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1 Short Title. This act may be known and cited as the "Centralized School ERP Procurement Act".
2 Statement of Findings. The general court hereby finds that:
I. School districts expend significant resources maintaining disparate administrative systems for finance, human resources, student information, payroll, procurement, and facilities.
II. A centralized, vendor-hosted enterprise resource planning (ERP) service could yield cost savings, interoperability, standardized reporting, improved data security, and streamlined administrative capacity.
III. The department of education is well-positioned to design a procurement that meets statewide and local needs.
IV. This legislation will require the department of education to develop and issue a competitive request for proposals (RFP) for qualified vendors to provide a centralized, optional enterprise resource planning service for New Hampshire public school districts.
V. This legislation will require the department of education to provide technical assistance and transition planning to districts that elect to participate.
3 New Subdivision; Request for Proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning Platforms. Amend RSA 21-N by inserting after section 13 the following new subdivision:
Request for Proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning Platforms
21-N:14 Definitions. As used in this subdivision:
I. "ERP service" means a cloud-hosted, vendor-supported enterprise resource planning platform or suite of interoperable modules that provides, at minimum, financial management, human resources and payroll, student information systems, special education case management, procurement, fixed assets, reporting and analytics, role-based security, data export/import interfaces, and disaster recovery.
II. "Department" means the department of education.
III. "Participating district" means a public school district, charter school, or public academy that elects to subscribe to the centralized ERP service pursuant to procurement terms.
21-N:15 Stakeholder Engagement.
I. By November 1, 2026, the department shall develop a draft of a competitive request for proposal (RFP) for procuring a centralized ERP service as defined in RSA 21-N:14, I. The draft RFP shall:
(a) Describe required system capabilities and minimum functional modules, technical and security standards, including compliance with state data privacy and security laws and federal FERPA requirements, interoperability standards and APIs, hosting and disaster recovery requirements, service level agreements, training and support obligations, implementation timeline expectations, data migration services, pricing models, including per-district and per-student options, options for phased implementation, and terms for termination and data portability;
(b) Require vendors to demonstrate experience implementing ERP solutions for K-12 education, provide references from at least 3 comparable public education clients, and submit detailed proposals for onboarding, training, long-term support, and continuous improvement; and
(c) Include evaluation criteria weighting functional fit, total cost of ownership, technical and security compliance, vendor capacity, support and training plans, demonstrated K-12 experience, and transition risk mitigation.
II. In developing the draft RFP, the department shall convene and consult with a stakeholder advisory group, including representatives of school district business administrators, superintendents, school board members, technology directors, charter school operators, the department of information technology, the bureau of special education, and a representative of municipal finance officers. The department shall solicit written input from stakeholders and hold at least 2 public comment sessions, whether virtual or in-person, on the draft RFP.
21-N:16 Optional Participation.
I. After consideration of stakeholder input, the department shall finalize and issue the competitive request for proposal (RFP) no later than April 1, 2027. The RFP shall be published on the department's website and the state's procurement portal, and shall allow sufficient time for vendor responses consistent with procurement law.
II. Participation in the centralized ERP service shall be strictly voluntary for school districts. No district shall be required to adopt or migrate to the centralized service under this subdivision.
III. The department shall, subject to available appropriations:
(a) Develop guidance, sample contracts, and data migration templates to assist districts in evaluating vendor proposals and negotiating participation agreements;
(b) Provide planning and technical assistance to districts, including project management templates, readiness assessments, procurement negotiation support, and coordination with the state department of information technology regarding security and connectivity requirements; and
(c) Facilitate vendor demonstrations and statewide procurement forums to support district decision-making.
21-N:17 Data Governance, Privacy, and Ownership. The competitive request for proposal (RFP) and any resulting contracts shall require that:
I. Student, staff, and financial data remain the property of the participating district and the department as applicable;
II. Vendors implement and maintain industry-standard security measures, data encryption at rest and in transit, multi-factor authentication, and breach notification protocols consistent with state law and FERPA;
III. Data portability and export capabilities be guaranteed at termination or upon district request without undue fees or barriers; and
IV. Contracts prohibit the vendor from selling or monetizing education data for commercial marketing purposes.
21-N:18 Pilot Program Option. The department may include in the competitive request for proposal (RFP) an option for an initial pilot cohort of up to 6 participating districts representing diverse sizes and geographic regions to test implementation, onboarding, training, and interoperability over an 18-24 month pilot period prior to statewide rollout.
21-N:19 Report to Legislature.
I. The department shall prepare and submit a report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chairs of the house and senate education committees within 30 days after issuance of the final competitive request for proposal (RFP).
II. The report shall summarize stakeholder input, key RFP features, proposed procurement timeline, available funding sources, and recommended next steps. The department shall provide a supplemental report within 12 months of any contract award summarizing award decisions, anticipated implementation timelines, projected costs and savings, and lessons learned from any pilot.
21-N:20 Rulemaking. The department, in consultation with the department of information technology and other relevant agencies, may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, to implement this subdivision.
21-N:21 Severability. If any provision of this subdivision or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the subdivision which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this subdivision are declared to be severable.
4 Department of Education; Appropriation. There is hereby appropriated to the department of education the sum of $250,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, for the purpose of supporting competitive request for proposal (RFP) developments, stakeholder engagement, procurement costs, and technical assistance to districts. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
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1 Short Title. This act may be known and cited as the "Centralized School ERP Procurement Act".
