Halfway Point of the 2025 Legislative Session: Lawmakers Focus on Universal School Vouchers, Open Enrollment, Budget Caps, and Parental Bill of Rights

April 15th, 2025

Lawmakers have reached the halfway point of the legislative session known as “crossover day,” when all active House bills move to the Senate and vice versa. Crossover Day is a great time to reflect on where we have been and where we are going. We started with over 190 education-related bills, and now we’re down to about 90. 

What's moving forward?

School Vouchers

In the House: House Bill (HB) 115 passed as a standalone bill that is headed to the senate, AND it was folded into the budget. The bill removes the income eligibility requirement for the school voucher program, which means that wealthy families can receive taxpayer funds for private and religious school tuition. Under current law, a family of four with an annual income of $128,000 qualifies for the program, indicating that low- and middle-income families already meet the eligibility criteria. According to our analysis, universal school voucher expansion could cost the state over $100 million per year.

In the Senate: The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 295, which would remove the existing income eligibility limits on vouchers and introduces a limit on the number of students who are able to receive a voucher annually. While SB 295 has arbitrary enrollment caps, they automatically increase as they are met, meaning the bill would create a universal school voucher program by 2027. If the cap is reached, SB 295 could cost the state around $73 million in the next school year (25-26), according to estimates. 

A hearing is scheduled for SB 295 on April 15, 2025, at 1:45 pm in House Education Funding Legislative Office Building 205-207.

Check out the Complete List of Voucher Bills Here

Funding 

Open Enrollment: In both the House and Senate, open enrollment has been a big theme in legislation. Special interest groups across the country have been pushing for this legislation, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative lobbying group that supplies model legislation to state governments. HB 741 is a bill that would allow parents to enroll their child in any public school in the state. Opponents argue that HB 741 could strain school budgets, increase inequities by favoring families with more resources, and create unpredictability in enrollment and staffing for schools and districts. This bill has moved to the Senate Education Committee. Meanwhile, the Senate referred their version of the open enrollment bill, SB 101, back to its assigned committee, Senate Education. 

Another House Bill crossing over to the Senate, HB 771, would change how funding for open enrollment schools is sent and received. The House budget bill also contains a mandatory open enrollment provision, requiring every school district to accept students from anywhere in the state. This bill has moved to the Senate Education Finance Committee.

Special Education: A bill that has become a primary focus of the House Education Funding Committee is HB 742, which removes the prorated distribution requirement for instances of insufficient special education funding and requires funding for the Special Education Program to be drawn from the education trust fund. This bill remains in the House Funding Subcommittee and is scheduled for two more upcoming worksessions, Monday, April 14, 2025, and Monday, April 28, 2025, in Legislative Office Building 205-207. This bill has passed the deadline to cross into the Senate during this legislative session. 

School Budget Cap: Just noting a budget cap bill, HB 675, was set to be rolled into the house version of the budget but failed on Thursday. As written, HB 675 would limit school districts' ability to effectively budget for the needs of their students and communities, which would require school boards to make difficult choices between essential priorities. The original bill has been  retained in the House Finance Committee and will not crossover this session. 

Check Out the Complete List of Funding Bills 

Teachers

Part-Time Teachers: The Part-Time Teacher bill, HB 90 would authorize unlicensed individuals to teach in public schools 20 hours per week or less, undergo a criminal history records check, adhere to a code of conduct, and are employed or contracted as a full-time or adjunct faculty member by the University System or Community College System. According to experts, waiving certification and licensure requirements for teachers won’t solve long-term teacher shortages and could create even more barriers. This bill has moved to the Senate Education Committee.

NHED Subpoena Power: Another bill moving forward this session is HB 520. The bill would allow the Commissioner of Education or their designee to issue subpoenas when carrying out investigations under the educator code of conduct. This bill has moved to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Read more about last year's version of the bill:  Revived bill would give the NH Department of Education the power to subpoena teachers investigation

Check out the complete list of Teacher bills

School Climate & Student Safety

Parental Bill of Rights: Both chambers have passed bills establishing a Parental Bill of Rights, SB 72 and HB 10. When a version of the Parental Bill of Rights bill was brought forward in 2023, concern was raised regarding the barrier in trust and communication it would create between teachers and students. At the time, the bill sponsor, Representative Kimberly Rice (R-Hudson), raised concerns about making sure they are not setting kids up to self-harm and leaving them feeling they have no one to talk to. The Senate version of the bill, SB 72, has moved to the House Finance Committee, and the House version, HB 10, has moved to the Senate Education Committee. 

Book Ban: Another bill that has moved forward is HB 324, a book ban bill. This bill would change the process for banning books in New Hampshire schools by creating a procedure for removal and cause of action and imposes potential criminal and licensure penalties for educators. This bill has moved to the House Education Committee. 

Check out the complete list of School Climate & Student Safety bills Here

Next Steps

Several bills have started to receive hearings in the opposite chamber. As we continue the legislative session, make sure you subscribe to our New Hampshire Education Network (NHEN) to stay updated on important upcoming dates and policy changes. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for legislative updates.