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HB 1815 · 2026 · House · Education Funding Committee

Revising adequate education funding formula

AI-generated

relative to education financing.

Revises the statutory policy and definitions governing what constitutes an adequate public education, restating the required learning areas and how the state calculates the per-pupil cost of providing that adequate education.AI-generated

Status

Signed into law · March 30, 2026
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✓Senate
  4. ✓Governor
  5. ✓Law

Analysis

This bill makes changes to what substantive educational content satisfies an adequate education.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as enacted.

“local governmental entities, including school districts, are created by the state, receive their authority to act and operate from the state, and are therefore indivisible from the state for the purposes of providing an adequate education.”
RSA 193-E:1, II

The sentence at the heart of the school-funding fight: districts are declared indivisible from the state.AI-generated

“How the state and its local governmental entities choose to raise, allocate, and spend financial resources to implement this integrated public education system is a political policy matter reserved to legislative and executive judgment and control.”
RSA 193-E:1, II

An explicit answer to the courts — funding is framed as a political question.AI-generated

“[Beginning in the school year 2008-2009, and for each year thereafter, the specific criteria and substantive educational program that deliver the opportunity for an] An adequate education shall be defined and identified as the school approval standards in the following learning areas:”
RSA 193-E:2-a, I(a)

Bracketed matter comes out: the definition is no longer pinned to the 2008-2009 criteria, though the subject list itself stays whole.AI-generated

“The sum total calculated under paragraph II shall be computed toward the cost of an adequate education, defined in RSA 193-E:2-a, including all differentiated aid. The department shall determine the cost of an adequate education, as defined in RSA 193-E:2-a, for each municipality based on the ADMR of pupils who reside in that municipality.”
RSA 198:40-a, III

The adequacy cost is recomputed per municipality on resident pupils, including differentiated aid.AI-generated

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Bob LynnRPrimeChair· Judiciary
  • Rep. Dan McGuireRVice Chair· Finance

Public testimony

1,041 signed in online · 347 wrote testimony

1% support99% oppose0% neutral

ForBill properly defines the state's constitutional obligation

AgainstState has a constitutional duty to fund adequate education

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“I am pleased to support this bill in finally defining constitutional obligation. I accept there will be tradeoffs in the legislative process and look forward to Republican leadership on this critical reform issue. It is decades past time to send Comrade Volinsky packing.…”
— tom luther, claremontsupports
“None of these changes reduce the real-world obligations schools must meet. Standards still apply. Students still need services. Transportation, staffing, and instructional needs do not disappear.”
— lisa stone, Peterboroughsupports
“I support having some representation on votes for school budgets. The constant increasing of budgets by $10 Million+ per year should have to be justified and voted on.…”
— Michael Harkeem, Manchestersupports
“I oppose HB1815 as it is similar to a past HB called HB283. It is not fair to create a level of adequacy for education. Are we not as parents and grandparents supposed to want the most and the best for our children?…”
— Nicole Arsenault, Laconia · Children of NH residentsopposes
“As a taxpayer and NH school teacher, I oppose this bill. I feel that educators are the only ones who have the training and experience to decide what the curriculum and minimum standards should be for students.…”
— Christine Hodsdon, EXETERopposes
“This is an unfair burden on property owners. State must do their share for equal education throughout the state.”
— Timothy Tsiatsios, Manchesteropposes

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 18, 2026HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Ought to Pass10–7
    Overall
    59% yea
  • Mar 5, 2026HouseRoll callOught to PassAdopted188–162How they voted
    Overall
    54% yea
    Party-line vote
    Republicans
    187–398% yea
    Democrats
    1–1591% yea
  • Mar 5, 2026HouseVoice voteReconsider OTP (Rep. Osborne)failed
  • Mar 26, 2026SenateCommittee report: Ought to Pass3–2
    Overall
    60% yea
  • Mar 26, 2026SenateRoll callOught to PassAdopted16–8How they voted
    Overall
    67% yea
    Party-line vote
    Republicans
    16–0100% yea
    Democrats
    0–80% yea

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 13, 2026Public hearingHouse Education Funding4:43:12–4:45:462m 34slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Feb 18, 2026Public hearingHouse Education Funding5:02:58–5:05:132m 15slocated in the stream transcriptMajority Committee Report: Ought to Pass — roll call; Executive Session
  • Mar 5, 2026Floor debateHouse floor1:41:54–1:46:224m 28slocated in the stream transcriptOught to Pass — adopted, roll call 188-162; Reconsider OTP (Rep. Osborne) — failed, voice vote
  • Mar 13, 2026Public hearingSenate Education Finance2:01:22–2:04:453m 23slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • Mar 26, 2026Floor debateSenate floor20:18–26:416m 23slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Ought to Pass; Ought to Pass — adopted, roll call 16-8; Without Objection, Sen. Birdsell Moved the Question — adopted

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 Funding HJ 1 P. 37
  2. Feb 13, 2026HousePublic Hearing: 02/13/2026 01:00 pm GP 232
  3. Feb 18, 2026HouseExecutive Session: 02/18/2026 10:00 am GP 234
  4. Feb 18, 2026HouseMajority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 02/18/2026 (Vote 10-7; RC) HC 9 P. 34
  5. Feb 24, 2026HouseMinority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
  6. Mar 5, 2026HouseOught to Pass: MA RC 188-162 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 60
  7. Mar 5, 2026HouseReconsider OTP (Rep. Osborne): MF VV 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 63
  8. Mar 5, 2026SenIntroduced 03/05/2026 and Referred to Education Finance; SJ 6
  9. Mar 13, 2026SenHearing: 03/13/2026, Room 103, SH, 09:15 am; SC 9A
  10. Mar 26, 2026Sen: Ought to Pass, 03/26/2026, Vote 3-2; SC 11
  11. Mar 26, 2026SenWithout Objection, Sen. Birdsell Moved the Question, MA; 03/26/2026; SJ 7
  12. Mar 26, 2026SenOught to Pass: RC 16Y-8N, MA; OT3rdg; Read a Third Time, and Final Passage in the early session, MA, VV; 03/26/2026; SJ 7
  13. Mar 26, 2026HouseEnrolled 03/26/2026 HJ 9 P. 17
  14. Mar 26, 2026SenEnrolled, Without Objection, MA; 03/26/2026; SJ 7
  15. Mar 27, 2026HouseSigned by Governor Ayotte 03/27/2026; Chapter 19; eff.05/26/2026

Coverage

Background reading

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

Documents (PDF)

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