Committee Summary for Senate Education (04/15/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB68 00:01:41.360 - 8:16:02 AM	Public Hearing	making best interest placements within the same school district mandatory in the absence of a valid reason to deny the placement.	Layon, Erica(R)[A]2024
HB108 00:15:23.440 - 8:29:44 AM	Public Hearing	relative to bullying and cyberbullying across multiple school districts.	McDonnell, Valerie(R)[B+]2024
HB235 00:30:16.720 - 8:44:37 AM	Public Hearing	relative to amending the educator code of ethics and code of conduct to include responsibility to parents.	Ladd, Rick(R)[B+]2024
HB292 00:49:20.079 - 9:03:41 AM	Public Hearing	establishing a commission to study school administrative unit consolidation.	Ladd, Rick(R)[B+]2024
HB68 01:34:40.040 - 9:49:01 AM	Executive Session	making best interest placements within the same school district mandatory in the absence of a valid reason to deny the placement.	Layon, Erica(R)[A]2024
HB108 01:36:20.199 - 9:50:41 AM	Executive Session	relative to bullying and cyberbullying across multiple school districts.	McDonnell, Valerie(R)[B+]2024
HB749 01:37:09.880 - 9:51:30 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) requiring instruction on communism in public high schools.	Moffett, Michael(R)[A-]2024

HB68: Representative Erica Layon Rockingham - District 13 Information Only00:01:41.360 - 8:16:02 AM; Erica Leon, representing Derry, introduced House Bill 68 which focuses on student placements within public schools. She explained that the bill stems from the experiences of many in her community who faced difficulties in finding appropriate placements for their students. The bill is described as a small step towards increasing flexibility in public school placements. Leon suggested that the committee should hold off on deciding on this bill until other related bills are considered, as those might address the issue more comprehensively.
HB68: Peggy Balbone, Rye, Greenland, and Northampton Oppose00:03:53.920 - 8:18:14 AM; Peggy Balbone, representing Rye, Greenland, and Northampton, expressed opposition to House Bill 68. She argued that the bill would complicate budgeting and planning for schools, especially in terms of special needs students who might switch schools midyear. This could affect where schools allocate their resources and staff, making it challenging to manage effectively.
HB108: Valerie McDonald, Salem Support00:15:23.440 - 8:29:44 AM; Valerie McDonald, representing Salem, introduced House Bill 108 which addresses bullying and cyber bullying across multiple school districts. She highlighted the challenges of dealing with bullying, especially with the influence of digital technology. The bill specifies that in cases of bullying across multiple districts, the principals of all involved districts are responsible for conducting an investigation, with the first district to learn of the incident initiating it. For incidents across state lines, the first district in New Hampshire to learn of it must contact the Attorney General's Office. The bill was developed with input from various educational and legal bodies and passed the House unanimously.
HB108: Senator Alilder Information Only00:17:34.080 - 8:31:55 AM; Senator Alilder asked about the details of the work session concerning House Bill 108, particularly regarding the involvement of the Attorney General's Office in cases of cyber bullying across state lines. She was curious about how the bill differentiates between bullying and criminal acts like harassment or stalking, which would involve local law enforcement.
HB108: Valerie McDonald, Salem Information Only00:18:45.280 - 8:33:06 AM; In response to Senator Alilder's questions, Valerie McDonald explained that the Attorney General's Office would determine whether to involve local law enforcement based on the nature of the incident, especially in cases crossing state lines. She clarified that the bill aims to establish who is responsible for initiating investigations into bullying incidents, with the possibility of escalating to law enforcement or the Attorney General's Office if necessary. She also discussed the role of school resource officers and the definition of 'first district' as the district that first learns of the incident, encouraging immediate action upon learning of an incident.
HB108: Peggy Balbone, Rye, Greenland, and Northampton Support00:22:33.360 - 8:36:54 AM; Peggy Balbone, representing Rye, Greenland, and Northampton, emphasized the bipartisan support for House Bill 108. She noted that the bill addresses a previously unspecified issue of which district should start an investigation into bullying incidents across multiple districts. She encouraged the committee to consider any possible improvements to the bill.