2 Statement of Findings. The general court hereby finds that:
I. School districts expend significant resources maintaining disparate administrative systems for finance, human resources, student information, payroll, procurement, and facilities.
II. A centralized, vendor-hosted enterprise resource planning (ERP) service could yield cost savings, interoperability, standardized reporting, improved data security, and streamlined administrative capacity.
III. The department of education is well-positioned to design a procurement that meets statewide and local needs.
IV. This legislation will require the department of education to develop and issue a competitive request for proposals (RFP) for qualified vendors to provide a centralized, optional enterprise resource planning service for New Hampshire public school districts.
V. This legislation will require the department of education to provide technical assistance and transition planning to districts that elect to participate.
3 New Subdivision; Request for Proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning Platforms. Amend RSA 21-N by inserting after section 13 the following new subdivision:
Request for Proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning Platforms
21-N:14 Definitions. As used in this subdivision:
I. "ERP service" means a cloud-hosted, vendor-supported enterprise resource planning platform or suite of interoperable modules that provides, at minimum, financial management, human resources and payroll, student information systems, special education case management, procurement, fixed assets, reporting and analytics, role-based security, data export/import interfaces, and disaster recovery.
II. "Department" means the department of education.
III. "Participating district" means a public school district, charter school, or public academy that elects to subscribe to the centralized ERP service pursuant to procurement terms.
21-N:15 Stakeholder Engagement.
I. By November 1, 2026, the department shall develop a draft of a competitive request for proposal (RFP) for procuring a centralized ERP service as defined in RSA 21-N:14, I. The draft RFP shall:
(a) Describe required system capabilities and minimum functional modules, technical and security standards, including compliance with state data privacy and security laws and federal FERPA requirements, interoperability standards and APIs, hosting and disaster recovery requirements, service level agreements, training and support obligations, implementation timeline expectations, data migration services, pricing models, including per-district and per-student options, options for phased implementation, and terms for termination and data portability;
(b) Require vendors to demonstrate experience implementing ERP solutions for K-12 education, provide references from at least 3 comparable public education clients, and submit detailed proposals for onboarding, training, long-term support, and continuous improvement; and
(c) Include evaluation criteria weighting functional fit, total cost of ownership, technical and security compliance, vendor capacity, support and training plans, demonstrated K-12 experience, and transition risk mitigation.
II. In developing the draft RFP, the department shall convene and consult with a stakeholder advisory group, including representatives of school district business administrators, superintendents, school board members, technology directors, charter school operators, the department of information technology, the bureau of special education, and a representative of municipal finance officers. The department shall solicit written input from stakeholders and hold at least 2 public comment sessions, whether virtual or in-person, on the draft RFP.
21-N:16 Optional Participation.
I. After consideration of stakeholder input, the department shall finalize and issue the competitive request for proposal (RFP) no later than April 1, 2027. The RFP shall be published on the department's website and the state's procurement portal, and shall allow sufficient time for vendor responses consistent with procurement law.
II. Participation in the centralized ERP service shall be strictly voluntary for school districts. No district shall be required to adopt or migrate to the centralized service under this subdivision.
III. The department shall, subject to available appropriations:
(a) Develop guidance, sample contracts, and data migration templates to assist districts in evaluating vendor proposals and negotiating participation agreements;
(b) Provide planning and technical assistance to districts, including project management templates, readiness assessments, procurement negotiation support, and coordination with the state department of information technology regarding security and connectivity requirements; and
(c) Facilitate vendor demonstrations and statewide procurement forums to support district decision-making.
21-N:17 Data Governance, Privacy, and Ownership. The competitive request for proposal (RFP) and any resulting contracts shall require that:
I. Student, staff, and financial data remain the property of the participating district and the department as applicable;
II. Vendors implement and maintain industry-standard security measures, data encryption at rest and in transit, multi-factor authentication, and breach notification protocols consistent with state law and FERPA;
III. Data portability and export capabilities be guaranteed at termination or upon district request without undue fees or barriers; and
IV. Contracts prohibit the vendor from selling or monetizing education data for commercial marketing purposes.
21-N:18 Pilot Program Option. The department may include in the competitive request for proposal (RFP) an option for an initial pilot cohort of up to 6 participating districts representing diverse sizes and geographic regions to test implementation, onboarding, training, and interoperability over an 18-24 month pilot period prior to statewide rollout.
21-N:19 Report to Legislature.
I. The department shall prepare and submit a report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chairs of the house and senate education committees within 30 days after issuance of the final competitive request for proposal (RFP).
II. The report shall summarize stakeholder input, key RFP features, proposed procurement timeline, available funding sources, and recommended next steps. The department shall provide a supplemental report within 12 months of any contract award summarizing award decisions, anticipated implementation timelines, projected costs and savings, and lessons learned from any pilot.
21-N:20 Rulemaking. The department, in consultation with the department of information technology and other relevant agencies, may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, to implement this subdivision.
21-N:21 Severability. If any provision of this subdivision or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the subdivision which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this subdivision are declared to be severable.
4 Department of Education; Appropriation. There is hereby appropriated to the department of education the sum of $250,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, for the purpose of supporting competitive request for proposal (RFP) developments, stakeholder engagement, procurement costs, and technical assistance to districts. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.