relative to the New Hampshire seal of civic excellence and engagement program.

The bill's status label was updated from 'As Amended by the House' to 'Version Adopted by Both Bodies' in the header and page footers, reflecting that the bill cleared both legislative chambers.

The Department of Education is no longer responsible for establishing criteria. Instead, specific eligibility criteria are now written directly into the statute under RSA 189:11-e.

The original requirement of completing social studies courses for at least 2 school years (one on U.S. government or civics) was replaced with a requirement to complete 'civics education beyond the minimum requirements prescribed by law or adopted locally.'

The proficiency requirement now explicitly includes knowledge of 'comparative forms of governance' in addition to general civics knowledge, and requires approval by the local school board or SAU board.

The civic engagement requirement was narrowed. The original allowed community service, student government, or involvement in a civic organization. The amendment requires participation in an extracurricular activity or project 'evidencing citizenship and constitutional republican government knowledge attainment' (as approved locally) OR participation in student government activities.

A new subsection II requires the state board of education to adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A to assist consistent application statewide, articulate qualification criteria, promote rigor, define civic knowledge and skills to be measured, while allowing multiple locally determined pathways for assessment.

The effective date changed from '60 days after its passage' to a fixed date of July 4, 2026.

The fiscal impact was reduced from an estimated $81,000 in FY2027 (requiring one new state position) to less than $10,000 per year across FY2026-FY2029, reflecting the removal of the Department of Education's administrative role.