HB235: Glenn Cordelli, Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro, and Ossipee Support00:30:16.720 - 8:44:37 AM; Representative Cordelli introduced House Bill 235, emphasizing the importance of parental engagement in education. He explained that the bill aims to add 'responsibility to students and parents' into the educator's code of conduct, highlighting the vital role parents play in their children's education, from homework to discipline and cultural issues. He clarified that the bill does not create a new code of conduct for parents but rather acknowledges the educators' responsibility towards parents as well as students.
HB235: Senator Ochiller Information Only00:32:01.279 - 8:46:22 AM; Senator Ochiller questioned who would be responsible for ensuring parents adhere to the code of conduct. Representative Cordelli clarified that the code of conduct is for educators, not parents, and that any issues with parents would be handled through existing legal frameworks, not the educator's code of conduct.
HB235: Senator Sullivan Information Only00:37:27.839 - 8:51:48 AM; Senator Sullivan sought clarification on whether the bill was creating a new code of conduct for parents or simply adding a responsibility to parents within the existing educator's code of conduct. Representative Cordelli confirmed that it was the latter, emphasizing that the bill does not establish a parental code of conduct but recognizes the educators' responsibility towards parents.
HB235: Senator Brent Information Only00:38:43.200 - 8:53:04 AM; Senator Brent asked about the implications if a parent violates the code of conduct they sign with the school district. Representative Cordelli reiterated that the bill focuses on the educator's code of conduct and not on creating a new code for parents, pointing out that school districts already have handbooks that parents sign, which serve as their agreement with the school's policies.
HB235: Peggy Balbone, Rockingham 38, Greenland and Northampton Oppose00:40:01.320 - 8:54:22 AM; Peggy Balbone, a member of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee, opposed HB235, which aims to modify the educator code of ethics and code of conduct by adding parents and guardians to the definition of school community. She argued that this change is unnecessary as parents and guardians are already recognized as part of the school community. She highlighted the potential for the bill to impose arbitrary obligations on teachers and undermine educator input on changes to the code. Balbone emphasized that the primary duty of educators should be to the best interests of students and that the bill could disrupt the balance between educators and parents, creating unnecessary tension.
HB235: Megan Tuttle, President of NEA New Hampshire Oppose00:44:19.200 - 8:58:40 AM; Megan Tuttle, representing NEA New Hampshire and speaking as both an educator and a parent, opposed HB235. She stressed the importance of engaged parents but distinguished between partnership with parents and responsibility to them. Tuttle pointed out the overwhelming opposition to the bill from educators and argued that educators are responsible to students first, with the district and administration responsible to parents. She expressed concerns that the bill could create impossible situations for educators, particularly in supervising parent behavior at school events. Tuttle urged the committee to defeat the bill and focus on the educators' responsibility to students, suggesting that laws about parental rights should be separate.
HB292: Glenn Cordelli, representing Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro, and the beautiful lakes region Support00:49:20.079 - 9:03:41 AM; Representative Cordelli introduced House Bill 292, which focuses on the consolidation of school administrative units (SAUs). He highlighted the existing situation in his county, where despite having only 4,500 students, there are four SAUs, some with as few as 400 students. He supported the idea of a study committee or commission to further examine the potential savings and efficiencies that could be achieved through SAU consolidation. He mentioned that previous legislation had addressed SAU mergers with incentive payments, but emphasized the need for more detailed study and stakeholder involvement.
HB292: Senator Alchilla Information Only00:53:23.359 - 9:07:44 AM; Senator Alchilla questioned the alignment between the bill's text and Representative Cordelli's description of it. He pointed out that the bill specifies the commission's duty to identify implementation challenges for consolidating SAUs into one per county, aiming for a model of one SAU per county with additional SAUs for Nashua and Manchester, totaling 12 SAUs. He noted a discrepancy between Cordelli's mention of examining whether there should be changes in the number of SAUs and what the bill actually states, which is to focus on implementation strategies for a predetermined model.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only00:55:18.800 - 9:09:39 AM; The speaker expressed concerns about the amendment to HB292, specifically questioning how the amendment missed addressing the consolidation of school administrative units (SAUs) into one per county. They referenced specific lines in the bill and amendments, indicating confusion about the language regarding consolidation and the role of counties in it.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only00:56:08.000 - 9:10:29 AM; The speaker discussed the amendment to HB292, focusing on the consolidation of SAUs and the exception for counties with high populations. They clarified that the amendment does consider counties with populations exceeding 100,000 residents, suggesting a nuanced approach to consolidation.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only00:56:55.280 - 9:11:16 AM; The speaker questioned the clarity of the bill's language regarding consolidation, particularly the predetermined outcome of one SAU per county. They pointed out specific lines in the bill that seemed to suggest a different approach, causing confusion about the intended outcome.
