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Committee gives due pass to bill to equalize minimum salaries for vocational and other teachers
Summary
Senate Bill 343 would remove statutory exceptions for vocational teachers and ensure equal minimum salaries at each licensure level; the committee advanced the bill after testimony from education and workforce advocates.
The committee advanced Senate Bill 343 on a due‑pass motion after testimony from education advocates that the bill would help recruit and retain career and technical education (CTE) teachers by ensuring equal minimum salaries across licensure tiers.
The bill removes a statutory exception for vocational teachers that had kept them outside the regular three‑tiered licensure salary schedule, updates an outdated reference from "K‑5 plus" to "K‑12 plus," and implements changes stemming from 2023 legislation that created a pathway for vocational teachers to be licensed using industry experience. Kirsty Tyson of the LANL Foundation testified that schools across the state face difficulty recruiting and retaining CTE teachers and that equal minimum salaries would signal a commitment to CTE programs.
Supporters argued the change would make teaching more attractive to industry experts and help sustain CTE programs that are important for workforce development. The committee had no recorded opposition and members moved a due‑pass recommendation; a motion to do pass was made and seconded, and the committee advanced the bill to the next step without adopting amendments during the hearing.
The bill will move forward with the committee’s recommendation; staff and sponsors are expected to work on technical drafting and implementation details with education agencies as it proceeds to the floor.
