permitting excused absences for student participation in certain activities and mandating the state board of education to grant school reassignment requests for students demonstrating a manifest educational hardship

Added a new provision (RSA 193:3, II) mandating that the state board of education grant a parent's or guardian's request to reassign their student to another public school, public academy, or approved private school if the parent demonstrates the student has a 'manifest educational hardship.' The receiving school must enroll the student subject only to specific statutory limitations.

The definition of 'civic event' was expanded to include educational programs, competitions, or award ceremonies sponsored by patriotic or national organizations listed in 36 U.S.C., Subtitle II, Part B, and now explicitly includes county-level government bodies.

The definition of 'CTE event' was narrowed from a broad catch-all ('any event or activity relating to a career or technical education curriculum or student organization') to three specific categories: state/regional/national competitions or conferences sponsored by board-recognized CTE organizations, agricultural fairs where students exhibit livestock or project work, and individual job shadows of no more than one school day per employer.

Added a requirement that schools may require students to complete schoolwork missed due to an excused absence (new paragraph III(d)).

Added a new 'extended learning opportunity' requirement: students seeking more than 2 excused absences per year for ongoing participation in the same civic or CTE activity must enroll in an extended learning plan approved by their school, with all absences under that plan excused contingent on completing missed work.

Changed 'multi-day conferences for career and technical student organizations' to the broader 'multi-day civics or CTE programs,' expanding which multi-day events qualify for excused absences.

Added a requirement that the state board of education develop and maintain a list of recognized CTE organizations (initial minimum: 4-H, FFA, FBLA, SkillsUSA, HOSA, DECA, TSA) to be used in determining whether an absence qualifies for excusal, with annual review and sharing with school administrators.

Added a statutory cross-reference in RSA 193:12, I pointing to RSA 193:28 as another source of exceptions to the legal residence requirement for school attendance.

Chapter number 307 and section numbers (307:1 through 307:8) were assigned to each section of the act, which is standard when a bill is enrolled as law.

Headers, page markers, and whitespace were reformatted throughout to reflect the final chaptered version layout rather than the legislative draft format.

An approval date of July 10, 2026 was added, along with effective date language specifying that sections 1, 2, 5, and 6 take effect as provided in section 7 (contingent on HB 1448), and the remainder takes effect July 10, 2026.

The definition of a 'civic event' was narrowed from including events held by federal, state, or local government bodies, community-based organizations, or non-profit organizations relating to a civic or political issue, to only events held by federal, state, or local government bodies. This removes all non-governmental civic and political events from eligibility.

Multi-day conference excusals were narrowed from covering 'career and technical student organizations or civic leadership' to only 'career and technical student organizations.' Conferences related to civic leadership are no longer eligible for excused absence with proof of attendance.

The period for the 2 guaranteed excused absences changed from 'per 45 school day period' to 'per academic year.' Under the introduced version, a student could potentially accumulate more than 2 excused absences over a full school year by using up the allowance and waiting 45 days. The amendment limits students to exactly 2 per year.

The entire provision granting students 18 or older an excused tardy or early dismissal to vote in an election was removed, including the requirement that a moderator provide a signed form confirming the student voted and the rule that such excusals would not count toward the student's minimum excused absences.