Legislative Action

June 15, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

2024 Legislative Session Ends with the Defeat of Final Voucher Expansion Bill On the final day of the 2024 legislative session, the New Hampshire House defeated HB 1665 by a vote of 168 -185. This legislation would have expanded the unaccountable private school voucher scheme by lifting the eligibility threshold to enter the program from 350% to 425% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This was a compromise between the Senate position of expansion to 400% of FPL and the House position of expansion to 500% of FPL. As negotiated, the compromise version of this bill would have more than […]

A white sign held in front of the Legislative Office Building reads: Support Our Public Schools"

June 8, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

Committees of Conference Conclude   The deadline to sign off on committee of conference reports was this past Thursday, June 6th and many bills saw a compromise product agreed to, but a few did not. In positive news, an effort to allow unlicensed part-time teachers in public schools was rejected and the Rural and Underserved Educator Recruitment Program was revived. Unfortunately, the House and Senate conferees are moving forward with a dramatic expansion of the state’s private school voucher program. More details below!  Voucher Expansion Moves Forward to a Vote June 13th  The most significant education bill moving forward to a […]

May 31, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

House and Senate Head to Committees of Conference Next Week on Major Education Bills  This past week, the House and Senate decided which bills they would agree with the other chamber’s changes (concur), which ones they would go to a committee of conference to work out differences (non-concur and request a committee of conference), and which ones they would simply reject outright without attempting to come to a compromise (non-concur). The aftermath of those decisions is that next week there will be committees of conference meetings on several highly consequential bills for public education and public-school educators.  What are Committees […]

May 24, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

NH Senate Sends Amended Versions of Private School Voucher Expansion and Unlicensed Part-Time Teacher Bill Back to the House  This week, as expected, the New Hampshire Senate amended and passed on a party line vote, two of the most consequential bills attacking public education that remain in play this session. With the Senate having changed both HB 1298, the unlicensed part-time teacher bill, and HB 1665, the last voucher expansion bill, each bill will now go back to the House for a vote on whether to concur with the changes, request a committee of conference to iron out the differences […]

May 17, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update 

Senate Passes Vague Curriculum Notice Expansion Bill, Punts Part-Time Unlicensed Teacher Bill and Voucher Expansion to Next Week  The New Hampshire Senate special ordered two of the most consequential bills remaining this session to their calendar next week. Both HB 1298, the unlicensed part-time teach bill, and HB 1665, the last voucher expansion bill, will be voted on by the full Senate on Thursday, May 23rd which is the Senate deadline for acting on all House bills. This means that if you haven’t contacted your Senator using our take action tool on HB 1298 or HB 1665 there is still time!   […]

May 11, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

NEXT WEEK: Full NH Senate Will Vote on Three of the Final Most Consequential Bills Remaining This Session  The state Senate will be voting on bills that cover watering down the standards of the teaching profession, targeting LGBTQ+ students and expanding the unaccountable private school voucher scheme.   HB 1298: Part-Time Unlicensed Teacher Bill – Tell Your Senator Not to Water Down Standards!  This past week, the Senate Education Committee voted on party lines to recommend passing HB 1298 and amending the bill back to the version they passed months ago. This bill is being advocated for by Commissioner Edelblut as […]