New Hampshire HB 1623: requiring charter schools to have uniform and transparent billing costs and practices for special education services.

Bill Text

HB 1623-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2776

 07/08

HOUSE BILL 1623-FN

AN ACT requiring charter schools to have uniform and transparent billing costs and practices for special education services.

SPONSORS: Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32; Rep. Nadeau, Rock. 4; Rep. Morse, Merr. 3; Rep. Thibault, Merr. 25; Rep. L. Miner, Rock. 7; Rep. DeVito, Rock. 8; Rep. Porcelli, Rock. 19; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. McGough, Dist 11

COMMITTEE: Education Funding

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ANALYSIS

 This bill requires that all chartered public schools and school districts have a uniform, transparent billing practice for special education services.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2776

 07/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT requiring charter schools to have uniform and transparent billing costs and practices for special education services.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Section; Education; Chartered Public Schools; Uniform Special Education Billing. Amend RSA 194-B by inserting after section 22 the following new section: 

 194-B:23 Uniform Special Education Billing. Chartered public schools and school districts shall have uniform, transparent billing practices for special education services. No chartered public school or school district shall charge a non-uniform rate for the same special education service. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.

 LBA

 26-2776

 12/5/25

HB 1623-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT requiring charter schools to have uniform and transparent billing costs and practices for special education services.

FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Revenue Fund(s)

None

 Expenditures*

$0

Indeterminable

 Funding Source(s)

General Fund

 Appropriations*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 Local Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Local Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires that all chartered public schools and school districts have a uniform, transparent billing practice for special education services. As the Department of Education is not clear how the uniform rates would be set, it is unclear how this will impact the different entities that are involved. If districts are to develop and maintain these uniform rates, they could incur additional costs for bookkeeping and/or accounting of these costs. Costs for each district could be between $5,000 and $20,000 per school depending on the number of districts with students enrolled in each charter school. If the Department is to develop and maintain these uniform rates it states it will need additional staff to do so. If the Department is also expected to enforce these uniform rates this would call for additional staffing. Cost for the Department could be up to $100,000 depending on the staffing required. The Department has not provided any details as to the position(s) it may need. This bill provides neither authorization nor appropriation for new personnel.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Education