New Hampshire HB 1800: relative to statewide education property taxes.

Bill Text

HB 1800-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-3222

 07/08

HOUSE BILL 1800-FN

AN ACT relative to statewide education property taxes.

SPONSORS: Rep. Spilsbury, Sull. 3; Rep. D. McGuire, Merr. 14; Rep. Peeples, Hills. 14; Rep. M. Smith, Straf. 10

COMMITTEE: Ways and Means

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ANALYSIS

This bill:

 I. Raises the statewide education property tax.

 II. Creates tax credit against the statewide education property tax.

 III. Has the department of revenue administration distribute education property taxes to municipalities.

 IV. Changes the meaning of the cost of an adequate education.

 V. Repeals statutes pertaining to extraordinary need grants.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-3222

 07/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to statewide education property taxes.

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

 1 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Education Tax. Amend RSA 76:3 to read as follows: 

 76:3 Education Tax. Beginning July 1, [2005] 2027, and every fiscal year thereafter, the commissioner of the department of revenue administration shall set the education tax rate at a level sufficient to generate revenue, based on the local real property tax assessment, of [$363,000,000] $5 per $1,000 of valuation when imposed on all persons and property taxable pursuant to RSA 76:8, except property subject to tax under RSA 82 and RSA 83-F. The education property tax rate shall be effective for the following fiscal year. The rate shall be set to the nearest 1/2 cent necessary to generate the revenue required in this section. 

 2 Taxation; Apportionment, Assessment and Abatement of Taxes; Commissioner's Warrant. Amend RSA 76:8, II-III to read as follows: 

 II. The commissioner shall issue a warrant under the commissioner's hand and official seal for the amount computed in paragraph I to the selectmen or assessors of each municipality by December 15 directing them to assess such sum and pay it to the [municipality for the use of the] department of revenue administration, to be remitted for distribution to municipalities for use in their local school district or districts. Such sums shall be assessed at such times as may be prescribed for other taxes assessed by such selectmen or assessors of the municipality. 

 II-a. At the time the warrant is issued pursuant to paragraph II, the commissioner shall report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the commissioner of education, a statement of the education tax warrants to be issued for the tax year commencing April 1 of the succeeding year. 

 III. Municipalities are authorized to assess additional local property taxes necessary to fund school district [appropriations] budgets not sufficiently funded by the education tax, by distributions from the education trust fund under RSA 198:39, or by other revenue sources. 

 IV. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the following credits shall be available against the tax imposed under this section: 

 (a) Twenty percent of the assessed value of a person's primary residence.

 (b) Ten percent for persons having no children enrolled in their local public school system.

 (c) Ten percent for persons over the age of 65.

 3 Education; Adequate Public Education; Cost of an Adequate Education. Amend RSA 193-E:2-b to read as follows: 

 193-E:2-b [Cost of an Adequate Education] Excellence in Education Grant. 

 I. The [general court shall use the definition of the opportunity for an adequate education in RSA 193-E:2-a to determine the resources necessary to provide essential programs, considering educational needs. The general court shall make an initial determination of the necessary specific resource elements to be included in the opportunity for an adequate education.] following amounts shall constitute the cost of an excellence in education grant and determine the resources necessary to provide the essential programs, considering educational needs, of an excellence in education grant: 

 (a) $10,000 per enrolled student; and

 (b) $4,000 per enrolled student qualifying for a free or reduced-price meal.

 II. The required revenue amount under this section shall be increased annually at a rate of 2 percent. 

 [II.] III. The general court shall create a process for the periodic determination of the specific resource elements essential to providing the substantive educational content of an [adequate education] excellence