1 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Education Tax. Amend RSA 76:3 to read as follows:

76:3 Education Tax .

Beginning July 1, *2005*     , and every fiscal year thereafter,     the commissioner of the department of revenue administration shall set the     education tax rate at a level sufficient to generate revenue of *$363,000,000*     when imposed on all persons and property taxable pursuant to [RSA 76:8](https://gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/V/76/76-8.htm), except property subject to tax under [RSA 82](https://gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/V/82/82-mrg.htm) and [RSA 83-F](https://gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/V/83-F/83-F-mrg.htm).  The education property tax rate shall be effective for the following fiscal year.  The rate shall be set to the nearest 1/2 cent necessary to generate the revenue required in this section.

2 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Commissioner's Warrant. Amend RSA 76:8, II to read as follows:

II. The commissioner shall issue a warrant under the commissioner's hand and official seal for the amount computed in paragraph I to the selectmen or assessors of each municipality by December 15 directing them to assess such sum and pay it to the municipality for the use of the school district or districts p ? . Such sums shall be assessed at such times as may be prescribed for other taxes assessed by such selectmen or assessors of the municipality.

3 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Information. Amend RSA 76:11-a, II to read as follows:

II. The tax bill shall also contain a statement informing the taxpayer of the types of tax relief for which the taxpayer has the right to apply. The following statement shall be considered adequate:

"If you are elderly, disabled, blind, a veteran, or veteran's spouse, or are unable to pay taxes due to poverty or other good cause, you may be eligible for a tax exemption, credit, abatement, or deferral . For details and application information , contact (insert title of local assessing officials or office to which application should be made). ? To find out how to get a refund, call the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration at (insert current telephone number here) or visit the department's website at (insert current website address here). ? Applications for refunds are due by June 30."

This statement shall be prominent, and legible, and may either be printed in at least 12-point, boldface font on the tax bill itself, or on a separate sheet of paper enclosed with the tax bill. A municipality may in its discretion choose to include more detailed information about the eligibility criteria for different forms of tax relief, provided, however, that the information in the above statement shall be considered a minimum.

4 Education; School Money; Adequate Education; Education Trust Fund. Amend RSA 198:39, II(k) to read as follows:

(k) The full amount of uniform statewide education property tax payments from the department of revenue administration pursuant to RSA 76:8, II.

(l) Any other moneys appropriated from the general fund.

5 Education; School Money; Determination of Education Grants. RSA 198:41, I-I-a is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

I. Except for municipalities where all school districts therein provide education to all of their pupils by paying tuition to other institutions, the department of education shall determine the total education grant for the municipality as follows:

(a) ?Add the municipality's adequacy grant, which shall equal the total amount of per pupil cost of providing the opportunity for an adequate education, for which each pupil in the municipality's ADMR is eligible pursuant to RSA 198:40-a, I-III;

(b) Add the municipality's extraordinary need grant pursuant to RSA 198:40-f; and

(c) ?Add the municipality's fiscal capacity disparity aid grant pursuant to RSA 198:40-g.

I-a. For municipalities where all school districts therein provide education to all of their pupils by paying tuition to other institutions, the department of education shall determine the total education grant for each municipality as the lesser of the 2 following calculations:

(a) The amount calculated in accordance with paragraph I of this section; or

(b) The total amount paid for items of current education expense as determined by the department of education.

6 Education; School Money; Low and Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief. RSA 198:57, III-IV is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

III. ? An eligible tax relief claimant is a person who:

(a) ?Owns a homestead or interest in a homestead subject to the uniform statewide education property tax;

(b) ?Resides in such homestead on the date of the final tax bill, as defined in RSA 76:1-a, for the year for which the claim is made, except such persons who are on active duty in the United States armed forces or are temporarily away from such homestead but maintain the homestead as a primary domicile; and

(c) ?Realizes total household income of:

(1) ? $85,000 or less if a single person;

(2) ? $100,000?or less if a married person or head of a New Hampshire household.

IV. ? All, or a portion of the sum, of an eligible tax relief claimant's education property taxes, including both local and state education property taxes, shall be rebated as follows:

(a) ?Multiply the total local assessed value of the claimant's property by the percentage of such property that qualifies as the claimant's homestead;

(b) ?Multiply?$165,000?by the most current local equalization ratio as determined by the department of revenue administration;

(c) ?Multiply the lesser of the amount determined in subparagraph (a) or (b) by the sum of the following:?

