HB 1799 · 2026 · House · Education Funding Committee

Boosting state funding for education

relative to required state funding for providing an opportunity for an adequate education.

Establishes new state standards defining a constitutionally adequate education, increases funding costs for staffing and programs, requires districts to address outcome disparities, and creates a commission to study alternatives to property-tax school funding.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · February 19, 2026

✓Introduced
✕House
Senate
Governor
Law

Analysis

This bill: I. Creates a new set of standards for what the legislature determines as the meaning of a constitutionally adequate education. II. Includes a variety of staffing and personnel roles as pieces of an adequate education that should be funded appropriately. III. Increases the costs associated with funding an adequate education. IV. Requires the state and school districts to establish means and goals of addressing educational outcome disparities. V. Creates a commission to study alternative methods of funding public schools besides property taxes.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Public testimony

380 signed in online · 140 wrote testimony

97% support3% oppose0% neutral

ForProperty taxes are an unsustainable, unfair burden

AgainstBill doesn't create a sustainable new revenue source

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“I write in support of HB 1799. A fact of property tag-paying life in New Hampshire is that we have a regressive, unfair, and increasingly burdensome mechanism for funding public education. It is unsustainable and detrimental to the well-being of our state.…”

— Janet Lucas, Camptonsupports

“The NH Supreme Court has ruled twice that it is the NH state constitutional duty to adequately fund NH children's education.…”

— Barbara Danser, Jaffreysupports

“I urge your complete support of this bill for adequate funding for students in New Hampshire public schools.…”

— Sharon Tieger, Jaffreysupports

“Testimony in Opposition to HB 1799 I am writing in opposition to HB 1799 because, despite its stated intentions, this bill does not address the core problem at the heart of New Hampshire’s school funding crisis: the state’s continued over-reliance on local property taxes.…”

— Meagan Burger, Rindgeopposes

“Again, who defines an "adequate education"? This is again enforcing a mandated tax that is not in the NH Constitution”

— Megan Schmitt, CONCORDopposes

“Enough with the "more, more, more" money attitude for schools. You don't reduce tax burdens by increasing taxes. Controlling spending is the only way to reduce taxes, which are already crushing New Hampshire citizens.”

— Michael Richeson, Atkinsonopposes

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

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Hearings

2026-01-2010:00 amHouse Education FundingGP 232Public hearing
2026-02-0610:00 amHouse Education FundingGP 232Public hearing

Legislative history

Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Funding HJ 1 P. 36
Jan 20, 2026HousePublic Hearing: 01/20/2026 01:30 pm GP 232
Feb 6, 2026House==RECESSED== Executive Session: 02/06/2026 10:00 am GP 232
Feb 10, 2026House==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 02/10/2026 10:00 am GP 232
Feb 10, 2026HouseMajority : Inexpedient to Legislate 02/10/2026 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 7 P. 27
Feb 11, 2026HouseMinority : Ought to Pass
Feb 19, 2026HouseInexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 185-159 02/19/2026 HJ 5 P. 47

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Documents (PDF)

Introducedversion

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