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HB 222 · 2026 · House · Education Policy and Administration Committee

Repeal of charter school special-ed agreement

AI-generated

(New Title) repealing the requirement for a memorandum of understanding between a chartered public school and school district regarding how students with disabilities will receive special education services and updating the organizational structure of the department of corrections.

Repeals the requirement for a memorandum of understanding between a chartered public school and school district regarding how students with disabilities receive special education services, and updates the organizational structure of the department of corrections.AI-generated

Status

Signed into law · April 29, 2026
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✓Senate
  4. ✓Governor
  5. ✓Law

Analysis

This bill repeals the requirement for a memorandum of understanding between a chartered public school and school district regarding how students with disabilities will receive special education services. This bill also updates the organizational structure of the department of corrections.

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

“The department shall include the following internal organizational units performing the following major functions:”
RSA 21-H:4
“The commissioner of the department shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the council, and shall serve for a term of 4 years from the date of appointment and until a successor is appointed.”
RSA 21-H:6
“The [division of administration, under the supervision of an] unclassified [director of administration,] chief financial and operating officer [who] shall, in accordance with applicable laws, be responsible for:”
RSA 21-H:4
“The unclassified director of personnel and information shall be renamed the director of operations and project management and shall report directly to the chief financial and operating officer.”
RSA 21-H:4

Official record

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Peggy BalboniDPrime
  • Rep. David LuneauDRanking Member· Education Funding

Also: Rep. Maureen MooneyR

Public testimony

No one submitted online testimony on this bill. See the record

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Feb 18, 2025HouseCommittee report· consent calendar: Ought to Pass18–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • Mar 6, 2025HouseVoice voteOught to Passadopted
  • Apr 17, 2025SenateCommittee report: Rereferred to Committee5–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • Apr 17, 2025SenateVoice voteRereferred to Committeeadopted
  • Jan 7, 2026SenateCommittee reportCommittee report: Ought to Pass5–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • Jan 7, 2026SenateVoice voteSen. Lang Floor Amendment # 2025-3113sadopted
  • Jan 7, 2026SenateVoice voteOught to Pass with Amendment #2025-3113sadopted
    Resulting text: Bill as amended by the Senate
  • Apr 9, 2026HouseVoice voteHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-3113s (Rep. Noble)adopted
    Resulting text: Bill as adopted by both chambers
  • Apr 23, 2026SenateVoice voteEnrolledadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 3, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration9:41–17:377m 56slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Feb 18, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration40:18–46:276m 9slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Ought to Pass; Executive Session
  • Mar 6, 2025Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamOught to Pass — adopted, voice vote
  • Mar 25, 2025Public hearingSenate Education53:52–55:471m 55slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • Apr 17, 2025Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamCommittee Report: Rereferred to Committee; Rereferred to Committee — adopted, voice vote
  • Jan 7, 2026Floor debateSenate floor4:49:32–4:53:213m 49slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Ought to Pass; Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-3113s — adopted, voice vote; Sen. Lang Floor Amendment # 2025-3113s — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 9, 2026Floor debateHouse floor54:45–56:201m 35slocated in the stream transcriptHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-3113s (Rep. Noble) — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 23, 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 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 2 P. 11
  2. Feb 3, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/03/2025 09:30 am LOB 205-207
  3. Feb 18, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 02/18/2025 09:30 am LOB 202-204
  4. Feb 18, 2025HouseCommittee Report: Ought to Pass 02/18/2025 (Vote 18-0; CC) HC 14 P. 5
  5. Mar 6, 2025HouseOught to Pass: MA VV 03/06/2025 HJ 7 P. 5
  6. Mar 6, 2025SenIntroduced 03/06/2025 and Referred to Education; SJ 7
  7. Mar 25, 2025SenHearing: 03/25/2025, Room 101, LOB, 09:30 am; SC 14
  8. Apr 17, 2025SenCommittee Report: Rereferred to Committee, 04/17/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 17
  9. Apr 17, 2025SenRereferred to Committee, MA, VV; 04/17/2025; SJ 10
  10. Jan 7, 2026Sen: Ought to Pass, 01/07/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 46
  11. Jan 7, 2026SenHB 222 was Removed from the Consent Calendar; 01/07/2026; SJ 1
  12. Jan 7, 2026SenSen. Lang Floor Amendment # 2025-3113s, AA, VV; 01/07/2026; SJ 1
  13. Jan 7, 2026SenOught to Pass with Amendment #2025-3113s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 01/07/2026; SJ 1
  14. Apr 9, 2026HouseHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-3113s (Rep. Noble): MA VV 04/09/2026 HJ 10 P. 8
  15. Apr 23, 2026SenEnrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 04/23/2026); SJ 11
  16. Apr 23, 2026HouseEnrolled (in recess of) 04/23/2026 HJ 11 P. 82
  17. Apr 28, 2026HouseSigned by Governor Ayotte 04/28/2026; Chapter 41; eff. I. Sec 1 eff 6/27/26 II. Rem eff 4/28/26

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Background reading

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

  • 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

  • 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

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

  • 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.