New Mexico Register / Volume XXXI, Issue 18 / September 29, 2020

NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING

Public Hearing. The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) gives notice that it will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (MDT) in Mabry Hall, located in the Jerry Apodaca Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar Ave., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. The location of the public hearing may be subject to change due to the concerns surrounding COVID-19 and in accordance with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Executive Order 2020-004, Declaration of a Public Health Emergency; and Executive Order 2020-059, Renewing the State of Public Health Emergency Initially Declared in Executive Order 2020-004, Other Powers Invoked in That Order, and All Other Orders and Directives Contained in Executive Orders Tied to the Ongoing Public Health Emergency. Continuous updates on hearing changes and Zoom information will be provided on the PED website. The purpose of the public hearing is to receive public input on the proposed amendment of 6.29.1 NMAC, General Provisions. At the hearing, the PED will provide a verbal summary statement on record. Attendees who wish to provide public comment on record will be given three (3) minutes to make a statement concerning the rule changes. Written comment will also be accepted at the hearing.

Explanation of Purpose and Summary of Text

The purpose of the proposed amendment of 6.29.1 NMAC, General Provisions, is to update the local school board requirements to include one hour of training on equity and culturally and linguistically responsive practices; to update the language to reflect the changes based on the Multi-Layered System of Supports, which is the department’s proactive system for early intervention for students who demonstrate a need for educational support for learning or behavior; to update the regulatory language for emergency drills based on enacted legislation from the 2019 legislative session; and to remove unnecessary or out-of-date terms.

Statutory Authorization(s):

Sections 9-24-8, 22-2-2, 22-2C-3, 22-5-13, 22-13-1.1, and 22-13-14 NMSA 1978.

No technical information served as a basis for this proposed rule change.

Public Comment. Interested parties may provide comment at the public hearing or may submit written comments by mail to John Sena, Policy Division, New Mexico Public Education Department, 300 Don Gaspar Avenue, Room 121, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, by electronic mail to rule.feedback@state.nm.us, or by fax to (505) 827-6520. All written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. (MDT) on Thursday, October 29, 2020. The PED encourages the early submission of written comments. The public comment period is from September 29, 2020 to October 29, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. (MDT).

The PED will review all feedback received during the public comment period and issue communication regarding a final decision at a later date.

Copies of the proposed rules may be accessed through the page titled, “Rule Notification,” on the PED's website at http://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/policy-innovation-measurement/rule-notification/, or may be obtained from John Sena at (505) 570-7816 during regular business hours.

Individuals with disabilities who require the above information in an alternative format or need any form of auxiliary aid to attend or participate in the public hearing are asked to contact John Sena at (505) 570-7816 as soon as possible before the date set for the public hearing. The PED requires at least 10 calendar days advance notice to provide any special accommodations requested.