2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 9 - Executive Department › Article 29 - Early Childhood Education and Care Department › Section 9-29-4 - Secretary; appointment.

The chief executive and administrative officer of the department is the "secretary of early childhood education and care". The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint a person who has experience in early childhood education or care programs to serve as secretary. The secretary shall serve in and have the duties, responsibilities and authority of that position during the period before final action by the senate confirming or rejecting the secretary's appointment. The secretary shall serve in the executive cabinet and shall serve in the role of secretary at the pleasure of the governor.
History:
Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 4.
ANNOTATIONS
Effective dates.
— Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 38 made Laws 2019, ch. 48, § 4 effective July 1, 2019.
Temporary provisions.
— 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 [health care authority 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.