New Hampshire HB 1817: relative to access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs within school districts.

Bill Text

HB 1817-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES

11Mar2026... 0911h

2026 SESSION

 26-2861

 07/09

HOUSE BILL 1817-FN

AN ACT relative to access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs within school districts.

SPONSORS: Rep. McDonnell, Rock. 25; Rep. P. Brown, Rock. 14; Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. Morse, Merr. 3; Rep. Hill, Merr. 2; Rep. Thibault, Merr. 25

COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 This bill expands access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs within school districts for education freedom account students.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

11Mar2026... 0911h 26-2861

 07/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs within school districts.

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

 1 Education; School Attendance; Access to Public School Programs by Nonpublic, Public Chartered Schools or Home Educated Pupils. Amend RSA 193:1-c to read as follows: 

 193:1-c Access to Public School Programs by Nonpublic, Public Chartered [Schools] School, Education Freedom Account, or Home Educated Pupils. 

 I. Nonpublic, public chartered school, education freedom account, or home educated pupils shall have access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs offered by the school district in which the pupil resides, including the statewide assessment and preliminary scholastic aptitude test (PSAT). The local school board shall adopt a policy regulating participation in curricular courses and cocurricular programs[, provided that such]. Such policy shall not be more restrictive for non-public, public chartered school, education freedom account, or home educated pupils than the policy governing the school district's resident pupils. In this section, "cocurricular" shall include those activities which are designed to supplement and enrich regular academic programs of study, provide opportunities for social development, and encourage participation in clubs, athletics, performing groups, and service to school and community. For purposes of allowing access as described in this section, a "home educated pupil" includes any pupil who is a "child with a disability" under RSA 186-C:2, I, until such time as such pupil has acquired a high school diploma or reached age 21 inclusive; but shall not include any other pupil who has graduated from a high school level program of home education, or its equivalent, or has attained the age of 21. 

 II. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a parent to establish a home education program which exceeds the requirements of RSA 193:1 or RSA 193-A. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 LBA

 26-2861

 03/20/2026

HB 1817-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2026-0911h)

AN ACT relative to access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs within school districts.

FISCAL IMPACT: 

 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)

Education Trust 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

Indeterminable

 Local Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable

METHODOLOGY:

This bill expands access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs within school districts

for education freedom account students. The Department of Education states this bill will likely result in a significant cost at either the local level, state level, or both, depending upon interpretation**. The Department does not have a methodology that could be employed to determine the potential costs. It is not possible to know how many students would take advantage of what opportunities and how those costs would ultimately be born (by the local district or by the state). 

**Under current law, the Department of Education through its data systems and implementation of funding formulas, holds to two policy principles:

#1. Districts Are Provided State Funding When Required To Educate A Student 

The Department will provide state funding to districts when they are required to educate a student via the adequacy formula. This typically occurs by a student enrolling in their district school full-time. For home education students that have a