Legislative Action

PRESS RELEASE: Sununu Signs HB 1205, Blocks Access to School Sports for Students

CONCORD, NH – Today, Governor Chris Sununu signed HB 1205, which bans transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in grades 5-12 and requires all girls to show a birth certificate – or “other evidence” – to be eligible to play. This law is effective 30-days after signature, so it will be in effect for the 2024-25 school year.  Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement in response: “Public schools should be safe, welcoming environments for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Shame on Governor Sununu for signing into law this legislation that […]

PRESS RELEASE: Sununu Signs HB 1312, Dramatically Expands Curriculum Notice Requirement 

CONCORD, NH – Today, Governor Chris Sununu signed HB 1312, which dramatically – and vaguely – expands New Hampshire’s current 2-week notice requirement for “objectionable materials” to include any curriculum related to sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. This law contains vague language as to how an educator may respond to a student who shares a concern with them at school and creates yet another unworkable standard that leaves educators wondering what course material could apply to the notice requirements that traditionally had been focused on sex education and health classes.   Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided […]

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 […]