The New Hampshire General Court

New Hampshire's legislature, formally called the General Court, is a bicameral body made up of a 400-member House of Representatives and a 24-member Senate — the third-largest legislative body in the English-speaking world, behind only the U.S. Congress and the British Parliament. It is a citizen legislature: members earn just $100 per year plus travel stipends, serving two-year terms. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers. The 2025–26 legislative session convened January 7, 2026 and is scheduled to adjourn June 30, 2026.

2025 Session Highlights

The 2025 session was dominated by school choice expansion, changes to the teaching profession, and a budget that critics said significantly underfunded public education. Of 145 education bills considered, 14 became law.

School Choice & Vouchers. The most significant action was the expansion of New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account (EFA) voucher program. SB 295 removed the income cap, making all families eligible regardless of income, while setting an enrollment cap of 10,000 students. The program is expected to cost the state approximately $50 million in 2025–26, with fewer than 1,500 of the 10,000 enrolled students coming from low-income families. HB 771 established funding guidelines for open enrollment schools, requiring sending districts to pay receiving districts at least 80% of per-pupil cost — widely seen as laying groundwork for broader open enrollment legislation in 2026. HB 115, which would have removed the income cap with no enrollment limit, was vetoed but rendered moot by the passage of SB 295.

Teaching Profession. Several bills altered educator certification and conduct rules. HB 90 exempted part-time teachers working fewer than 20 hours per week from state credential requirements. HB 354 created alternative certification pathways for Career and Technical Education instructors. HB 235 amended the educator code of conduct to explicitly include responsibility to parents, and HB 520 authorized Department of Education hearing officers to issue subpoenas in misconduct investigations — a provision that drew concern about chilling effects on educators. HB 10 established a Parental Bill of Rights, allowing parents to review instructional materials and opt students out of certain lessons.

Assessment-Related Legislation. HB 440, which did become law, requires candidates for initial educator and administrator licenses to achieve passing scores on designated professional assessments, with an exemption for CTE teachers. Bills that would have reduced the list of subjects constituting an adequate education (HB 283) or granted broader rulemaking authority over assessment requirements (HB 362) were killed or retained.

School Funding. The biennial budget (HB 1 / HB 2) increased the Adequate Education Grant by only 2% — the minimum required — continuing what the NH Supreme Court has found to be a pattern of unconstitutional underfunding. The budget also banned diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in publicly funded institutions, a provision already facing legal challenges. HB 200 made it harder for towns to override local tax caps, which advocates warned would further constrain school budgets.

2026 Session Highlights (Ongoing)

The 2026 session opened with over 300 education bills tracked, centering on five major themes: funding, vouchers, local control, open enrollment, and teaching and learning.

Open Enrollment has been the dominant issue. Three competing bills — HB 741, SB 101, and related measures — would create a statewide system allowing parents to enroll their child in any public school with available space. The Senate passed a universal open-enrollment bill, and the debate continues over funding models and equity implications for lower-wealth districts.

Voucher Accountability. Following the 2025 universal EFA expansion, there have been legislative efforts to add transparency and oversight to the program. To date, 13 EFA-related accountability bills have been killed, tabled, or sent to study.

Local Control. A cluster of bills addresses school governance, including proposals for partisan school board elections, easier withdrawal from cooperative districts, SAU consolidation, and an elected superintendent option — changes critics say erode communities' ability to shape their local schools.

Special Education. HB 1563 addresses special education aid, a subject of growing concern as costs remain a primary driver of district spending.

Teaching and Learning. Bills this session have largely increased administrative and legal burdens on educators, with several focused on so-called "culture war" issues. There are no major assessment reform bills that have advanced prominently in 2026.