21F-1 et seq.
NMSA 1978.
Any person with a
disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language
interpreter, or auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the
hearing should contact 1-800-279-9777 or email fin.aid@state.nm.us ten (10) business days
prior to the hearing.