(1) ?The local education tax rate as shown on the tax bill under RSA 76:11-a; and

(2) ?The uniform statewide education property tax rate as shown on the tax bill under RSA 76:11-a.

(d) ?Multiply the product of the calculation in subparagraph (c) by the following percentage as applicable to determine the amount of tax relief available to the claimant, provided that the maximum amount of tax relief available to any claimant in any fiscal year shall not exceed $1,100:

(1) ?If a single person and total household income is:

(A) ?Less than?$27,000, 100 percent;

(B) ?More than $27,000 but less than or equal to?$65,000,?a percentage that is reduced from 95 percent by 5 percent for each $2,000 of household income above $27,000;

(C) ?More than $65,000, zero percent.?

(2) ?If the head of a New Hampshire household or a married person and total household income is:

(A) ?less than?$39,500, 100 percent;

(B) ? More than $39,500 but less than or equal to $77,500, a percentage that is reduced from 95 percent by 5 percent for each $2,000 of household income above $39,500;

(C) ?More than $77,500, zero percent.

(e) ?The amount determined by subparagraph?(c) shall be the allowable tax relief in any year, provided, however, that the aggregate of tax relief checks issued by the commissioner to all taxpayers claiming eligibility for tax relief shall not exceed $30,000,000 for the fiscal year to which the claim applies, exclusive of late filed claims that are accepted by the commissioner, which shall be counted against the $30,000,000 limit for the fiscal year in which the claims are received, and that the commissioner shall reduce proportionally the amount of each taxpayer's tax relief check for that fiscal year when a reduction is necessary to conform to the $30,000,000 limit for that fiscal year.

7 New Paragraphs; Education; School Money; Low and Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief. Amend RSA 198:57 by inserting after paragraph VIII the following new paragraphs:

IX. ?The amounts specified in subparagraph III and IV shall be adjusted annually for inflation and rounded to the nearest $100 by the commissioner of the department of revenue administration based on the average change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, Northeast Region, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ?The average change shall be calculated using the calendar year ending 12-months prior to the beginning of the program year.

X. ?The department of revenue administration shall mail the current year's tax forms by the first of each May to help enable property tax relief for each homeowner who received property tax relief under the provisions of paragraph IV in the prior year.

8 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program established in RSA 198:57 and RSA 198:58.

9 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

(b) Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

II. Legislative members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

10 Duties. The committee shall study, with the assistance of the department of revenue administration, the following:

(a) ?Issues relating to the extension of the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program to tenants who indirectly pay education property taxes as part of the rent that they pay for the right to live in their principal place of residence and domicile and shall make recommendations regarding said extension.

(b) ?The relationship between household income, property values, and property taxation, as well as the sufficiency of data relating to that relationship that is currently available to the department of revenue administration, including data needed to determine the impact of property tax changes by property classification, value, and ownership status, including owner-occupied, out-of-state, commercial, residential, or other relevant ownership categories, and shall report on its findings and recommendations on said relationship, data sufficiency, and changes in assessment data collected, eligibility, and funding levels that would improve the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program.

(c) ?The components of a uniform statewide education property tax deferral program designed to provide relief to homeowner property taxpayers where taxpayer-specific circumstances temporarily impair such taxpayers ability to timely pay their property tax bills, and shall make recommendations regarding the development of such a program.

11 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

12 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2026.

13 Applicability. Sections 1-7 of this act shall apply to statewide education property taxes levied in or after the 2028 fiscal year.

14 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

1 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Education Tax. Amend RSA 76:3 to read as follows:

76:3 Uniform Statewide Education Property Tax .

I. Beginning July 1, 2027 , and every fiscal year thereafter, with adjustments as may be required by this section, the commissioner of the department of revenue administration shall set the state education tax rate at a level sufficient to generate revenue of $378,000,000 when imposed on all persons and property taxable pursuant to RSA 76:8, except property subject to tax under RSA 82 and RSA 83-F. The education property tax rate shall be effective for the following fiscal year. The rate shall be set to the nearest 1/2 cent necessary to generate the revenue required in this section. This amount shall be increased annually by 2 percent and rounded up to the nearest $100 by the commissioner of the department of revenue administration.

II. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, uniform statewide education property tax revenues paid shall be levied pursuant to a uniform statewide rate and shall be collected and remitted to the state treasurer for deposit into the education trust fund established in RSA 198:39.

III. Deposits into the education trust fund made under paragraph II shall exclusively fund, in whole or in part, education grants as determined by the department of education pursuant to RSA 198:41, costs associated with providing tax bills pursuant to RSA 76:11-a, and homeowners property tax relief pursuant to RSA 198:57.

2 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Commissioner's Warrant. Amend RSA 76:8, II to read as follows:

II. The commissioner shall issue a warrant under the commissioner's hand and official seal for the amount computed in paragraph I to the selectmen or assessors of each municipality by December 15 directing them to assess such sum and p ay all revenue received to the department of revenue administration, for deposit in the education trust fund established inRSA 198:39, for education grants as determined in RSA 198:41 and property tax homeowner relief payments as determined in RSA 198:57. ? Such payments shall be made in 4 quarterly installments in accordance with schedules, standards, and procedures established by rules adopted by the department of revenue administration, in accordance withRSA 541-A, after consultation with the commissioner of education . Such sums shall be assessed at such times as may be prescribed for other taxes assessed by such selectmen or assessors of the municipality.

3 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Information. Amend RSA 76:11-a, II to read as follows:

II. The tax bill shall also contain a statement informing the taxpayer of the types of tax relief for which the taxpayer has the right to apply. The statement shall explicitly list the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program established inRSA 198:57 and include information on how to apply for the program. The following statement shall be considered adequate:

"If you are elderly, disabled, blind, a veteran, or veteran's spouse, or are unable to pay taxes due to poverty or other good cause, you may be eligible for a tax exemption, credit, abatement, or deferral , which may reduce your current property tax bill . For details , application information , and application deadlines , contact (insert title of local assessing officials or office to which application should be made). Depending on your income, you may also be eligible for a tax refund under the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program. ? To find out how to get a refund, call the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration at (insert current telephone number here) or visit the department's website at (insert current website address here). ? Applications for refunds are due by June 30."

This statement shall be prominent, legible, and printed in at least 12-point, boldface font on the tax bill itself, or on a separate sheet of paper enclosed with the tax bill. A municipality may in its discretion choose to include more detailed information about the eligibility criteria for different forms of tax relief, provided, however, that the information in the above statement shall be considered a minimum.

4 Education; School Money; Adequate Education; Education Trust Fund. Amend RSA 198:39, II(k) to read as follows:

(k) The full amount of uniform statewide education property tax payments from the department of revenue administration pursuant to RSA 76:8, II.

(l) Any other moneys appropriated from the general fund.

5 Education; School Money; Determination of Education Grants. RSA 198:41, I-I-a is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

I. Except for municipalities where all school districts therein provide education to all of their pupils by paying tuition to other institutions, the department of education shall determine the total education grant for the municipality as follows:

(a) ?Add the municipality's adequacy grant, which shall equal the total amount of per pupil cost of providing the opportunity for an adequate education, for which each pupil in the municipality's ADMR is eligible pursuant to RSA 198:40-a, I-III;

(b) Add the municipality's extraordinary need grant pursuant to RSA 198:40-f; and

(c) ?Add the municipality's fiscal capacity disparity aid grant pursuant to RSA 198:40-g.

I-a. For municipalities where all school districts therein provide education to all of their pupils by paying tuition to other institutions, the department of education shall determine the total education grant for each municipality as the lesser of the 2 following calculations:

(a) The amount calculated in accordance with paragraph I of this section; or

(b) The total amount paid for items of current education expense as determined by the department of education.

6 Education; School Money; Low and Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief. RSA 198:57, III-IV is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

III. ? An eligible tax relief claimant is a person who:

(a) ?Owns a homestead or interest in a homestead subject to the uniform statewide education property tax;

(b) ?Resides in such homestead on the date of the final tax bill, as defined in RSA 76:1-a, for the year for which the claim is made, except such persons who are on active duty in the United States armed forces or are temporarily away from such homestead but maintain the homestead as a primary domicile; and

(c) ?Realizes total household income of:

(1) ? $85,000 or less if a single person;

(2) ? $100,000?or less if a married person or head of a New Hampshire household.

