Committee Summary for House Education Policy and Administration (02/11/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB1700 00:05:14.880 - 9:04:00 AM	Public Hearing	adding a non-voting student member to the state board of education.	Alexander, Joe(R)[A+]2025
HB1453 00:28:45.440 - 9:27:31 AM	Public Hearing	relative to student school board members.	Thibault, James(R)[A]2025
HB1490 01:02:53.280 - 10:01:39 AM	Public Hearing	requiring scholarship organizations to provide written notice to parents explaining the parents' requirement to provide written notice upon termination of a home education program.	Peternel, Katy(R)[A]2025
HB1370 2026-0524h -	Executive Session	relative to the reporting requirements for the identification and accommodation of gifted and talented students.	Litchfield, Melissa(R)[B+]2025
HB1806 -	Executive Session	relative to the list of revoked or suspended educator licenses maintained by the department of education.	Manohar, Sanjeev(D)[D-]2025
HB1669 03:08:54.240 - 12:07:40 PM	Public Hearing	establishing a teacher bill of rights.	Litchfield, Melissa(R)[B+]2025
HB1754 04:04:44.160 - 1:03:30 PM	Public Hearing	repealing the statewide use of the multi-tiered system of supports for behavioral health and wellness relative to systems of care for children's mental health.	Sellers, John(R)[A-]2025

HB1700: Representative Joe Alexander, Goffstown Support00:05:14.880 - 9:04:00 AM; Representative Alexander introduced HB1700 on behalf of a high school student, Brady McCann. He explained that the bill proposes adding a non-voting student member to the State Board of Education, aged 14-22, enrolled in various educational programs including career schools, high schools, community colleges, universities, EFA, or home education. The student would serve one term. He emphasized inclusivity for all students engaged in education and noted that existing board members cannot be students. He addressed questions on virtual attendance, preferring in-person, and defended including EFA and home-educated students for broad representation.
HB1700: Brady McCann, Goffstown High School Support00:13:01.440 - 9:11:47 AM; Brady McCann, a senior at Goffstown High School and current student representative on his local school board, testified in support of HB1700. He shared his experience providing valuable student input on local decisions like class ranking changes. He noted that 22 states have student representatives on their boards, highlighting the need for student voices on state-level education policies amid changes like open enrollment and credit requirements. He addressed concerns about missing school for meetings, stating it's manageable and enriching. He supported including diverse student backgrounds, arguing all students' perspectives matter, and preferred a single consistent representative over rotation to maintain continuity on issues.
HB1453: Representative Valerie McDonald, Rockingham 25 Information Only00:28:45.440 - 9:27:31 AM; Representative McDonald introduced HB1453 on behalf of the absent prime sponsor, Representative Tibo. She explained the bill aims to inform student school board members of their rights, responsibilities, and duties to ensure they serve their constituency effectively. She noted she was not involved in drafting and provided written testimony from the sponsor to the clerk, offering to relay questions.
HB1453: Becky Wilson, New Hampshire School Boards Association Oppose00:30:34.640 - 9:29:20 AM; Becky Wilson expresses support for student voice on school boards but opposes HB1453 as currently written due to its prescriptive nature. She highlights successful collaborative training programs for student board members attended by 35-40 students annually. Concerns include restrictions on districts having multiple student representatives, timelines that don't align with summer meetings or spring elections, limitations to academic year only, unclear penalties and enforcement by the state board, and potential impacts on districts with middle-high school reps. She questions the bill's intent and notes alternative ways for students to voice concerns. During Q&A, she addresses local control, penalties, training timing in late fall, and the effectiveness of current student reps.
HB1490: Representative Katie Pernell, Wolfeboro and Tuftonboro, Carroll District 6 Support01:02:53.280 - 10:01:39 AM; Representative Pernell introduces HB1490 to address concerns from the Home Education Advisory Council about parents unaware they terminate their 193A home education program when switching to Education Freedom Account (EFA) under 194F. She notes the information is in the scholarship organization's handbook but seeks clearer written notice to ensure awareness of the termination and its implications, such as loss of 193A freedoms like not submitting assessments.
HB1490: Matt Sutherton, Children's Scholarship Fund Information Only01:09:10.400 - 10:07:56 AM; Matt Sutherton explains current practice includes the information in the parent handbook and agreement with checkboxes. He is open to implementing the bill's requirements, suggesting inclusion in the parent agreement or as a checkbox for clarity, especially for those exiting 193A programs. He notes their customer service handles questions and they would follow legislative direction without opposition.
