Legislative Update Report

February 9 NEA-NH Legislative Update

Universal Voucher Bills Go Down, but Expansion to Voucher Eligibility Squeeks Through by One Vote!  The New Hampshire House of Representatives cast a series of mixed votes on three bills that would expand education voucher eligibility in our state, diverting more public money toward private and at home education costs. Thank you to all the members who e-mailed or called their state representatives. All these votes were close, and we stopped the very worst bills from passing.   Two More Voucher Expansion Bills to Be Voted on in the House Next Week!  The last two additional voucher expansion bills are scheduled […]

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

February 3 NEA-NH Legislative Update

House Education Votes on Dozens of Bills Including Runaway Voucher Expansion Bills – 3 Headed to the Floor Next Week  This week, the New Hampshire House Education Committee split 10-10 on five bills that would dramatically expand our state’s voucher program to universal eligibility or very close to it: HB 1561; HB 1634; HB 1652; HB 1665; and HB 1677. Three voucher expansion bills will go to the floor for a full vote in the House of Representatives next week. They are: HB 1561 – lifts the income eligibility entirely for 9 very broad categories essentially making this a universal […]

PRESS RELEASE: NH House Education Committee Splits on Voucher Expansion Package; Five Bills Headed to the House Floor Without Recommendation 

CONCORD, NH – This week, the New Hampshire House Education Committee split 10-10 on five bills that would dramatically expand our state’s voucher program: HB 1634; HB 1677; HB 1561; HB 1665; and HB 1652. Two of the bills would institute a universal voucher program in New Hampshire, expanding eligibility to every school-aged child in the state, including 21,238 students who are currently enrolled in a private school or are homeschooled. The bills will next go to the floor for a full vote in the House of Representatives with no Committee recommendation.  Granite Staters overwhelmingly signed in to oppose efforts […]

A white sign held in front of the Legislative Office Building reads: Support Our Public Schools"
A photo of the New Hampshire State House dome.

January 26 NEA-NH Legislative Update 

Upcoming Week: Some Good, Some Bad, and Some Distractions  It’s another week of major hearings in the New Hampshire House and Senate. Top issues include books – one proactive freedom to read bill and yet another book ban – as well as friendly efforts to strengthen retirement and fund programs to address the educator shortage crisis in our state.   Major Hearings Next Week  HB 1311 – Protecting the Freedom to Read  ACTION REQUESTED: SIGN IN SUPPORT of HB 1311 being heard in HOUSE Education on Monday, January 29th at 10:15am. Please find step-by-step instructions to sign in below.  Every […]

NEA-NH Member Emily Sherman Testifies on Master Teacher Certification Bill at State Legislature

“Many teachers have the desire to continue to teach and also assume leadership positions in a school or district as department chairs, mentors, and by working on other district initiatives. In New Hampshire’s competency model, that should not always and only involve advanced degree work.”  That’s the message shared recently by NEA-New Hampshire member Emily Sherman to the Senate Education Committee. The testimony Emily provided was in support of SB 521, which provides another avenue for teachers and CTE personnel interested in obtaining Master Teacher Certification.   Emily is a STEM teacher at Portsmouth Middle School. Her career has spanned three […]

A photo of the New Hampshire State House dome.

NEA-NH Legislative Update 01.19.24 

Week of Consequential Votes and More Important Hearings Coming this Week  This week we had a number of important hearings and even floor votes on consequential bills surrounding the expansion of private school vouchers, a major book ban bill, and lowering standards for those who teach part-time. Please take a look at more detail on these and what comes next in the recap.  This week coming up we are following a lot of bills around private school vouchers, cooperative school district governance bills, labor law for minors, and special education. We’re highlighting a couple of hearings where it will be […]