HB292: Representative Peggy Balboni, representing Rockingham 38 Oppose00:58:42.640 - 9:13:03 AM; Representative Balboni opposed HB292, arguing that it undermines local control by prescribing the outcome of the commission's work to consolidate SAUs. She criticized the commission's membership for not including diverse educational stakeholders and pointed out the lack of public demand for such consolidation, referencing recent legislative efforts aimed at incentivizing SAU mergers that have not been successful.
HB292: Representative Paul Terry, representing Alton and Barnstead Information Only01:00:30.079 - 9:14:51 AM; Representative Terry shared observations from his experience with study committees, suggesting that the commission could examine models from other states like Virginia, potentially recommending alternatives to the specified consolidation plan in HB292. He emphasized the importance of a broad approach to the study, aiming to improve education in New Hampshire.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only01:02:17.119 - 9:16:38 AM; The speaker questioned the scope of the commission's charge, particularly regarding the study of financial feasibility and efficiencies of scale. They asked if the commission's study would include examining how the state supports education funding, drawing comparisons to other states like Virginia.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only01:03:31.760 - 9:17:52 AM; The speaker discussed the administrative costs in education and the growth of SAUs since the 1980s. They highlighted the need for the study committee to take a hard look at these issues and consider changes to address rising property taxes related to school budgets.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only01:07:19.280 - 9:21:40 AM; The speaker questioned the prescriptive nature of the commission's duties as outlined in HB292, suggesting that the bill's language might limit the commission's ability to explore alternative models. They also asked about the interest of local school districts in relinquishing control to a countywide system.
HB292: Unknown Speaker, representing unknown Information Only01:09:46.479 - 9:24:07 AM; The speaker discussed the potential for the study committee to propose recommendations rather than a strict consolidation plan, suggesting flexibility in interpreting the bill's language. They emphasized the importance of public participation and education in addressing administrative costs and local control.
HB292: Representative Timothy Han, representing Strafford County District 10 (Durham) Support01:18:58.239 - 9:33:19 AM; Representative Han supported HB292, noting that the issue of SAU consolidation has been considered before without success. He believed that reducing the number of SAUs could lead to savings, despite past concerns about creating larger administrative overhead. He expressed optimism about the potential outcomes of the study committee's work and the possibility of finding useful recommendations.
HB68: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:34:40.040 - 9:49:01 AM; The committee moved to go into executive session. A motion to re-refer House Bill 68 was made and seconded, with no discussion, and the motion passed by consent.