HB1669: Representative Melissa Litchfield, District 32 (Brentwood, Danville, Fremont) Support03:08:54.240 - 12:07:40 PM; Representative Litchfield introduced HB1669, emphasizing the need for a clear, statewide teacher bill of rights to address teacher shortages, burnout, and classroom challenges. She highlighted her background in school boards and as a parent of aspiring teachers. The bill would require districts to publish rights including safe environments, constructive relationships with administrators, and freedom from violence. She addressed potential concerns like contracts, enforceability, lawsuits, and costs, arguing it provides clarity without replacing existing protections. She acknowledged the bill needs amendments for definitions and examples from educators, and supports collaboration to improve it.
HB1669: Ann Marie Banfield, parental advocate Support03:37:18.800 - 12:36:04 PM; Banfield supports the concept of a teacher bill of rights, noting it benefits teachers, students, and parents by ensuring a good working environment. She expressed concerns about losing good teachers due to poor conditions and lousy parenting. She suggested tweaking the bill collaboratively and believes it could help teachers in court cases involving violence. She emphasized basic expectations like safe environments without politicizing it, and distinguished public schools from private institutions like hospitals.
HB1669: Brian Hawkins, NEA New Hampshire Support03:51:08.479 - 12:49:54 PM; Hawkins supports the positive goals of HB1669, such as safe environments, but questions its components and suggests an interim study for clarity. He noted aspirational aspects lack operational recourse for violations and referenced rejected OSHA standards for public employees. He highlighted challenges from recent education law changes and past bipartisan studies on school violence, advocating for concrete processes to support teachers effectively.
HB1669: Becky Wilson, New Hampshire School Boards Association Information Only03:58:32.800 - 12:57:18 PM; Wilson stated the association is not taking a position on HB1669 as written but shares concerns about educator safety, student behavior, and transparency. She noted similar bills in other states focused on discipline, questioned the definition of 'teacher' excluding paraprofessionals and special ed staff, and highlighted undefined terms potentially leading to conflicts with special ed laws or higher suspensions. She raised issues like resource mandates and cleanliness, suggesting the bill could cause more discord than resolution despite good intentions.
HB1754: Representative John Sers, Grafton 10 (Bristol, Bridgewater) Oppose04:04:44.160 - 1:03:30 PM; Representative Sers introduced HB1754 to repeal MTSS-B, arguing it's ineffective after 10 years, with no improvement in student proficiency rates (around 50% in reading, worse in math/science). He criticized the unfunded mandate costing districts millions, diverting teacher time from academics to untrained mental health roles, leading to misdiagnoses and data collection without consent. He noted the advisory committee rarely meets, violating law, and shared student anecdotes dismissing the program. He referenced a 36-page report on school-based mental health challenges and public submissions supporting repeal due to lack of evidence and high costs.
HB1754: Nate Jones, Brentwood Support04:27:49.359 - 1:26:35 PM; Nate Jones, a school psychologist with 20 years of experience and a consultant on MTSS implementation, testified in support of HB1754. He explained MTSS as an evidence-based framework that measures the effectiveness of interventions for students' skills, emphasizing the importance of proper resourcing, training, and time investment. He shared data from past trainings showing that effective PBS (predecessor to MTSS) increases teaching time by improving student behavior. Jones highlighted that MTSS requires persistence and screening all students to identify needs, allowing for targeted interventions that prevent escalation. He addressed questions on data availability, long-term behavior change, implementation processes, screening frequency, and its preventative nature, stressing that early support closes gaps and maximizes learning time.
HB1754: Aubrey Friedman, Bridgewater Support04:42:11.120 - 1:40:57 PM; Aubrey Friedman testified in support of HB1754, criticizing MTSS as a disaster that has not delivered promised improvements in student proficiency despite years of implementation since around 2016. She questioned why bullying persists if MTSS is effectively teaching better behavior and noted that it diverts time from academic instruction, citing an example from New Hampton Community School where 30-40 minutes daily were spent on MTSS. Friedman argued for results and opposed continued funding without evidence of effectiveness.
HB1754: Dr. Cynthia Whitaker, CEO of Greater Nashua Mental Health, representing Community Behavioral Health Association Oppose04:44:36.958 - 1:43:22 PM; Dr. Cynthia Whitaker opposed HB1754, describing MTSS-B as a proven public health framework for supporting children's mental health needs, passed with bipartisan support in 2016. She clarified it is not an intervention but a structure for teaching mental health awareness, akin to public health education on seatbelts or smoking. Whitaker noted inconsistent statewide implementation due to lack of funding, leading to uneven results, and emphasized its role in collaboration with external entities for tiered supports while adhering to privacy laws like HIPAA. She addressed questions on academic performance links, evidence data, and school psychologist certifications.
