NM SB188

Provides up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for full-time school district and charter school employees who have worked at least 52 consecutive weeks, triggered by birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child

Employees receive full regular pay during leave, with health insurance maintained; leave time counts toward years of service but has no cash value and cannot be paid out upon separation

Employers must restore employees to their same or equivalent position after leave; employees are not required to exhaust other accrued leave first, though employers may run this leave concurrently with federal FMLA

Public Education Department will fully reimburse school districts and charter schools for eligible costs including substitute educators, and must adopt implementing rules by August 1, 2026

Appropriates $7.5 million from the general fund to the Public Education Department for fiscal year 2027 and subsequent years, with unexpended balances not reverting; effective date is July 1, 2026