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HB 1093 · 2026 · House · Education Policy and Administration Committee

Charter schools land-use rules

AI-generated

(New Title) relative to public charter schools and governmental land use exemptions.

Grants chartered public schools governmental-use status for land-use purposes and requires them to follow the same municipal notification and hearing procedures as other government entities before construction.AI-generated

Status

Signed into law · June 9, 2026
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✓Senate
  4. ✓Governor
  5. ✓Law

Analysis

This bill grants chartered public schools governmental-use status for land-use purposes and subjects them to the same municipal notification requirements as other governmental entities.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

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

“Except as otherwise provided in law, chartered public schools shall be fully exempt from state laws and rules which otherwise apply to public or nonpublic schools, or local school boards or districts.”
Section 118:1
“The state, university system, community college system of New Hampshire, county, town, city, school district, chartered public school, or village district shall give written notification to the governing body and planning board, if such exists, of a municipality of any proposed governmental use of property within its jurisdiction, which constitutes a substantial change in use or a substantial new use.”
Section 118:2
“Notwithstanding the foregoing, chartered public schools shall have all the rights and privileges of other public schools, including treatment as governmental use under RSA 674:54.”
Section 118:1
“Written notification shall contain plans, specifications, explanations of proposed changes available at the time, a statement of the governmental nature of the use as set forth in paragraph I, and a proposed construction schedule.”
Section 118:2

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Tanya DonnellyRPrimeAssistant Majority Whip
  • Rep. Juliet Harvey-BoliaRDeputy Majority Floor Leader
  • Rep. John JanigianRChair· Ways and Means
  • Rep. Dennis MannionRVice Chair· Judiciary

Also: Rep. Maureen MooneyR

Public testimony

193 signed in online · 83 wrote testimony

4% support95% oppose1% neutral

ForMunicipalities don't treat charter schools as public schools

AgainstCharter schools would cut the line ahead of waiting public schools

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“To: House Education Policy and Administration Committee From: Jessica Wachsman, Dean of Operations and Founder, The Birches Academy Date: January 22, 2026 Good Afternoon, My name is Jessica Wachsman, and I am the Dean of Operations and a Founder of The Birches Academy in Salem.…”
— Jessica Wachsman, Salemsupports
“Anything to make the availability of more charter schools in the state is a net positive”
— CORY STONE, Doversupports
“To: House Education Policy and Administration Committee From: Amy Bottomley, Head of School, MicroSociety Academy Date: February 27, 2026 Greetings: My name is Amy Bottomley, and I am the Head of School at MicroSociety Academy in Nashua, NH.…”
— Amy Bottomley, Hollissupports
“Charter schools should receive aid, however if the buildings meet municipal requirements they should not be required to meet state requirements Again the education of children should come first not semantics on other issues”
— Lisa Ayer, Manchesteropposes
“No money for charter schools. My taxes go to public schools ONLY”
— Donna Cusick, Hudsonopposes
“WHY IT MATTERS: School building aid = PROPERTY TAXES These bills fly under the radar — but they can either increase or decrease your tax bill directly.…”
— Laura Gerard, Gilmanton Iwopposes

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 4, 2026HouseCommittee report· consent calendar: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0489h16–1
    Overall
    94% yea
  • Feb 19, 2026HouseVoice voteAmendment 2026-0489hadopted
  • Feb 19, 2026HouseVoice voteOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-0489hadopted
    Resulting text: Bill as amended by the House
  • Mar 4, 2026HouseCommittee report· consent calendar: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1013h12–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • Mar 11, 2026HouseVoice voteAmendment 2026-1013hadopted
  • Mar 11, 2026HouseVoice voteOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-1013hadopted
    Resulting text: Bill as amended by the House
  • Apr 23, 2026SenateCommittee report: Ought to Pass4–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • Apr 23, 2026SenateVoice voteOught to Passadopted
  • May 14, 2026SenateVoice voteEnrolledadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Jan 30, 2026Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration3:29:43–3:30:511m 8slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Feb 19, 2026Floor debateHouse floor34:32–35:0836slocated in the stream transcriptOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-0489h — adopted, voice vote; Amendment # 2026-0489h — adopted, voice vote; Referred to Executive Departments and Administration
  • Mar 4, 2026Public hearingHouse Executive Departments and Administrationfrom 10:40located in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1013h; Public Hearing
  • Mar 11, 2026Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-1013h — adopted, voice vote; Amendment # 2026-1013h — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 14, 2026Public hearingSenate Education2:37–8:586m 21slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • Apr 23, 2026Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamCommittee Report: Ought to Pass; Ought to Pass — adopted, voice vote
  • May 14, 2026Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamEnrolled Adopted — voice vote

