BILL #    HB 2895

TITLE:     Native American language; instruction; certification

SPONSOR:    Tsosie

STATUS:   As Amended by House ED

PREPARED BY:    Gordon Robertson

 

Description

HB 2895, as amended by House ED, would require the State Board of Education (SBE), or a school district or charter school, to allow students to satisfy a world language credit by demonstrating proficiency in a Native American language, if SBE includes such a credit in the minimum course of study.

 

Estimated Impact

We estimate that the bill would not generate a state fiscal impact. To the extent some school districts or charter schools already require instruction in world languages above the SBE-mandated minimum course of study, the bill would require these public schools to support any new costs associated with accepting Native American language proficiency with existing local resources.

 

We have asked SBE for its estimate of the fiscal impact of the bill, but we have not yet received a response.

 

Analysis

Our estimate assumes the following:

1) SBE does not currently include instruction in a world language as part of the minimum course of study. The bill would only require SBE to include Native American language proficiency if such a requirement existed in the minimum course of study.

2) Under current law, school districts and charter schools may prescribe graduation requirements in addition to those required by SBE. Accordingly, some public schools already require coursework in world languages as part of high school graduation requirements.

 

                2/16/26