NH 2007 Legislative Session

Bills of interest to Homeschoolers

last updated 1/2/08 at 12:00 PM

Notices

What's new at this site

Bills that became law

Bills that were retained in committee

Bills that were laid on the table

Bills that were re-referred

Bills that did not pass the legislature

Bills that were vetoed

Useful links

 

All the bills listed here address issues that have in the past affected homeschoolers in this state or in other states, or have the potential to affect homeschoolers here in NH.

  • Click on the issue for an analysis (where available).
  • Click on the bill number to follow progress of that bill (only available if I am tracking that bill closely).
  • Click on the "*" next to the bill number to go directly to the current text of the bill.
  • Bills are color coded:

Red - impacts large number of homeschoolers

Fuschia - impacts a subgroup of homeschoolers

Aqua - of interest of homeschoolers

Yellow - scheduled legislative action

Obviously, one person alone cannot track all these bills. I would be indebted to anyone who passes along information, or who takes on the task of tracking particular bills. If you notice any errors or glaring omissions, please contact me.

Chris Hamilton
beaverlodgehs at charter.net
(603) 673-0189



Bills that became law

Issue

Last updated

Bill number and title

Analysis

Summary of Status

Home education law

12/13/07

No bills became law

Compulsory attendance, dropouts, expulsions

12/13/07

HB87 - relative to the exceptions to compulsory school attendance.

This bill inserts clarifications to the exceptions to the compulsory school attendance statute.

Legislative history

Effective date:

·        Sections 2-4 effective as provided in section 5

·        Remainder effective 9/15/07

Note: the Enrolled Bill amendment accidentally enacted the increase in age of compulsory attendance 9/15/07 instead of 7/1/09

HB126 - relative to the definition of "school."

This bill revises the definitions of standard school, elementary school, high school, and the number of days of school. This bill is a request of the department of education.

Legislative history

Effective date – 8/10/07

Also mentioned under "School improvement"

SB18-FN - raising the age of required attendance of children in school.
This bill is tracked here.

This bill raises from 16 to 18 the age for compulsory school attendance and provides a procedure for a pupil who is at least 16 years of age to obtain an attendance waiver from school.

Legislative history

Effective date – 7/1/09

SB101 - relative to payment of costs for certain students attending alternative education programs.

This bill permits "at risk" students to attend an alternative education program at a regional vocational education center and requires the department of education to pay tuition and transportation costs for such attendance.

Legislative history

Effective date – 8/24/07

Also mentioned under "School improvement"

Educational alternatives, charter schools

12/13/07

HB213 - relative to the availability of school nutrition program funds for charter school and nonpublic schools.

This bill allows charter schools, approved nonpublic schools, and residential facilities for children to apply for reimbursement for approved school meals.

Legislative history

Effective date -8/10/07

Access to public schools

12/13/07

No bills became law

Vouchers, abatements, tax credits

12/13/07

No bills became law

Special education

12/13/07

HB396 - establishing a commission to study autism spectrum disorders in New Hampshire.

This bill establishes a commission to study autism spectrum disorders in New Hampshire.

Legislative history

Effective date – 6/18/07

HB661-FN-A - establishing an executive planning commission on special education.

This bill establishes an executive planning commission on special education and appropriates $50,000 from the general fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008.

Legislative history

Effective date – 7/1/07

HB790 - relative to dependent coverage for health insurance.

This bill expands the definition of dependent young adults to those who are less than 26 years of age for purposes of insurance coverage.

See “College Access” for bill status

SB93-FN - relative to insurance coverage for children's early intervention therapy services.

This bill requires insurance coverage for the costs of early intervention services for children from birth to 36 months.

Legislative history

Effective date – 9/14/07

Also mentioned in Early childhood

SB195 - relative to unemployment benefits for persons needed to care for family members who are disabled.

This bill allows individuals who need to care for disabled family members to collect unemployment compensation benefits. This bill was requested by the department of employment security.

Legislative history

Effective date – 1/1/08

Driver's education

12/13/07

No bills became law

College access

12/13/07

HB790 - relative to dependent coverage for health insurance.

This bill expands the definition of dependent young adults to those who are less than 26 years of age for purposes of insurance coverage.

 

Also mentioned in “Special Education”

Legislative history

Effective date – 9/15/07

SB168 - establishing tuition waivers for foster children.

This bill establishes tuition waivers for foster children at any public postsecondary institution.

Legislative history

Effective date – 9/15/07

Child labor laws

12/13/07

HB99 - relative to the youth employment law.

This bill prohibits youths 16 and 17 years of age from working certain hours.

Legislative history

Effective date – 1/1/08

Early childhood

12/13/07

HB46-FN-A-L - making an appropriation to fund kindergarten programs in the Merrimack, Hampstead, Goffstown, Fremont, and Timberlane regional school districts.

This bill makes an appropriation from the education trust fund to the department of education to fund a grant of $1,200 per pupil for resident kindergarten pupils in the Merrimack, Hampstead, Goffstown, Fremont, and Timberlane regional school districts.

 

Legislative history

Effective date – 7/3/07

HB86 - establishing a committee to study educational and social services programs that serve families with children 6 years old and younger.

This bill establishes a committee to study educational and social services programs that serve families with children 6 years old and younger.

Legislative history

Effective date – 6/18/07

SB93-FN - relative to insurance coverage for children's early intervention therapy services.

This bill requires insurance coverage for the costs of early intervention services for children from birth to 36 months.

Status found in “Special Education”

School improvement

12/13/07

HB126 - relative to the definition of "school."

This bill revises the definitions of standard school, elementary school, high school, and the number of days of school. This bill is a request of the department of education.

Status found in  "Compulsory attendance, dropouts, expulsion"

HB167 - relative to areas of assessment required under the statewide improvement and assessment program.

This bill adds civics and economics to the required areas of assessment in the statewide improvement and assessment program, and specifies that the assessment shall be conducted in grades 3 through 8 and one grade in high school.

Legislative history

Effective date – 6/19/07

HB446 - relative to criminal threatening in a safe school zone.

This bill adds criminal threatening to the definition of an act of theft, destruction, or violence within the safe school zones statute.

Legislative history

Effective date – 8/17/07

HB556 - relative to school emergency response plans.

This bill requires public and nonpublic schools to develop and implement a site-specific emergency response plan which is based on and conforms to the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System.

Legislative history

Effective date – 7/1/07

SB78 - relative to the placement of twins or other multiples in the same classroom.

This bill allows a parent or guardian of twins or other multiples to request a classroom placement for the children.

Legislative history

Effective date – 9/11/07

Also mentioned in "Parental rights"

SB101 - relative to payment of costs for certain students attending alternative education programs.

This bill permits "at risk" students to attend an alternative education program at a regional vocational education center and requires the department of education to pay tuition and transportation costs for such attendance. This bill is a request of the department of education.

See "Compulsory attendance, dropout, expulsion" for status

SCR2 - urging Congress to amend the No Child Left Behind Act.

This senate concurrent resolution urges the United States Congress to amend the No Child Left Behind Act.

Legislative history

Effective date – on passage

School funding

12/13/07

SB47 - making a supplemental appropriation for school building aid.