HB 115-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES
13Mar2025... 0651h
06/26/2025 2880s
2025 SESSION
25-0061
07/02
HOUSE BILL 115-FN
AN ACT making temporary appropriations for the expenses and encumbrances of the state of New Hampshire.
SPONSORS: Rep. McDonnell, Rock. 25; Rep. Ladd, Graf. 5; Rep. Noble, Hills. 2; Rep. Soti, Rock. 35; Rep. Verville, Rock. 2; Rep. Cordelli, Carr. 7; Rep. Sweeney, Rock. 25; Rep. Seidel, Hills. 29; Rep. Alexander Jr., Hills. 29; Rep. Weyler, Rock. 14; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Sullivan, Dist 18; Sen. Innis, Dist 7
COMMITTEE: Education Funding
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill makes temporary appropriations for the expenses and encumbrances of the state of New Hampshire from July 1, 2025 until an operating budget is enacted but in no event later than January 1, 2026.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13Mar2025... 0651h
06/26/2025 2880s 25-0061
07/02
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT making temporary appropriations for the expenses and encumbrances of the state of New Hampshire.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Rate of Expenditures; State Agencies.
I.(a) Each state agency or state entity for which the general court appropriated funds for its operating budget for fiscal year 2025 shall obligate additional funds for expenditures during the period this act is in effect at a rate not in excess of 45 percent of, and for the same purposes of, the appropriations for fiscal year 2025 contained in HB 1 of the 2023 regular legislative session (2023, 106), with any authorized adjustments made to fiscal year 2025 appropriations as contained in the October 1, 2024 agency budget submissions pursuant to RSA 9:4, I plus any additional appropriation needs associated with payroll during the period of this act, unless due to an emergency it shall be otherwise authorized by the governor with the advice and consent of the council with prior approval of the fiscal committee of the general court. For the purposes of this act, the provisions of HB 2 of the 2023 regular legislative session (2023,79) which relate to the 2024-2025 biennium shall apply; and
(b) Enactment of this legislation shall constitute acceptance by the state of federal funds in such amounts as under applicable state or federal law shall be necessary to give effect to the provisions of this act and shall further constitute the appropriation of such state funds as under federal law shall be required to be added to such federal funds as a condition of their transfer to the state. The authorization provided in this act shall be deemed to be a budget within the meaning of RSA 9; and
(c) Funds subject to obligation under this act shall be deemed subject to transfer under the provisions of RSA 9:16 through 9:17-d, with prior approval of the fiscal committee of the general court. The governor is authorized by and with the advice and consent of the council to draw warrants for the sums necessary to discharge obligations authorized by this act out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated or, in the case of special funds, out of any such special funds. Expenditures obligated under authority of this act shall be charges upon any appropriations subsequently enacted with respect to identical purposes and periods.
II. The provisions of RSA 9 inconsistent with the provisions of this act and the provisions of any other statutes so inconsistent are hereby suspended to the extent of such inconsistencies during the time this act is in effect. The state of New Hampshire hereby indemnifies any state official, commissioner, trustee, or other person having control of public funds appropriated by the general court for any liability personally incurred because of the provisions of RSA 9:19 and RSA 9:20 for whatever period of time elapses from 12:01 a.m. July 1, 2025, until the time that the provisions of this act making temporary appropriations become law.
2 Applicability. Section 1 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2025 and shall continue in effect until an operating budget is enacted into law but in no event later than January 1, 2026.
I. Section 1 of this act shall take effect as provided in section 2 of this act.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
25-0061
12/9/24
HB 115-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to universal eligibility for the education freedom account program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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| |||||
Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | Indeterminable | ||||
Funding Source(s) | Education Trust Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | Statutory Appropriation Under RSA 194-F:11 for Any Amount Necessary to Fund Program | ||||
Funding Source(s) | Education Trust Fund | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
| ||||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Local Revenue | $0 | Indeterminable | ||||
Local Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable | ||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill eliminates the income requirement for eligibility for the education freedom account (EFA) program. As of September 2024, 5,321 students were in the EFA program with an annualized cost estimated at $27.7 million with the grant averaging $5,204 per student. The average adequacy education grant (FY 2026 preliminary estimates as of November 15, 2024) to public district schools is $7,108, which includes cost of an opportunity for an adequate education, and extraordinary needs and hold harmless grants. Students entering the program under this bill would likely receive a grant less than the current average, since the newly eligible population would not be eligible for free or reduced-priced meal (F&R) differentiated aid. It is estimated that the average EFA grant for the newly eligible population under this bill would be approximately $4,419 (assuming 7% are eligible for special education differentiated aid).