HB1754: Ann Marie Banfield, parent advocate Support04:51:50.878 - 1:50:36 PM; Amry Banfield supported HB1754, highlighting MTSS-B's issues including high costs ($500,000 in Merrimack, $100,000 for tier three in Winnisquam), redefinition of schools' roles into mental health care, diversion of tier one time from core subjects, coerced emotional disclosure, subjective assessments by untrained staff, and data collection via for-profit vendors like SEL programs embedded in math curricula without parental consent—termed 'surveillance capitalism.' She cited the PowerSchool lawsuit and examples of teachers resigning over behavior issues despite MTSS-B, advocating for guardrails or removal from state law while allowing local use.
HB1754: Adam Osborne, middle school principal Oppose04:58:28.240 - 1:57:14 PM; Adam Osborne, a middle school principal, opposed HB1754, clarifying MTSS-B as a public health framework for organizing student supports, rooted in three questions: supporting all students, early identification of at-risk students, and proportional responses. He explained its role in reducing suspensions, addressing root causes, using data transparently (FERPA/COPPA compliant), involving parents, and maintaining safety. Osborne provided examples like weekly attendance and grade screenings triggering family outreach, individual interventions such as home pickups for transportation issues, and team-based referrals for tier 2/3 supports. He emphasized it maximizes instructional time and prepares students for accountability.
HB1754: Beth Corkum, multi-tiered systems coordinator for SAU67 Bow and DB Martin School District Oppose05:12:03.040 - 2:10:49 PM; Beth Corkum opposed HB1754, describing MTSS as a decision-making framework for consistent, transparent support, with MTSS-B focusing on behavioral-academic intersections without schools providing mental health treatment—coordinating with community partners instead. She stressed data use for existing patterns like attendance and incidents, not diagnoses, and its fiscal benefits in aligning resources. Corkum shared examples of self-advocacy interventions benefiting individual students and school culture via student leaders, and noted increased attendance and proficiency in her district without reducing instructional time.
HB1754: Daryus Owen, Nashua Support05:18:47.440 - 2:17:33 PM; Daryus Owen supported HB1754, calling MTSS-B an unfunded mandate violating FERPA Section 42 by lacking opt-in/out for non-academic supports. He argued behavioral health belongs in separate clinics, not schools, and criticized unaccountable school psychologists for secret interrogations without parental notification, citing personal experiences on a school board where psychologists refused policy input. Owen noted increased psychologist staffing and unconstitutional data tracking in statewide databases without parental recourse.
HB1754: Sarah Scogland, Winnisquam Regional School District Oppose05:21:23.600 - 2:20:09 PM; Sarah Scogland, focused on student and staff wellness in Winnisquam (serving Tilton, Northfield, Sanbornton), opposed HB1754 with colleagues representing 10,000+ students. She described MTSS-B as a data-driven educational framework for tiered instruction, not clinical treatment, with ripple effects on workforce development (teaching soft skills like self-regulation) and school safety (preventing crises via data review and referrals). Scogland emphasized its role in investing in the whole child to reduce violence conditions and ensure no student falls through cracks.
HB1754: Fern Seiden, director of student and staff wellness for Concord School District Oppose05:25:53.760 - 2:24:39 PM; Fern Seiden opposed HB1754, positioning MTSS as a cost-containment strategy through prevention, reducing escalations to crisis services, office referrals, suspensions, and special education costs ($31,000 average per pupil, up to $215,000 for out-of-district). She noted shifts to stressed emergency departments without early supports and shared partnerships with Riverbend Community Mental Health for interventions like Check and Connect mentoring. Seiden highlighted state training cuts' impact, stressing MTSS's nationwide acceptance for academics, social-emotional well-being, and long-term student success.
HB1754: Becky Kennedy, system of care coordinator for Merrimack Valley School District Oppose05:35:31.760 - 2:34:17 PM; Becky Kennedy strongly opposed HB1754, focusing on MTSS-B's role in safety, accountability, and coordinated systems built since 2006-2007, aligning schools with mental health centers, law enforcement, and others using shared language. She clarified it as a teamwork framework for threat assessments, truancy, suicide prevention, bullying, and crisis response—not a curriculum or diagnostic tool—ensuring checks and balances without overriding parental rights. Kennedy warned repeal would make safety optional, waste investments, increase costs in emergencies/out-of-district placements, and contradict NH's 10-year mental health plan and national evidence-based practices.
HB1754: Melissa Colby, Director of Children's Program at Riverbend Community Mental Health Center, Concord Support05:40:47.600 - 2:39:33 PM; Melissa Colby explains how the MTSSB framework integrates services from mental health centers, education systems, community partners, and schools to support children's mental and behavioral health. She highlights that prior to MTSSB, services operated in silos, but now collaborative teams leverage each entity's strengths to rally around struggling children and families with high acuity needs. MTSSB facilitates family navigation of systems, from universal data-driven approaches to targeted interventions with parent permission, such as referrals to mental health services. She emphasizes that repealing MTSSB would fragment services, revert to silos, and burden families, especially in schools without implementation where access to help is more challenging.