HB108: Sullivan Information Only01:36:20.199 - 9:50:41 AM; Sullivan moved to pass House Bill 108 relative to bullying and cyberbullying. The motion was seconded, and with no discussion, the motion to pass was approved by consent. Francis agreed to take it out.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Oppose01:37:09.880 - 9:51:30 AM; A motion to find House Bill 749 inexpedient to legislate (ITL) was moved and seconded. During the discussion, the speaker expressed opposition to the bill, citing personal connections to the Vietnam era and empathy for veterans. The speaker argued that the bill imposes another prescriptive curriculum on schools, which they believe is unnecessary as communism is already addressed in some government classes. They also mentioned that the bill does not accurately reflect the place of communism on the global scale of government types and falls under the authoritarian umbrella. Due to these reasons, the speaker could not support the bill.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:37:09.880 - 9:51:30 AM; The speaker concluded their remarks on the topic of education related to HB749, but the specific content of their testimony is not provided in the snippet.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:39:44.119 - 9:54:05 AM; The speaker discussed a motion to find the bill Inexpedient To Legislate (ITL) and noted the vote was 3 to 2 against the motion. They expressed a personal opinion that the topic should be integrated into history classes rather than taught separately, indicating ongoing discussion about the relevance and placement of the subject matter within the curriculum.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:40:45.440 - 9:55:06 AM; The speaker confirmed the ITL vote and mentioned looking for alternatives to constraints, specifically related to bill number 653. There was confusion about the bill number, which was corrected from 753 to 653. The speaker questioned the practice of naming specific organizations in legislation, using the example of the California Evidence-Based Clearing House for Child Welfare, and proposed striking that reference from the bill.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:42:33.239 - 9:56:54 AM; The speaker continued the discussion about the appropriateness of naming specific organizations in legislation, particularly focusing on the California Evidence-Based Clearing House. They suggested that while the organization is reputable, the reference should be removed to avoid specificity, and proposed keeping only the requirement for an evidence-based designation.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:43:34.639 - 9:57:55 AM; The speaker agreed with the previous suggestion to avoid proprietary references in legislation. They referenced a previous bill where similar changes were made and proposed rephrasing the bill to focus on evidence-based standards without naming specific organizations.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:44:30.239 - 9:58:51 AM; The speaker proposed a motion to Ought to Pass (OTP) the bill and discussed amending it to remove the specific reference to the California Evidence-Based Clearing House, suggesting a more general reference to evidence-based alternatives used by the New Hampshire Children's Behavioral Health Resource Center.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:45:16.000 - 9:59:37 AM; The speaker confirmed the amendment to remove the specific reference to the California organization, keeping the mention of the New Hampshire Children's Behavioral Health Resource Center. They moved for an Ought to Pass as Amended (OTPA) vote, which was seconded and passed with the committee amendment.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:46:03.560 - 10:00:24 AM; The speaker clarified the voting process for OTPA, confirming that the committee amendment was adopted and moved to vote on the bill as amended. The vote was unanimous at 5-0, and the bill was placed on consent.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:46:49.320 - 10:01:10 AM; The speaker reiterated the need to vote on the OTPA motion, confirming the unanimous vote and placing the bill on consent.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:48:08.639 - 10:02:29 AM; The speaker moved to pass another bill, number 753, related to expedited due process hearings for special education rights. The motion was seconded, and there was no discussion before the vote, which passed unanimously and was placed on consent.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:49:06.119 - 10:03:27 AM; The speaker moved to pass bill number 763 and introduced an amendment, 2025-1608s, which would establish a non-lapsing fund for grants and gifts related to AEDs in schools. The amendment was discussed and supported, referencing a similar model used in previous legislation.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:50:35.880 - 10:04:56 AM; The speaker raised a question about the inclusion of the American Heart Association in the amendment, sparking a discussion on the appropriateness of naming specific organizations in legislation. They considered the organization's role in setting guidelines and certifications for AEDs.
HB749: Nancy Vaughn, American Heart Association Information Only01:54:33.360 - 10:08:54 AM; Nancy Vaughn, representing the American Heart Association, supported keeping the organization's name in the legislation. She explained that the American Heart Association develops evidence-based guidelines used by other organizations and highlighted the importance of these guidelines in the context of the bill.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:56:56.080 - 10:11:17 AM; Following Nancy Vaughn's testimony, the speaker concluded that the American Heart Association's inclusion was justified due to its national recognition and the inclusive language allowing other recognized organizations. They moved to pass the amendment and the underlying bill as amended, which was seconded and passed unanimously, placed on consent.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only02:00:56.239 - 10:15:17 AM; The speaker moved to pass bill number 754 regarding automatic discovery and due process hearings for special education rights. The motion was seconded, and the bill passed unanimously and was placed on consent.
HB749: Unidentified Speaker Information Only02:02:13.040 - 10:16:34 AM; The speaker concluded the executive session, expressing satisfaction with the progress and planning for future sessions. They moved to exit the executive session, which was seconded and passed unanimously.

Ward, Ruth(Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Sullivan, Victoria(V Chairman)(R)	Prentiss, Suzanne(D)[F]2024
Altschiller, Debra(D)[CT]2024	Abbas, Daryl(R)[C+]2024