SB 580 — relative to establishing a school cooperative purchasing program.

SB 580-FN - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE 02/19/2026 0510s SESSION 26-2273 12/09 SENATE BILL 580-FN AN ACT relative to establishing a school cooperative purchasing program.

Education ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── AMENDED ANALYSIS This billbill: establishes a school cooperative purchasing program to allow multiple school districts or school administrative units (SAUs) the ability to enter into joint agreements for the procurement of specific goods and services in schools.

TheI. bill also authorizes the state board of education to place schools and SAUs into a receivership in limited circumstances.

Establishes a school cooperative purchasing program to allow multiple school districts or school administrative units (SAUs) the ability to enter into joint agreements for the procurement of specific goods and services in schools.

II.

Authorizes the state board of education to place schools and SAUs into a receivership in limited circumstances.

III.

Requires school boards and the board of trustees of chartered public schools to adopt policies relative to their schools.

SB 580-FN - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE 02/19/2026 0510s 26-2273 12/09 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT relative to establishing a school cooperative purchasing program.

SB 580-FN - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE - Page 2 - IV.

If not SB 580-FN - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE - Page 3 - formally reviewed under RSA 53-A, the participating entities shall ensure the agreement remains on file with each district and available for public inspection, and that all transactions are accounted for in each district’s records in accordance with department of education financial reporting guidelines.

3 Rulemaking;New Paragraph;

Duties of School Boards.Boards;

AmendDuty RSA 21-N:9, II(b) to readProvide asEducation; follows:

(b)Duties TheAdded. duties of school boards, including, but not limited to:

(1)Amend PoliciesRSA relative189:1- toa theby recruitment,inserting employment,after evaluationparagraph andV dismissalthe offollowing teachersnew andparagraph: other employees;

(2)VI. Policies relative to the purchase of equipment, supplies, or services;

(3)School Theboards requirementand tothe provideboard transportationof trustees of students;chartered public schools shall adopt policies relative to the:

(4)(a) TheRecruitment, preparationemployment, evaluation and dismissal of anteachers annualand budget;other employees;

(5)(b) PoliciesPurchase relativeof toequipment, trainingsupplies, allor schoolservices; members on fiduciary responsibility;

(6)(c) TheRequirement holdingto ofprovide meetingstransportation for transaction of businessstudents atas leastdescribed once in 2RSA months189:6; and requiring the attendance of the superintendent or designee;

(7)(d) ThePreparation implementation of educationalan programsannual inbudget; consultation with the superintendent that support the development of long-term plans and identification of attainable short-term objectives;

(8)(e) TheTraining exercising of all powers and performance of all duties vested in and imposed upon the school boardmembers byon lawfiduciary orresponsibility; rules of the state board;

(9)(f) TheHolding adoption of rulesmeetings tofor ensure that there shall be no unlawful discrimination on the basistransaction of sex,business race,at age,least creed,once color, marital status, national origin, or disability in educational2 programsmonths orand activitiesrequiring consistentthe withattendance localof standards which may be stricter in specific areas than the broadersuperintendent statewideor standards;designee;

(10)(g) TheImplementation establishment of aeducational policyprograms on sexual harassment, written in ageconsultation appropriatewith languagethe andsuperintendent publishedfor andthe availablepurposes inof writtenthe formdevelopment toof alllong-term thoseplans whoand mustidentification complyof whichattainable includes,short-term atobjectives; a minimum:

SB(h) 580-FNExercising -of ASall INTRODUCEDpowers -and Pageperformance 4of -all (A)duties Avested statementin thatand sexualimposed harassmentupon is against the lawschool andboard againstor schoolboard districtof policy;trustees;

(B)(i) AProhibition definitionof unlawful discrimination on the basis of sexualsex, harassmentrace, age, creed, color, marital status, national origin, or disability in educational programs or activities consistent with exampleslocal ofstandards actionswhich thatmay mightbe constitutestricter sexualin harassment;specific areas than the broader statewide standards;

(C)(j) ThePrevention namesof sexual harassment, written in age appropriate language and rolespublished ofand available in written form to all personsthose involvedwho inmust implementingcomply, thewhich procedures;includes, at a minimum:

(D)(1) A descriptionstatement ofthat thesexual processharassment sois allagainst partiesthe knowlaw what to expect, including time frames and deadlinesagainst forschool investigationdistrict andpolicy; resolution of complaints;

(E)SB 580-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE - Page 4 - (2) A prohibitiondefinition againstof retaliationsexual towardharassment anyonewith involvedexamples inof aactions complaint;that might constitute sexual harassment;

(F)(3) AThe descriptionnames and roles of possibleall penaltiespersons includinginvolved termination;in implementing the procedures;

(G)(4) A requirementdescription thatof athe writtenprocess factualso reportall beparties producedknow regardlesswhat ofto theexpect, outcomeincluding oftime theframes investigation;and deadlines for investigation and resolution of complaints;

(H)(5) AtA leastprohibition oneagainst levelretaliation oftoward appealanyone ofinvolved thein investigatorsa recommendation;complaint;

and(6) (I) A cleardescription statement that someone can bypass the internal process and proceed directly to the New Hampshire commission on human rights, with address and phone number, or office of civilpossible rights,penalties withincluding addresstermination; and phone number;

(11)(7) TheA annualrequirement evaluationthat ofa thewritten superintendentfactual basedreport onbe writtenproduced criteriaregardless establishedof by the schooloutcome board/schoolof administrativethe unitinvestigation; board;

and(8) (12)At Theleast adoptionone level of aappeal teacher performance evaluation system, with the involvement of teachers and principals, for use in the schoolinvestigators district,recommendation; pursuant to RSA 189:1-a, III.

4and (9) A clear statement that someone can bypass the internal process and proceed directly to the New Section;Hampshire commission on human rights, with address and phone number, or office of civil rights, with address and phone number;

and (k) Annual evaluation of the superintendent based on written criteria established by the school board or board of trustees.

4 New Paragraph;

School Administrative Unit Boards;