A. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Public School Code, a local school board may issue a high school diploma to a World War II veteran who:

(1) is an honorably discharged member of the armed forces of the United States;

(2) was scheduled to graduate from high school after 1940 and before 1951;

(3) was a resident of New Mexico and attended a high school in the locality of the current school district; and

(4) left high school before graduation to serve in World War II.

B. A local school board may issue a high school diploma to a qualifying World War II veteran regardless of whether the veteran holds a high school equivalency credential or is deceased.

C. The department shall adopt and promulgate rules to carry out the provisions of this section, including:

(1) an application form to be submitted by the World War II veteran or a person acting on behalf of the veteran if the veteran is incapacitated or deceased; and

(2) what constitutes acceptable evidence of eligibility for a diploma.

History: Laws 2003, ch. 113, § 1; 2015, ch. 122, § 11.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, replaced the term "state board" with the public education department" and "high school equivalency diploma" with "high school equivalency credential" in the provision relating to providing high school diplomas to World War II veterans; in Subsection B, after "equivalency", deleted "diploma" and added "credential"; and in Subsection C, after "The", deleted "state board" and added "department".