Three bills signed into law recently by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will provide greater assistance to military families upon their deployment to New Mexico, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor.
“New Mexico recognizes the stress and challenges a military family faces due to frequent relocations,” Grisham said in the release. “We are fully committed to supporting our military installations and the families who serve.”
House Bill 120 (HB 120), Senate Bill 271 (SB 271) and Senate Bill 272 (SB 272) all gained unanimous passage from lawmakers, and will strengthen existing benefits, establish an educational initiative for military families and allow for provisions to assist in the school-enrollment process, the release stated.
HB 120 adds occupations to House Bill 30, which waives licensure fees for service members, veterans and their spouses, including accountants and architects, and expands others such as nursing and teaching. It also reduces the processing time for occupational licenses from 60 to 30 days and eliminates the requirement for a military spouse to produce burdensome documentation beyond a home license.
“An amazing team worked tirelessly throughout the interim to get this piece of legislation together and make sure our military service members and their families feel welcome,” state Rep. Eliseo Alcon (D-Milan) said in the governor's release. “Together with last year’s HB 30, we are doing what is needed for our military and veterans in New Mexico.”
SB 271 establishes the national Purple Star Schools initiative in New Mexico. It provides mentoring and inclusion programs for students from military families and also promotes education for school staff and teachers on the challenges these students face each time their families relocate for deployment.
“Bringing the Purple Star Program to the land of enchantment is a huge win for New Mexico's military families,” state Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) tweeted earlier this month.“This program provides specialized social and educational support to children of military families who face challenges due to frequent relocation."
SB 272 creates provisions that allows military families to enroll their children in school, register for classes and apply for special assistance once they get their orders to deploy to New Mexico instead of waiting for them to arrive there. Each school must designate school staff as a point of contact for military families, as well as a page on its website that offers resources, including academic and social support during the transition.
There are nearly 8,500 military-connected school-age children in the state, the governor's release said.
