Bill Text - HB549 (2015)

Allowing school building aid grants for certain authorized projects.


Revision: Dec. 16, 2015, midnight

HB 549-FN-A-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

2015 SESSION

15-0067

04/08

HOUSE BILL 549-FN-A-LOCAL

AN ACT allowing school building aid grants for certain authorized projects.

SPONSORS: Rep. Mullen, Straf 1; Rep. Marston, Hills 19; Rep. Cahill, Rock 17; Rep. Schroadter, Rock 17; Rep. Parsons, Straf 1

COMMITTEE: Education

ANALYSIS

This bill changes the amount of school building aid grants available in a fiscal year. The bill also amends the criteria used by the department of education to distribute school building aid grants.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

15-0067

04/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen

AN ACT allowing school building aid grants for certain authorized projects.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 School Building Aid; Grant for School Construction. Amend RSA 198:15-a, IV to read as follows:

IV. Beginning July 1, [2013] 2016, and every fiscal year thereafter, school building aid grants for construction or renovation projects approved by the department of education shall [not exceed] not be less than $50,000,000 per fiscal year [less any debt service payments owed in the fiscal year, unless otherwise provided by an act of the general court]. In addition, each fiscal year, there is hereby appropriated to the department of education for the purpose of making school building aid grants pursuant to this chapter, an amount equal to the difference between $50,000,000 and the state operating budget appropriation for building aid-education, account 06-56-56-561010-6019-77. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. School building aid grants shall be funded from appropriations in the state operating budget and no state bonds shall be authorized or issued for the purpose of funding such school building aid grants.

2 School Building Aid; Approval of Plans. Amend RSA 198:15-c, II(b)(8) to read as follows:

(8) Whether a school district has ever applied for or received a school building aid grant at any time in the past, with higher priority assigned to a district that has never applied for or received a grant.

(9) Any other criteria that the state board of education may determine are necessary.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO

15-0067

01/22/15

HB 549-FN-A-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT allowing school building aid grants for certain authorized projects.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Department of Education states this bill, as introduced, will increase state general fund expenditures and local revenues by an indeterminable amount in FY 2017 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state and county revenue, or county and local expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

      The Department of Education states this bill amends RSA 198:15-a, IV effective July 1, 2016 (FY 2017), by changing the current annual maximum expenditure for school building aid grants from $50,000,000 per year to a minimum expenditure of $50,000,000 per year, and appropriates the difference between state operating budget (HB 1) appropriations for building aid to the Department (account 06-56-56-561010-6019-77) and $50,000,000, from funds not otherwise appropriated. Under current law there is a moratorium in effect until June 30, 2015 on state aid for new school construction projects. The FY 2014-15 operating budget, there are state general fund appropriations in the Department of Education’s budget only for the “tail” payments, relative to projects approved prior to moratorium. While the Department of Education is unable to estimate the fiscal impact of this bill, as it would be dependent on the amount appropriated in HB 1 in FY 2017 and each year thereafter, it has provided the following information related to school building aid:

?

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

DOE "Tail" Payments

$43,209,973

$41,256,871

$35,774,174

$33,762,275

$32,020,729

    In addition, the Department of Education states it is aware of at least 23 potential upcoming school construction projects with an estimated total cost of $239,191,600, which could qualify for approximately $93,080,000 in new school building aid grants.