The department shall issue a high school equivalency credential to any candidate who is at least sixteen years of age and who has successfully completed the high school equivalency credential tests.

History: Laws 1999, ch. 193, § 1; 2014, ch. 31, § 1; 2015, ch. 122, § 9.

Cross references. — For student achievement, see 22-2C-1 NMSA 1978.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, changed "high school equivalency tests" to "high school equivalency credential tests".

The 2014 amendment, effective March 7, 2014, replaced "general educational development certificate" with "high school equivalency credential"; in the catchline, changed "general educational development certificates" to "high school equivalency credential"; after "The department", deleted "of education", after "shall issue a", deleted "general educational development certificate" and added "high school equivalency credential", and after "successfully completed the", deleted "general educational development" and added "high school equivalency".

Temporary provisions. — Laws 2014, ch. 31, § 2, effective March 7, 2014, provided:

A. All references in law to a "general education diploma", a "general equivalency diploma", a "general education development certificate", a "certificate of general equivalency", a "graduate equivalent diploma", a "GED certificate", a "high school equivalency diploma", a "certificate of equivalency" and an "equivalency diploma" shall be deemed to be references to a "high school equivalency credential".

B. All references in law to a "high school diploma or equivalent" shall be deemed to be references to a "high school diploma or high school equivalency credential".

C. All references in law to a "high school equivalency education" shall be deemed to be references to a "high school equivalency credential education".

D. All references in law to a "general educational development test" shall be deemed to be references to a "high school equivalency credential test".