HB1754: Sam Hawkins, representing NAMI New Hampshire Oppose05:47:30.878 - 2:46:16 PM; Sam Hawkins opposes HB1754, affirming support for MTSSB as part of the broader youth mental health system of care. He clarifies that the RSA does not mandate every school to implement MTSSB but requires statewide implementation across the system. He argues that underresourcing MTSSB reflects disinvestment in community resources, not a flaw in the framework. Hawkins notes modest but meaningful progress in addressing the youth mental health crisis through the system of care, warning that repealing MTSSB could fragment the system, risk failure, and undo years of progress by reintroducing silos.
HB1754: Michelle Merritt, President at New Futures (representing Emma Sabini) Oppose05:50:01.440 - 2:48:47 PM; Michelle Merritt opposes HB1754, reiterating points on the unfunded mandate and the role of MTSSB in RSA 135-F. She explains that repealing the provision would abandon school districts, forcing them to reinvent frameworks for managing challenging behaviors and keeping students in the classroom. Merritt highlights New Hampshire's progress since 2014 in building the children's behavioral health system of care, reducing emergency room boardings from 51 children in one day in 2021 to lower numbers today. She stresses that MTSSB breaks down silos between schools, health centers, and families, and its repeal would reverse gains, making systems harder for families to navigate.
HB1754: Barbara Slayton, Franklin School District Support05:52:53.120 - 2:51:39 PM; Barbara Slayton urges the committee to oppose the repeal, emphasizing the need to consult local school districts like Franklin on education and mental health bills. She discusses reliance on federal grants (e.g., Project AWARE, STOP grants) secured using the MTSSB public health model, which aligns with state and neighboring district support, aiding grant competitiveness. Slayton clarifies that MTSSB does not involve diagnosing students but identifies needs for referrals to partners like Riverbend and Health First, using collocated services to reduce barriers like transportation. She addresses impacts on classmates and teachers, noting proactive supports prevent disruptions, save time, and provide professional development. Regarding the sponsor's claim of misdiagnosis, she explains MTSSB facilitates referrals without school-based diagnosis, emphasizing parental involvement and barrier reduction.
HB1754: Jenny O'Higgins, Legislative Liaison for Division of Behavioral Health at DHHS Support06:08:30.240 - 3:07:16 PM; Jenny O'Higgins provides context on the children's system of care, prioritizing community-based, collaborative models like MTSSB, which integrates with DOE and partners for youth supports. She reports major reductions in ED boardings (from 51 in 2021 to an average of 4, sometimes 0), crisis services, and inpatient stays due to investments in RSA 135-F and the Children's System of Care Advisory Committee. MTSSB is a core component, enabling data monitoring and referrals. Repeal would lose statewide tools, technical assistance, and alignment, increasing district burdens and reducing coordination without mandating school implementation. She likens MTSSB to tiered literacy supports, emphasizing early intervention saves costs and improves outcomes, preventing expensive care like out-of-state placements.
HB1754: Katherine Lesing and Kelly Rambo, Department of Education (Office of Student and Educator Wellness and Bureau of Nutrition and Wellness) Support06:21:00.000 - 3:19:46 PM; Katherine Lesing and Kelly Rambo describe MTSSB as a locally driven framework, not a curriculum, allowing districts to tailor tiers using local data while following parental consent and data privacy laws. Tier 1 offers universal supports like positive behavior expectations; Tier 2 provides extra support; Tier 3 involves community collaboration with consent. MTSSB has been key to safe learning environments for over a decade, integrated with threat assessment and crisis protocols. DOE has secured eight federal grants since 2013 to support implementation, showing outcomes like reduced discipline referrals and increased instructional time. About 70% of schools use MTSSB; trainings and the online toolkit are widely utilized. Repeal would end statewide support, potentially compromising grants and fidelity, as adoption is local but state backing enables resources and buy-in.

Noble, Kristin(Chairman)(R)[A+]2025	Drye, Margaret(Clerk)(R)[B+]2025	Peternel, Katy(V Chairman)(R)[A]2025
Cornell, Patricia(D)[F]2025	Freeman, Lisa(R)[B+]2025	Belcher, Mike(R)[B+]2025
Hall, Muriel(D)[CT]2025	Terry, Paul(R)[B+]2025	McDonnell, Valerie(R)[B+]2025
Selig, Loren(D)[D-]2025	Balboni, Peggy(D)[CT]2025	Murray, Megan(D)[CT]2025
Tenczar, Jeffrey(R)[B+]2025	Litchfield, Melissa(R)[B+]2025	Woodcock, Stephen(D)[F]2025
Kluger, Lee Ann(D)[F]2025	Snodgrass, Jim(D)[F]2025	Nadeau, Brian(R)[B+]2025