HB 1832 New Hampshire House · 2026 Regular Session

adding students with a parent or guardian on active military duty to the education freedom accounts priority guidelines.

HB 1832 adds students with at least one parent on active military duty (with a permanent change of station in New Hampshire) to the priority eligibility list for New Hampshire's Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs). This means military-connected students who relocate to New Hampshire due to their parent's active duty orders will now qualify for priority enrollment in the EFA program, alongside existing priority groups like low-income students. The bill amends eligibility criteria in RSA 194-F:1, adding a new category (d) specifically for these military families. It takes effect 60 days after passage and has an estimated fiscal impact of $150,300 in FY 2027 for approximately 30 additional eligible students.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Dec 18, 2025 Last action May 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → As Amended by the House · 4 edits

MODERATE

The House amendment significantly broadens the eligibility criteria for education freedom account priority status for military-connected students. It removes the requirement that the service member have a permanent change of station (PCS) in New Hampshire, adds guardians alongside parents as qualifying family members, and clarifies that the student must reside in New Hampshire while the service member's physical location is irrelevant.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded substantially. Originally it only covered students whose parent had a PCS specifically in New Hampshire. The amendment covers any student residing in New Hampshire with a parent or guardian on active duty, no matter where the service member is stationed or resides, and regardless of whether the assignment involves a permanent change of station.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the requirement that the active-duty parent have a permanent change of station (PCS) in New Hampshire. Now any active-duty status qualifies, regardless of whether it involves a PCS or where the service member is stationed.

Expanded qualifying family members from 'a parent' to 'one or more parent or guardian,' allowing students with guardians on active duty to qualify for priority EFA status.

Added explicit requirement that the student must reside in New Hampshire, which was not stated in the original version.

SCOPE

Added language clarifying that eligibility applies 'regardless of the physical location or place of residence of the active-duty parent or guardian,' removing any ambiguity about whether overseas or out-of-state deployments would qualify.

Floor votes · House Feb 5, 2026

How they voted

96–104

Passed · 23 other

Total votes 223

Feb 5, 2026

D Democratic107

1 Yea 102 Nay 4

95% Nay

I Independent2

1 Yea 1

50% Yea

R Republican114

94 Yea 2 Nay 18

82% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 29, 2026

Committee

Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 05/07/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 17

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Introduced

Introduced 02/05/2026 and Referred to Education; SJ 4

upper

Feb 5, 2026

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (96-104-23)

house

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0167h: MA RC 189-164 02/05/2026 HJ 3 P. 37

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Introduced

Amendment # 2026-0167h: AA VV 02/05/2026 HJ 3 P. 36

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0167h (NT) 01/22/2026 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 5 P. 21

lower

Dec 18, 2025

Introduced

Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 1 P. 38

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors