Bill > SB64

This bill, titled the "Special Education Act," establishes a new Office of Special Education within the Public Education Department, led by a Deputy Secretary for Special Education, to oversee and ensure that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. It redefines "special education" to focus on services for three- and four-year-old children and students with disabilities, explicitly removing gifted students from this category. The act also mandates the development of a statewide online system for individualized education programs (IEPs), which are plans outlining the specific educational needs and services for students with disabilities, and strengthens provisions for identifying and supporting students with dyslexia through a "multilayered system of supports," which is a framework of evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions. The bill recompiles existing special education statutes into this new act and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Government Affairs

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=S&legtype=B&legno=64&year=26