HB1345: establishing an education scholarship fund.

HB 1345-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-2262

04/10

HOUSE BILL 1345-FN-LOCAL

AN ACT establishing an education scholarship fund.

SPONSORS: Rep. Campbell, Straf 68

COMMITTEE: Education

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes an education scholarship fund in the department of resources and economic development to assist students who wish to attend a public or nonpublic school outside of his or her resident school district and to pay for the costs associated with individual education plans for educationally disabled children.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-2262

04/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT establishing an education scholarship fund.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Subdivision; Education Scholarship Fund. Amend RSA 12-A by inserting after section 50 the following new subdivision:

Education Scholarship Fund

12-A:51 Education Scholarship Fund.

I. There is hereby established an education scholarship fund in the department of resources and economic development to be administered by the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development. The fund shall be used to benefit any student who wishes to attend a public or nonpublic school outside of his or her resident school district and to provide funding for programs and services as may be recommended in the individual education plans for educationally disabled children. The fund shall be nonlapsing and shall be continually appropriated to the department of resources and economic development for the purposes of this section.

II. The commissioner is authorized to accept any federal funds, state funds, public sector and private sector grants, gifts, or donations of any kind for the purpose of funding the education scholarship fund and programs or activities associated with the fund. The commissioner is authorized to expend such funds to accomplish the purposes set forth in this section.

III. The commissioner shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A relative to:

(a) Procedures for applying for a scholarship from the educational scholarship fund.

(b) Procedures for distribution of fund from the education scholarship fund.

IV. The donor of funds under this section may specify criteria for eligibility, continued eligibility, or use of scholarship funds.

12-A:52 Determination of Individual Education Plan Costs. Notwithstanding RSA 186-C, the department of resources and economic development shall review the individual education plan for each educationally disabled child and assign the final cost for programs and services contained in the plan.

12-A:53 Availability of Funds. Scholarships shall be awarded under this section to the extent of available funds.

2 Department of Education; Duties of Deputy Commissioner. Amend RSA 21-N:5, I(g) to read as follows:

(g) Rate setting, as specified under RSA 186-C:7, III. Such rate setting shall be accomplished in consultation with the department of health and human services and the department of administrative services. The department of resources and economic development shall make the final cost determination for individual education plans.

3 New Paragraph; Individual Education Plans; Cost Assessment. Amend RSA 186-C:7 by inserting after paragraph the following new paragraph:

V. The final cost determination for individual education plans shall be made by the department of resources and economic development.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO

03-2262

Revised 1/7/04

HB 1345 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT establishing an education scholarship fund.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Departments of Education and Resources and Economic Development indicate this bill will have an indeterminable impact on state and local revenue and expenditures in FY 2005 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county revenue or expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Education states this bill creates an education scholarship fund in the Department of Resources and Economic Development to provide tuition to students who wish to attend a public or non-public school outside their resident school district. The amount of money that will be received and expended by the fund cannot be estimated. The Department of Education states that other areas of potential fiscal impact are:

· Additional staff to administer the program.

· School districts whose students opt to attend school elsewhere may receive less federal and state aid as a result.

· School districts that receive students because of the program may experience an increase in costs.

· There may be a loss of federal revenue at the state and local levels if the Department of Resources and Economic Development makes the final cost determination for individual education plans.

The Department of Resources and Economic Development states they do not have the required experience to make any reasonable assumptions on the fiscal impact of this bill.