Panel advances bill to create three-tier school nurse licensure, tie pay to teacher tiers

House Bill 195 would establish a three-tiered school nurse licensure system modeled on the state teacher licensure tiers and align school nurse minimum salaries with those teacher tiers, supporters told the Senate Education Committee.

Senator George Figueroa, sponsor of the measure, said the bill “establishes a 3 tier school licensure system” and aims to bring clarity to school nursing licensure and salary levels under guidance from the New Mexico Board of Nursing and the Public Education Department (PED). The committee voted to give the bill a due-pass recommendation, 6 yes, 4 excused.

Supporters, including school-district nursing leaders and statewide education groups, told the committee the change could reduce turnover and improve recruitment. Lynn Wheeler, director of nursing for Rio Rancho Public Schools, said nationally certified school nurses “are working at the top of their licensure, which is what we want for all nurses.” Myrna Barbee Lee, nursing supervisor for Santa Fe Public Schools, said her district already uses a similar tiered pay schedule and a stipend for nationally certified nurses and has no vacancies.

Joe Guillaume, executive director of the New Mexico School Boards Association, and Bonnie Lightfoot of the Coalition of Educational Leaders both voiced organizational support. Gloria Doherty, representing the New Mexico Nursing Association and the New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council, urged passage to help retain and recruit nurses.

Committee members sought details about costs and implementation. Senators asked whether PED or school districts would carry the cost; committee testimony said two cost elements exist: (1) aligning nurse minimums to teacher tiers (the bill ties nurses to teacher tier minimums already budgeted in current tier calculations) and (2) a stipend for nationally board-certified school nurses. Testimony said roughly half of districts already pay the stipend and that the board finance analysis removed a separate appropriation because those tier increases were assumed in the broader tier calculations.

Members raised multiple budget figures cited in committee discussion: an amendment had proposed a $250,000 appropriation to PED, while other estimates mentioned additional sums “approximately $576,000” and a larger estimate of about $980,000 to fully implement new minimums statewide. Witnesses said the finance committee removed the stand-alone appropriation because the tier increases were folded into existing tier calculations; the committee record did not resolve which single estimate is the final budget number.

Committee members also questioned whether the bill would guarantee a nurse in every school. Witnesses and the sponsor said it would not mandate a nurse in every school; the bill’s intent is to improve recruitment and retention so more schools have nurses over time.

PED representatives said the department supports increasing nursing services in schools but did not confirm whether the General Appropriations Act or HB-2 contains dedicated funding to meet the bill’s new requirements. The department emphasized that when new financial requirements are created for districts, corresponding appropriations are necessary.

The committee record shows extensive supportive testimony from district nursing officials and statewide education organizations; no in-room opposition was recorded. After discussion, Senator Nava moved a due-pass recommendation and Senator Sowell seconded. The committee announced the measure carried with six yes votes and four members excused.

Votes at a glance

• House Bill 195 (as amended) — Due pass recommendation from the Senate Education Committee; tally announced in the committee: 6 yes, 4 excused.

Context and next steps

The bill ties school nurse licensure and minimum pay to the teacher tier system and recognizes national certification in school nursing. It now moves from the committee with a due-pass recommendation; any final funding decisions or required appropriations would be resolved later in the legislative budget process.