SB 303 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-1162
07/08
SENATE BILL 303
SPONSORS: Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Watters, Dist 4
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill directs the commissioner of the department of education to compile a report on the effects of the dissolution of the United States Department of Education on New Hampshire and its residents.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-1162
07/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; The State and Its Government; Department of Education; Ramifications of the Dissolution of the Department of Education Act. Amend RSA 21-N by inserting after section 13 the following new section:
21-N:14 Annual Report on the Ramifications of the Dissolution of the Department of Education.
I. This section shall be known as "The Protecting Our Neighborhood Schools Act".
II. The general court hereby finds that:
(a) 26 million vulnerable kids in school districts across the country will lose critical services designed to keep them ahead and on grade level.
(b) 7.5 million students with disabilities in every community will lose access to special education services funded by the federal government.
(c) 10 million students from working-class families could lose need-based Pell Grants or subsidized loans, increasing college costs for working-class families.
(d) 12 million students across all 50 states would lose access to career and technical education programs designed to help them master the skills and knowledge required for employment in today's rapidly changing economy.
(e) During the 2023 fiscal year, the federal department of education allocated $18.4 billion for Title I funding. Title I funding is used for educational technology, mental health services, and remedial instruction materials, amongst other things. Title I would move to block grants with the dissolution of the department, leading to anticipated difficulty with the transition, resulting in delays or failures of money getting where it needs to. Title I funds following the dissolution of the department would very likely be slashed, and New Hampshire would need to replace that money.
(f) The dissolution of the department would also likely lead to the elimination of Title II which focuses on teachers, funding for their development, and necessary teaching resources. Title II supports professional development, recruitment and retention, equity across education, improvement of administrator's leadership capabilities, innovation of teaching methods, and additional resources. The elimination of Title II would result in an overall largely negative effect on teachers specifically but also schools and their students.
(g) Between 12 and 13 percent of funding for students with special needs comes from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding. With the dissolution of the department, this money would go to states as block grants, and federal accountability for compliance would disappear.
(h) The dissolution of the department would inevitably result in property taxes being raised to compensate for the loss of federal funding.
(i) The department provides data on the outcomes of students, school funding, and overall educational performance. With its dissolution, it could have an impact on states' abilities to have all the information necessary to make informed decisions.
(j) The dissolution of the Department of Education by an executive order from the president of the United States is unconstitutional.
(k) Given the workforce crisis small businesses are experiencing, quality public schools are a tool for workforce preparation.
III. The commissioner shall prepare a report to be presented no later than October 1, 2025, to the governor, executive council, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the house clerk, and the state library. The report shall be posted online on the website of the department. The report shall detail the effects that the dissolution of the department of education would have on:
(a) New Hampshire property taxpayers, by losing grant funding and by creating additional school levies.
(b) Workforce recruitment.
(c) Educational aptitude across the state, such as test scores, graduation rate, entering the workforce, and level of degree completion.
(d) Federal funding for the state and if there is an alternative mechanism for grant disbursement.
(e) Students who receive special education services.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| March 19, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| March 27, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
March 19, 2025: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate, 03/27/2025, Vote 3-2; SC 14
March 5, 2025: Hearing: 03/19/2025, Room 103, SH, 09:45 am; SC 12
Feb. 26, 2025: Introduced 02/13/2025 and Referred to Executive Departments and Administration; SJ 6