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HB 1623 · 2026 · House · Education Funding Committee

Uniform special education billing rules

AI-generated

requiring charter schools to have uniform and transparent billing costs and practices for special education services.

Requires chartered public schools and school districts to adopt uniform, transparent billing practices for special education services.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · March 5, 2026
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✕House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill requires that all chartered public schools and school districts have a uniform, transparent billing practice for special education services.

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

“Chartered public schools and school districts shall have uniform, transparent billing practices for special education services.”
RSA 194-B:23
“No chartered public school or school district shall charge a non-uniform rate for the same special education service.”
RSA 194-B:23

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Melissa LitchfieldRPrime
  • Rep. Sayra DeVitoRClerk· Fish and Game and Marine Resources
  • Sen. Bill GannonRChair· Judiciary
  • Sen. Ruth WardRChair· Education

Also: Rep. Brian NadeauR, Rep. Bryan MorseR, Rep. James ThibaultR, Rep. Laurence MinerR, Rep. Susan PorcelliR, Sen. Tim McGoughR

Public testimony

13 signed in online · 6 wrote testimony

54% support46% oppose0% neutral

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“Ensures accountability and fairness in special education services, protecting students’ rights and public resources.”
— Hannah Meiselman, Manchestersupports
“The Great Bay Charter School Administrative Team opposes HB 1623, a proposed bill that would require "charter schools to have uniform and transparent billing costs and practices for special education services.…”
— Kari Harwood-Bramhall, Exeter · Great Bay Charter Schoolopposes
“I strongly oppose HB 1623. Every charter school is different, different staff, programs, and costs.…”
— Heather Johnson, Nashuaopposes
“As both an educator and a mom with a child in a public charter school, I strongly oppose this proposal. Charter schools are unique communities with their own missions and student needs.…”
— Maura Murphy, Nashuaopposes

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· consent calendar: Inexpedient to Legislate17–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • Mar 5, 2026HouseVoice voteInexpedient to Legislateadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Jan 29, 2026Public hearingHouse Education FundingWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamPublic Hearing
  • Feb 18, 2026Public hearingHouse Education Funding2:29:02–2:34:185m 16slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; Executive Session
  • Mar 5, 2026Floor 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 7, 2026HouseIntroduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Funding HJ 1 P. 28
  2. Jan 29, 2026HousePublic Hearing: 01/29/2026 01:00 pm GP 232
  3. Feb 18, 2026HouseExecutive Session: 02/18/2026 10:00 am GP 234
  4. Feb 18, 2026HouseCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/18/2026 (Vote 17-0; CC) HC 9 P. 9
  5. Mar 5, 2026HouseInexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 10

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.