IV. ? All, or a portion of the sum, of an eligible tax relief claimant's education property taxes, including both local and state education property taxes, shall be rebated as follows:

(a) ?Multiply the total local assessed value of the claimant's property by the percentage of such property that qualifies as the claimant's homestead;

(b) ?Multiply?$165,000?by the most current local equalization ratio as determined by the department of revenue administration;

(c) ?Multiply the lesser of the amount determined in subparagraph (a) or (b) by the sum of the following:?

(1) ?The local education tax rate as shown on the tax bill under RSA 76:11-a; and

(2) ?The uniform statewide education property tax rate as shown on the tax bill under RSA 76:11-a.

(d) ?Multiply the product of the calculation in subparagraph (c) by the following percentage as applicable to determine the amount of tax relief available to the claimant, provided that the maximum amount of tax relief available to any claimant in any fiscal year shall not exceed $1,100:

(1) ?If a single person and total household income is:

(A) ?Less than?$27,000, 100 percent;

(B) ?More than $27,000 but less than or equal to?$65,000,?a percentage that is reduced from 95 percent by 5 percent for each $2,000 of household income above $27,000;

(C) ?More than $65,000, zero percent.?

(2) ?If the head of a New Hampshire household or a married person and total household income is:

(A) ?less than?$39,500, 100 percent;

(B) ? More than $39,500 but less than or equal to $77,500, a percentage that is reduced from 95 percent by 5 percent for each $2,000 of household income above $39,500;

(C) ?More than $77,500, zero percent.

(e) ?The amount determined by subparagraph?(c) shall be the allowable tax relief in any year, provided, however, that the aggregate of tax relief checks issued by the commissioner to all taxpayers claiming eligibility for tax relief shall not exceed $30,000,000 for the fiscal year to which the claim applies, exclusive of late filed claims that are accepted by the commissioner, which shall be counted against the $30,000,000 limit for the fiscal year in which the claims are received, and that the commissioner shall reduce proportionally the amount of each taxpayer's tax relief check for that fiscal year when a reduction is necessary to conform to the $30,000,000 limit for that fiscal year.

7 New Paragraphs; Education; School Money; Low and Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief. Amend RSA 198:57 by inserting after paragraph VIII the following new paragraphs:

IX. ?The amounts specified in subparagraph III and IV shall be adjusted annually for inflation and rounded to the nearest $100 by the commissioner of the department of revenue administration based on the average change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, Northeast Region, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ?The average change shall be calculated using the calendar year ending 12-months prior to the beginning of the program year.

X. ?The department of revenue administration shall mail the current year's tax forms by the first of each May to help enable property tax relief for each homeowner who received property tax relief under the provisions of paragraph IV in the prior year.

8 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program established in RSA 198:57 and RSA 198:58.

9 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

(b) Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

II. Legislative members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

10 Duties. The committee shall study, with the assistance of the department of revenue administration, the following:

(a) ?Issues relating to the extension of the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program to tenants who indirectly pay education property taxes as part of the rent that they pay for the right to live in their principal place of residence and domicile and shall make recommendations regarding said extension.

(b) ?The relationship between household income, property values, and property taxation, as well as the sufficiency of data relating to that relationship that is currently available to the department of revenue administration, including data needed to determine the impact of property tax changes by property classification, value, and ownership status, including owner-occupied, out-of-state, commercial, residential, or other relevant ownership categories, and shall report on its findings and recommendations on said relationship, data sufficiency, and changes in assessment data collected, eligibility, and funding levels that would improve the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program.

(c) ?The components of a uniform statewide education property tax deferral program designed to provide relief to homeowner property taxpayers where taxpayer-specific circumstances temporarily impair such taxpayers ability to timely pay their property tax bills, and shall make recommendations regarding the development of such a program.

11 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

12 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2026.

13 Applicability. Sections 1-7 of this act shall apply to statewide education property taxes levied in or after the 2028 fiscal year.

14 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.