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

Legislative history

  1. Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 1 P. 6
  2. Jan 26, 2026House==CANCELLED== Public Hearing: 01/26/2026 01:30 pm GP 232
  3. Jan 30, 2026HousePublic Hearing: 01/30/2026 01:30 pm GP 232
  4. Feb 4, 2026HouseExecutive Session: 02/04/2026 01:30 pm GP 232
  5. Feb 4, 2026House: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0489h 02/04/2026 (Vote 16-1; CC) HC 7 P. 9
  6. Feb 19, 2026HouseAmendment # 2026-0489h: AA VV 02/19/2026 HJ 5 P. 13
  7. Feb 19, 2026HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-0489h: MA VV 02/19/2026 HJ 5 P. 13
  8. Feb 19, 2026HouseReferred to Executive Departments and Administration 02/19/2026 HJ 5 P. 39
  9. Mar 4, 2026HousePublic Hearing: 03/04/2026 01:00 pm GP 231
  10. Mar 4, 2026House: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1013h 03/04/2026 (Vote 12-0; CC) HC 10 P. 18
  11. Mar 11, 2026HouseAmendment # 2026-1013h: AA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 38
  12. Mar 11, 2026HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-1013h: MA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 38
  13. Mar 12, 2026SenIntroduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Education; SJ 7
  14. Apr 14, 2026SenHearing: 04/14/2026, Room Map Room, SL, 09:15 am; SC 14
  15. Apr 23, 2026Sen: Ought to Pass, 04/23/2026; Vote 4-0; CC; SC 15
  16. Apr 23, 2026SenOught to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/23/2026; SJ 10
  17. May 14, 2026SenEnrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 05/14/2026); SJ 13
  18. May 14, 2026HouseEnrolled (in recess of) 05/14/2026 HJ 13 P. 154
  19. Jun 5, 2026HouseSigned by Governor Ayotte 06/05/2026; Chapter 118; eff.08/04/2026

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Background reading

Evergreen reading on the policy area — spanning perspectives — not coverage of this specific bill.

  • What Are Charter Schools?Explainer

    Education Week — A plain-language primer on how charter schools are funded and governed, and the tradeoffs of their independence.AI-generated

  • National Charter School Study III (2023)Academic — national evidence

    CREDO · Stanford — The most-cited national study of charter outcomes: charter students gained modestly more in reading and math than matched public-school peers, with special-education students an exception.AI-generated

  • Key Conclusions from the New Orleans school reformsAcademic — the all-charter precedent

    Education Research Alliance for New Orleans (Tulane) — Nonpartisan researchers' findings on what happened when New Orleans became the nation's only all-charter district — the one real-world analog to HB 1358's proposal.AI-generated

  • The New Orleans Case for All-Charter School DistrictsPro-charter

    Education Next — A reform-oriented argument that district-wide charter conversion drove measurable gains in New Orleans and offers a model for other systems.AI-generated

  • School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from New OrleansCritical

    Brookings — Analysis warning that charter-based choice — including in New Orleans — tends to modestly increase school segregation rather than reduce it.AI-generated

  • Public Charter Schools in New HampshireNH context — official

    NH Department of Education — The state's own overview of how NH's ~38 public charter schools are authorized, governed, and funded (state pays roughly $10k/pupil vs. ~$19k in districts).AI-generated

Documents (PDF)

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