The Department of Education states this bill will result in an indeterminable number of new students accessing the program. The following is information relative to the different situations in which a student may access the EFA program:
As students potentially leave traditional district schools and join the EFA program, districts may feel pressure to reduce their local expenditures to better fit the reduced population served. It is unknown the impact this would have on local expenditures, but this could potentially result in an indeterminable decrease.
It should be noted, that under current law, EFA and charter school grants are paid based on current year enrollments, while district adequacy grants are paid based on the previous school year enrollments (one year lag).
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Education
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| March 5, 2025 | 2025-0651h |
| March 11, 2025 | 2025-0916h |
| March 11, 2025 | 2025-0922h |
| May 13, 2025 | 2025-2147s |
| June 4, 2025 | 2025-2681s |
| June 25, 2025 | 2025-2880s |
| June 27, 2025 | 2025-2893s |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 16, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| March 4, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| March 5, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
| April 1, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| April 2, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
| April 22, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| June 5, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
July 3, 2025: Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/26/2025); SJ 17
June 26, 2025: House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2025-2880s (Reps. Ladd, Weyler): MA RC 196-167 06/26/2025 HJ 18
June 26, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-2880s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; Read a Third Time and Final Passage in the Early Session; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
June 26, 2025: Sen. Rosenwald Floor Amendment # 2025-2893s, RC 8Y-16N, AF; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
June 26, 2025: Sen. Gray Floor Amendment # 2025-2880s, AA, VV; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
June 26, 2025: Sen. Birdsell Moved to suspend all rules necessary to permit the consideration of HB115; 2/3 necessary, MA, VV; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
June 26, 2025: Committee Amendment # 2025-2147s, AF, VV; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
June 26, 2025: Sen. Birdsell Moved to Remove From Table, MA, VV; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
June 5, 2025: Pending Motion Committee Amendment # 2025-2147s; 06/05/2025; SC 25
June 5, 2025: Sen. Abbas Moved Laid on Table, MA, VV; 06/05/2025; SJ 15
May 19, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2147s, 06/05/2025, Vote 3-2; SC 24
April 15, 2025: Hearing: 04/22/2025, Room 101, LOB, 10:15 am; SC 18
April 11, 2025: Introduced 03/27/2025 and Referred to Education; SJ 10
April 10, 2025: Ought to Pass: MA RC 188-181 04/10/2025 HJ 12 P. 31
April 2, 2025: Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
April 2, 2025: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 04/02/2025 (Vote 14-11; RC) HC 19 P. 15
March 26, 2025: Executive Session: 04/01/2025 10:00 am LOB 210-211
March 18, 2025: Division II Work Session: 03/19/2025 10:00 am LOB 209
March 14, 2025: Division II Work Session: 03/18/2025 10:00 am LOB 209
March 13, 2025: Referred to Finance 03/13/2025 HJ 8 P. 44
March 13, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-0651h: MA RC 198-180 03/13/2025 HJ 8 P. 42
March 13, 2025: FLAM # 2025-0922h (Rep. Ames): AF RC 171-205 03/13/2025 HJ 8 P. 40
March 13, 2025: FLAM # 2025-0916h (Rep. Luneau): AF RC 170-205 03/13/2025 HJ 8 P. 38
March 13, 2025: Amendment # 2025-0651h: AA VV 03/13/2025 HJ 8 P. 37
March 5, 2025: Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
March 5, 2025: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0651h 03/05/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC)
Feb. 27, 2025: Executive Session: 03/05/2025 11:00 am LOB 205-207
Jan. 8, 2025: Public Hearing: 01/16/2025 01:00 pm LOB 205-207
Jan. 6, 2025: Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Education Funding HJ 2 P. 6