# New Mexico SB 146: EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MILITARY CHILDREN New Mexico SB 146, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MILITARY CHILDREN, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Harold Pope (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-04-08 (Signed by Governor - Chapter 118 - Apr. 8); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB146-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: New Mexico SB 146 - State: New Mexico - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MILITARY CHILDREN - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-27 - Last action: 2025-04-08, Signed by Governor - Chapter 118 - Apr. 8 - Sponsor: Harold Pope (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (89 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Graduation protections for transferring military students: benefit, medium. Schools must waive required graduation courses when transferring military students completed similar coursework elsewhere, or explain why they deny a waiver. After denial, schools must offer another completion path if the student qualifies to graduate from the sending school. Receiving states must… - Activity access and family time for military kids: benefit, low. States and schools must help transitioning military children join extracurricular activities despite missed application deadlines, if they otherwise qualify. Superintendents can approve extra excused absences to visit an active-duty parent or legal guardian. The parent or guardian must be called to… - Placement help for transferring military students: benefit, low. Receiving schools must provide reasonable disability accommodations and changes consistent with a military student’s existing Section 504 or Title II plan. Schools can later evaluate the student to decide appropriate placement. Local school officials can also waive course or program prerequisites a… - School stability for military children with caregivers: benefit, low. A legally valid military-family guardianship power of attorney is enough for school enrollment and actions needing parental consent. Schools cannot charge local tuition when a transitioning military child stays with a noncustodial parent or person acting as a parent outside the custodial parent’s a… - States coordinate school support for military families: benefit, low. New Mexico joins the interstate compact that helps military children move between schools. Each member state must use a council or existing body to coordinate government agencies, schools, and military installations. The body includes education, school district, military, and executive-branch repre… - Member states pay military education compact costs: cost, low. The interstate commission can charge member states an annual assessment to cover its approved operating and staff budget. The commission sets a binding rule for sharing these costs among states. States, not individual households, owe these assessments. The law sets no dollar amount. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Harold Pope (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Debra M. Sariñana (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-21 | House | Final House Vote | pass | 62 | 0 | | | 2025-03-18 | Senate | Final Senate Vote | pass | 27 | 0 | | ## Actions (8) - 2025-04-08: Signed by Governor - Chapter 118 - Apr. 8 (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Passed in the House of Representatives - Y:62 N:0 (House) - 2025-03-21: HLVMC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (House) - 2025-03-19: Sent to HLVMC - Referrals: HLVMC (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Passed in the Senate - Y:27 N:0 (Senate) - 2025-03-17: SJC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate) - 2025-03-11: SHPAC: Reported by committee with Do Pass recommendation (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Sent to SHPAC - Referrals: SHPAC/SJC (Senate) ## Bill text - Final Version, 2025-04-09: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/SB0146.pdf) - HLVMC Committee Report 3/21/25, 2025-03-21: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146LV1.pdf) - SJC Committee Report 3/17/25, 2025-03-17: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146JU1.pdf) - SHPAC Committee Report 3/11/25, 2025-03-11: [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146PA1.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-01-27: [HTML](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146.html), [PDF](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025 (signed) - SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE (signed) - SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES (signed) - SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE (signed) - SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK (signed) - HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES (signed) ## Sources - [Final Version (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/SB0146.pdf) - [HLVMC Committee Report 3/21/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146LV1.pdf) - [SJC Committee Report 3/17/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146JU1.pdf) - [SHPAC Committee Report 3/11/25 (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146PA1.pdf) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146.html) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0146.pdf) ## Related - [HB 2: GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB2-2025) - [SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB45-2025) - [SB 343: TEACHER SALARY RATES CHANGES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB343-2025) - [SB 345: TEACHER & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT LICENSURE](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB345-2025) - [SB 133: EDUCATIONAL RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB133-2025) - [HB 157: NEW SCHOOL LICENSES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-HB157-2025) - [New Mexico bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico/bills) - [New Mexico state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-mexico) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NM-SB146-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).