New Hampshire HB 748: establishing a local education freedom account program.

Bill Text

HB 748-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-0091

 02/08

HOUSE BILL 748-FN

AN ACT establishing a local education freedom account program.

SPONSORS: Rep. Verville, Rock. 2; Rep. Cordelli, Carr. 7; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. Turcotte, Straf. 4; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16

COMMITTEE: Education Funding 

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ANALYSIS

 This bill allows school districts to adopt a program for local education freedom accounts for a parent of an eligible student to receive a grant from a scholarship organization for qualifying educational expenses at a public school, chartered public school, nonpublic school, or program approved by the department of education.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-0091

 02/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT establishing a local education freedom account program.

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

 1 New Chapter; Local Education Freedom Accounts. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 194-F the following new chapter:

CHAPTER 194-G

LOCAL EDUCATION FREEDOM ACCOUNTS

 194-G:1 Definitions. In this chapter:

 I. “Adequate education grant” means the grant calculated under RSA 198:41.

 II. “Curriculum” means the lessons and academic content taught in a specific course, program, or grade level.

 III. “Department” means the department of education.

 IV. "Education freedom account” or “EFA” means the account to which funds are allocated by the scholarship organization to the parent of an EFA student in order to pay for qualifying education expenses to educate the EFA student under this chapter.

 V. “Education service provider” means a person or organization that receives payments from education freedom accounts to provide educational goods and services to EFA students.

 VI. “Eligible student” means a resident of a school district that adopts the provisions of this chapter, who is at least 5 years of age and not more than 20 years of age, who has not graduated from high school and is:

 (a) Currently attending a New Hampshire public school, including a chartered public school; or

 (b) A kindergarten student; or

 (c) Receiving home education pursuant to RSA 193-A. 

 VII. “EFA student” means an eligible student who is participating in the EFA program.

An EFA student participating under this chapter shall be counted in the average daily membership in residence of their school district. 

 VIII. “Full-time” means more than 50 percent of instructional time.

 IX. “Remote or hybrid” shall mean any public school that is not providing instruction in person where the student or the educator are both not physically present in the traditional classroom due to full-time or part-time classroom closure.

 X. “Parent” means a biological or adoptive parent, legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of an EFA student.

 XI. “Program” means the education freedom account program established in this chapter.

 XII. “Scholarship organization” means a scholarship organization approved under RSA 77:G, that administers and implements education freedom accounts.

 194-G:2 Program Eligibility. 

 I. There is established a local education freedom account program. In any school district that adopts this chapter pursuant to RSA 197:3-b, the parent of an eligible student may receive a grant from a scholarship organization if the parent signs a contract with the scholarship organization. 

 II. The parent of an eligible student who signs a contract with a scholarship organization agrees to use the funds deposited in an eligible student's account for any of the following qualifying educational expenses: 

 (a) Tuition for course fees at any public school, chartered public school, nonpublic school, or program approved by the department pursuant to RSA 186-C:5. 

 (b) Textbooks, curriculum, or materials required to supplement or administer the curriculum. 

 (c) Payment to a tutor or tutoring facility. 

 (d) Fees for transportation to and from an educational service provider paid to a fee-for-service transportation provider, not to exceed $750 per school year.

 (e) Tuition and fees for online learning programs.

 (f) Educational services or therapies from a licensed or certified practitioner or provider, including licensed or certified paraprofessionals or educational aides. 

 (g) Computer hardware and software and other assistive devices