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HB 738 · 2025 · House · Education Policy and Administration Committee

Background checks for voucher schools

AI-generated

requiring certain non-public schools or education service providers that accept public funds to perform background checks on all employees and volunteers.

Requires nonpublic schools and education service providers that accept public funds, such as scholarship or education freedom account students, to conduct criminal history background checks on all employees and volunteers.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · March 6, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✕House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill requires nonpublic schools and education service providers that accept public funds to comply with requirements for criminal history background checks for employees and volunteers.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as introduced. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“Any employee or volunteer of an entity contracted for educational services by the department or the state board of education who provides in-person instruction to students shall comply with the submission of a criminal history background check as described under RSA 189:13-a.”
RSA 21-N:9-a

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. David LuneauDPrimeDemocratic Advisor
  • Rep. Anita BurroughsDRanking Member· Commerce and Consumer Affairs
  • Rep. Patricia CornellDRanking Member· Education Policy
  • Sen. Suzanne PrentissDAssistant Democratic Leader

Also: Rep. Tracy BricchiD, Sen. Debra AltschillerD, Sen. Donovan FentonD, Sen. Tara ReardonD

Public testimony

1,149 signed in online · 284 wrote testimony

46% support54% oppose0% neutral

ForBackground checks should match public-school requirements

AgainstGovernment overreach on parental rights and privacy

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“Children attending these alternative schools should have similar protective measures with regard to adults they are in contact with as those in our traditional public schools.”
— Michael Cahill, Newmarket · Rockingham 10 Newfields, Newmarketsupports
“I write to you as a concerned parent, educator, and resident of NH supporting the requirement of background checks for anyone wishing to work with children outside of a "home" setting.…”
— Kristina Styren, Bowsupports
“This is common sense, public schools require a background check, licensed daycare require a background check, it is a natural progression to not want convicted offenders having a position of any authority over our children.”
— Sam Morrison, Plymouthsupports
“I am in OPPOSITION to HB738 as a RSA 193A home educator. This bill would subject me to a criminal background check if my children gather in community with any EFA or ETC recipient's children.…”
— dianne nolin, Windhamopposes
“I am a former traditional unfunded home educator under RSA 193a. If I had had to perform background checks on all the people who helped me educate my child - who is a freshman in college with a 3.64 gpa - it would have made our lives very difficult.…”
— Lara Maville, Canaanopposes
“This bill is an overreach of government. This bill has been shut down before. EFAs are not taxpayers funded.”
— Courtney Johnson, Pelhamopposes
“I am glad to hear the opposition that occurred during the House Education Committee meeting on 10/11/22 and was encouraged to see a change of the wording to exclude home education families IF the bill was to be moved forward.…”
— Renee Sifferman, Bedfordneutral

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Feb 19, 2025HouseCommittee report· consent calendar: Inexpedient to Legislate15–2
    Overall
    88% yea
  • Mar 6, 2025HouseVoice voteInexpedient to Legislateadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 12, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration6:16:57–6:29:4812m 51slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Feb 18, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and AdministrationWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full stream==RECESSED== Executive Session
  • Feb 19, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration53:57–55:021m 5slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; ==CONTINUED== Executive Session
  • Mar 6, 2025Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamInexpedient to Legislate — adopted, voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 9, 2025HouseIntroduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 3 P. 25
  2. Feb 12, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/12/2025 03:00 pm LOB 205-207
  3. Feb 18, 2025House==RECESSED== Executive Session: 02/18/2025 09:30 am LOB 202-204
  4. Feb 19, 2025House==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 02/19/2025 09:30 am LOB 205-207
  5. Feb 19, 2025House: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/19/2025 (Vote 15-2; CC) HC 14 P. 6
  6. Mar 6, 2025HouseInexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 03/06/2025 HJ 7 P. 7

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.