Bill Text - HB716 (2020)

Relative to transportation costs of certain pupils and making an appropriation therefor.


Revision: Feb. 4, 2019, 1:45 p.m.

HB 716-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2019 SESSION

19-0228

05/08

 

HOUSE BILL 716-FN-A

 

AN ACT relative to transportation costs of certain pupils and making an appropriation therefor.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Flanagan, Hills. 26; Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4

 

COMMITTEE: Education

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill provides that the department of education shall reimburse the responsible school district for the transportation costs of a student who continues to attend school in the district he or she attended prior to placement by the court in an abuse or neglect proceeding.  The bill makes an appropriation to the department of education for this purpose.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19-0228

05/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen

 

AN ACT relative to transportation costs of certain pupils and making an appropriation therefor.

 

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

 

1  Right of Attendance; Transportation Costs.  Amend RSA 193:28, I to read as follows:

I.  The public schools of the school district that the child attended prior to placement, if continuing in the same school district is in the best interest of the child as determined by the court, if the home is within a reasonable distance of the school to be attended, and if suitable transportation can be arranged without imposing additional transportation costs on a school district or the department of health and human services.  The department of education shall reimburse the responsible school district for the transportation costs of a child in a court-ordered placement under RSA 169-C who continues to attend school in the district he or she attended prior to placement; or

2  Appropriation; Department of Education; Transportation Costs.  The sum of $300,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2021, is appropriated to the department of education for the purpose of reimbursing school districts for the cost of transportation costs of pupils in court-ordered placements under RSA 169-C who continue to attend school in the district attended prior to placement.  The appropriation shall be in addition to any other funds appropriated to the department of education and, if the expenditure is a permitted use of the substance abuse and mental health services administration state opioid response grant, may be funded through such grant.  In the alternative, the governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum from any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.

 

LBAO

19-0228

Revised 2/4/19

 

HB 716-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to transportation costs of certain pupils and making an appropriation therefor.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [ X ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Appropriation

$300,000

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [ X ] Other - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration State Opioid Response Grant

 

 

 

 

 

LOCAL:

 

 

 

 

   Revenue

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

   Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse responsible school districts for the transportation costs of a child in a court-ordered placement who continues to attend school in the district he or she attended prior to placement.  If it is a permitted use, this bill appropriates $300,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2021, of the substance abuse and mental health services administration state opioid response grant for the purpose of this bill.  However, if those funds cannot be used for the purpose of the bill, the $300,000 would be appropriated from the general fund.  While the Department cannot estimate the costs it would incur under this bill or if the appropriation provided would be sufficient (the state does not currently track transportation costs for students invloved in court-ordered placements), it does anticipate it would neet to add a Program Specialist IV position to handle the administration relative to the reimbursements.  The Department estimates the total cost (salary, benefits, etc...) of this position to be $89,000 in FY 2020 and $91,000 in FY 2021.

 

The Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) splits transportation costs, in certain cases, with school districts.  In FY 2018, DCYF expended $178,000 on educational transportation costs, with school districts contributing $44,000, for a total of $222,000.  The Department assumes this bill would only result in reimbursements to school districts and have no impact on DCYF revenue or expenditures.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services