2021 New Mexico Statutes
Article 29 - Early Childhood Education and Care Department
Section 9-29-3 - Department created; organizational units.

A. The "early childhood education and care department" is created as a cabinet department and consists of the:
(1) administrative services division;
(2) office of the secretary;
(3) child care licensing and services division;
(4) early childhood education division; and
(5) early intervention services division, which consists of the:
(a) home visitation bureau; and
(b) family, infant, toddler program.
B. The office of the secretary shall include an assistant secretary for Native American early childhood education and care who will be advised by the Indian education advisory council created pursuant to Section 22-23A-6 NMSA 1978.
History: Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 3.
Effective dates. — Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 38 made Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 3 effective July 1, 2019.
Temporary provisions. — Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 34 provided:
A. On July 1, 2020, all programs, functions, personnel, appropriations, money, statutory funds, records, furniture, equipment, supplies and other property belonging to the following are transferred to the early childhood education and care department, and all contractual obligations of the following are binding on the early childhood education and care department:
(1) the children, youth and families department's early childhood services division; and
(2) the department of health's:
(a) family, infant, toddler program; and
(b) family first home visiting.
B. Beginning on July 1, 2020, all contractual obligations pertaining to the programs, services and entities in Subsection A of this section are binding on the early childhood education and care department.
C. Beginning on July 1, 2020, all references in law, rules, orders and other official acts to the programs, services and entities in Subsection A of this section shall be deemed references to the early childhood education and care department.
Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 35 provided:
A. After July 1, 2019, the governor may appoint the secretary-designate of early childhood education and care and may allow the secretary-designate to appoint division directors to assist with the transition. The governor shall convene a working group made up of the secretaries of finance and administration, early childhood education and care, children, youth and families and health to plan for the orderly transition of programs and personnel to the early childhood education and care department. The secretaries shall assign staff as necessary to assist the transition. All state agencies shall assist the working group as requested. The following state agencies shall provide the following services:
(1) the general services department shall assist in locating the early childhood education and care department in a state building or an appropriate leased facility;
(2) the department of finance and administration shall set up the administrative services division of the early childhood education and care department and ensure the orderly transition of administrative systems from the children, youth and families department and the department of health to the early childhood education and care department; and
(3) the department of information technology shall set up administrative, programmatic, data and other required systems and ensure the orderly transfer of pertinent data from the children, youth and families department and the department of health to the early childhood education and care department and shall ensure the compatibility of the three systems.
B. Between July 1, 2019 and July 1, 2020, the accounts and financial control functions that will belong to the early childhood education and care department shall continue being performed by the administrative services divisions of the children, youth and families department, the public education department, the human services department and the department of health, as appropriate; provided, however, that the administrative services divisions of the children, youth and families department and the department of health shall provide for separate reporting of accounts and finances between the early childhood education and care department and the children, youth and families department and the department of health and shall provide necessary administrative services related to the early childhood education and care department at the direction of the secretary of early childhood education and care.