New Hampshire HB 1220: allowing the governing bodies of municipalities, cities, and towns to review and approve school budgets.

Bill Text

HB 1220 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2937

 07/05

HOUSE BILL 1220

AN ACT allowing the governing bodies of municipalities, cities, and towns to review and approve school budgets.

SPONSORS: Rep. Hemingway, Sull. 6

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

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ANALYSIS

 This bill allowing residents of school districts to vote to adopt a procedure allowing city councils, or a similar governing body, to approve school district budgets.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2937

 07/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT allowing the governing bodies of municipalities, cities, and towns to review and approve school budgets.

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

 1 New Paragraphs; Education; School Administrative Units; Alternative Budget Procedure; Method of Adoption. Amend RSA 194-C:9-a by inserting after paragraph VI the following new paragraphs:

 VII.(a) Each school district may vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 194-C:9-b, V, to determine the means for granting their local city council or similar governing body the authority to review and control voting authority to approve the school budget by placing a question on the warrant of their next annual school district meeting. The question shall be voted on in accordance with the ballot and voting procedures in effect in that school district.

 (b) The wording of the question shall be: "Shall the voters of the __________ school district adopt the provisions of RSA 194-C:9-b, V, to allow for the local city council, or similar governing body, the authority to review and control voting authority to approve the school budget?"

 (c) If a majority of the voters voting in the school district approve the question, then RSA 194-C:9-b, V, shall apply starting with the next annual school district meeting of the school district, and shall continue until rescinded. Each school district moderator shall cause a vote by secret ballot to be taken, record the number of yeas and nays, and announce the result of the vote at the annual meeting. The ballots shall be delivered to the moderator of the school district with the latest chronological annual meeting. The moderator of the latest chronological annual meeting shall record the total number of yeas and nays, announce the results of the final vote, and deliver the ballots to the secretary of the local school administrative unit. The secretary of the school administrative unit board shall certify the results to the department of revenue administration.

 VIII. If, in any year, the question presented to the voters in subparagraph VII(b) is not adopted, the question may be resubmitted as part of the warrant of the next annual school district meeting, provided each school district complies with the petition procedure set forth in RSA 197:6.

 IX. In order to rescind the adoption of RSA 194-C:9-b, V, each school district shall comply with the petition procedure set forth in RSA 197:6 and upon such compliance, a question shall be placed on the warrant of the next annual school district meeting. The wording of the question shall be: "Shall the voters of the __________ school district rescind the adoption of RSA 194-C:9-b, V, relative to the alternative school budget approval procedure, and adopt the provisions of RSA 194-C:9, as the method for governing the approval of the school budget?" If a majority of the voters voting in the school district approve the question, then the provisions of RSA 194-C:9 shall govern the procedure for approving the school budget in such school district. Each school district moderator shall cause a secret ballot vote to be taken, record the number of yeas and nays, and announce the result of the vote at the annual meeting. The ballots shall be delivered to the moderator of the school district with the latest chronological annual meeting. The moderator of the latest chronological annual meeting shall record the total number of yeas and nays, announce the results of the final vote on the question of adopting the school budget adoption method, and deliver the ballots to the secretary of the school administrative unit. The secretary of the school administrative unit board shall certify the results to the department of revenue administration.

 X. After a vote to adopt or rescind the alternative school budget procedure, the secretary of the school administrative unit shall place the ballots and all envelopes or wrapping which had previously contained them in a suitable container showing the conten