Senate committee advances three-tier school nurse licensure bill, ties pay to teacher tiers

The Senate Education Committee on an amended House Bill 195 voted to give the bill a do-pass recommendation, advancing a measure that would establish a three-tier school nurse licensure system and align school nurse salary minimums with teacher licensure tiers.

Sponsor and committee presenter Senator Miguel Figueroa said HB 195 “establishes a 3 tier school licensure system” to mirror the teacher system and to clarify licensure and salary levels for school nurses. He told the committee the intent is to “reduce turnover and help retain some of our nurses and possibly recruit a few more.”

Supporters told the committee the bill would help staffing and student health. Lynn Wheeler, director of nursing for Rio Rancho Public Schools, said nationally certified school nurses “demonstrate proficiency and excellence in the care that they provide to our students” and that higher, competitive pay would help retain and recruit nurses. Josh Landry, a school nurse at Chaparral in Alamogordo, told the committee the current average salary for a school nurse in New Mexico is “about $65,000.” Other supporters included Joe Guillen, executive director of the New Mexico School Boards Association; Bonnie Lightfoot of the Coalition of Educational Leaders; Myrna Barbee Lee, nursing supervisor for Santa Fe Public Schools; Gloria Doherty of the New Mexico Nursing Association and New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council; Nancy Rodriguez of the New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Healthcare; and Elizabeth Dixon, a registered nurse and educator.

The bill directs the Public Education Department (PED) to establish competencies and qualifications for each licensure level. Committee members asked why PED, rather than the Department of Health, is identified for school licensure; the committee was told the bill addresses licensure to serve in schools and that medical licensing remains separate.

Committee discussion highlighted funding questions. Witnesses said an appropriation that had been added in earlier drafts was removed because salary-tier increases were folded into broader budget calculations. Committee testimony referenced differing cost estimates in bill analyses: an example figure mentioned was an added appropriation of $250,000 that was later stripped, while other calculations referenced additional sums “approximately $576,000” and a total cost estimate approaching “$980,000.” Witnesses said the stipend for nationally board-certified nurses (noted in testimony as an $8,000 stipend in some districts) is already paid by many larger districts and is scattered across the state. PED representatives told the committee they could not confirm whether the General Appropriations Act would include the funding necessary to cover any new district obligations and emphasized that new financial requirements on districts should be accompanied by related appropriations.

Committee members also noted the bill does not mandate a nurse in every school. As a committee witness said, “I wish I wish it could. I wish it did. But, no, that is not mandated in this bill.” Senators who spoke in favor said tying nurse tiers to teacher tiers would allow nurses to advance with teacher salary increases and could improve retention in rural areas.

On the motion to recommend a do-pass for HB 195 as amended, Senator Nava moved and Senator Sowell seconded. The committee recorded a do-pass recommendation on the amended bill. The clerk announced the committee vote as six yes, four excused.

Support and opposition: The hearing record shows a broad slate of organizations and practitioners in support; no in-room opposition was recorded.

What happens next: The committee’s do-pass recommendation advances the amended bill to the next step in the legislative process; funding details and whether related appropriations will accompany the measure remain unresolved in committee testimony.