NM HB280

Creates a three-year Youth Internship Pilot Project administered by the Workforce Solutions Department to fund paid internships for youth ages 14-22 who are attending or recently graduated from high school

Appropriates $250,000 from the general fund for fiscal years 2027-2029, with unexpended funds reverting to the general fund at the end of fiscal year 2029

Eligible grant recipients include nonprofit organizations, school districts, charter schools, and federally recognized tribes that facilitate paid internships where costs are shared between the organization and the host employer

Grant recipients must provide support services such as training, coaching, career counseling, financial literacy education, and transportation, and must collect data on completion rates, placement statistics, intern pay, and demographics

Requires annual reports to the legislative education study committee by December 1 of 2026, 2027, and 2028, with a final effectiveness report to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2029