HB 1818 — requiring the department of education to use its 10-year school facilities plans to plan and project out building consolidation projects.

The commissioner may waive part or all of the penalty under this paragraph upon a showing of good cause by the school district or chartered public school.

21-N:17 Application Process.

I.

The commissioner shall establish an application process for eligible entities to request grant funds under this subdivision.

II.

Priority shall be given to applicants demonstrating:

(a) A facility utilization rate of less than 70 percent;

(b) Enrollment decline of 10 percent or more over the previous 5 years;

(c) Demonstrated cost savings or programmatic benefit from the proposed project;

(d) Districts with an operating cost per pupil, as determined by the department, that is 15 percent higher than the state average cost per pupil;

and (e) Districts with an equalized valuation per pupil above greater than 35 percent of the state median-equalized valuation per pupil.

III.

The department may provide planning grants of up to $150,000 per applicant for feasibility or design studies and implementation grants of up to $1,500,000 per project.

21-N:18 Administration.

I.

The commissioner shall establish an interagency review committee to review and recommend awards, to be composed of the commissioner and representatives from:

(a) The department of administrative services;

(b) The department of business and economic affairs;

(c) The governor, or designee;

and (d) The state fire marshal's office.

II.

The commissioner may accept and expend gifts, grants, or federal funds to supplement the school facility consolidation incentive fund.

21-N:19 Rulemaking.

The commissioner may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the implementation, administration, and oversight of this subdivision.

3 New Paragraph;

Education;

Amend RSA 198:15-a by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:

HB 1818-FN - AS INTRODUCED - Page 3 - IV-a.

School building aid grant funds, pursuant to RSA 198:15-a, IV, shall include construction and renovation funding support for school building consolidation projects.

The purpose of a school consolidation building grant award is to achieve long-term school district savings, efficient use of district resources, cutting operational, instructional, and administrative costs, and expanded educational opportunities by sharing staff, facilities, and access to curricular and co- curricular programs.

As part of the school building aid program, an eligible consolidation project grant award shall be 50 percent of the department's approved project cost, provided that no public school consolidation grant award exceeds $1,500,000 in any fiscal year.

4 Education;

School Building Aid;

Grant for School Construction.

In support of the 10-year plan, [itit is recommended that]that each district shall have in place and provide the department a long-range capital improvement program that identifies school facility goals, provides projected expenditures, and outlines procedures and guidelines to be followed to accomplish goals.

52 NewEffective Subparagraph;Date.

Education;This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

SchoolLBA Money;26-2494 Revised 04/07/2026 HB 1818-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2026-0794h) AN ACT requiring the department of education to use its 10-year school facilities plans to plan and project out building consolidation projects.

Education Trust Fund Created and Invested.

Amend RSA 198:39, I by inserting after subparagraph (q) the following new subparagraph:

(r) To fund school facility consolidation incentive grants pursuant to RSA 21-N:15.

6 Department of Education;

Appropriation.

There is hereby appropriated to the department of education the sum of $10,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027 for the administration and distribution of school facility consolidation incentive fund grants under RSA 21-N:15.

Such funds shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated.

Any earnings shall be added to the fund.

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the commissioner of the department of education is authorized to draw a warrant from the education trust fund to satisfy the state's HB 1818-FN - AS INTRODUCED - Page 4 - obligation under this section upon approval from the joint fiscal committee of the general court, the governor, and the executive council.

7 Effective Date.

I.

Section 3 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2027.

II.

The remainder of this act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA 26-2494 Revised 1/26/26 HB 1818-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS INTRODUCED AN ACT enabling grants for school construction to also be used to consolidate structures and facilities.

EstimatedThis State Impact FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 Revenue Fund(s) None DOE Positions $176K in FY 27, $218K in FY 28, and $226K in FY 29 Expenditures* $0 SFCIF Grants FY 27 and Beyond - Indeterminable (Up To $10M Appropriation) Funding Source(s) Education Trust Fund, General Fund, and School Facility Consolidation Incentive Fund Appropriations* $0 $10,000,000 $0 $0 Funding Source(s) Education Trust Fund *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriationdoes =not Authorizedprovide fundingfunding, tonor coverdoes costit ofauthorize billnew Estimatedpositions. Political Subdivision Impact FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 Local Revenue $0 Indeterminable Increase Local Expenditures $0 Indeterminable METHODOLOGY:

ThisEstimated billState allowsImpact createsFY a2026 SchoolFY Facility2027 ConsolidationFY Incentive2028 FundFY (SFCIF),2029 administeredRevenue by$0 the$0 Department$0 of$0 Education,Revenue toFund(s) supportNone projectsExpenditures* that$0 will$88,000 result$109,000 in$113,000 aFunding schoolSource(s) facilityGeneral closure,Fund andAppropriations* requires$0 school$0 districts$0 to$0 haveFunding inSource(s) placeNone and*Expenditure provide= toCost Departmentof abill long-range*Appropriation capital= improvementAuthorized programfunding thatto identifiescover schoolcost facilityof goals,bill providesEstimated projectedPolitical expenditures,Subdivision andImpact outlinesFY procedures2026 andFY guidelines2027 toFY be2028 followedFY to2029 accomplishLocal goalsRevenue (current$0 law$0 only$0 recommends$0 thatLocal schoolExpenditures districts$0 haveIndeterminable thisMETHODOLOGY: information in place and provide it to the Department).

TheThis bill changes current law by requiring, rather than encouraging, school districts to regularly update capital improvement plans.  This bill also requires the Department statesof theseEducation willto haveuse budgetthis implications,information to plan, prioritize, and eachproject willbuilding beconsolidation discussedprojects separatelyunder below.the state building aid program (in addition to construction and renovation, which are required under current law).

SchoolThe FacilityDepartment Consolidationstates Incentiveit Funddoes (SFCIF)not Thiscurrently billhave establishesthe astaffing newresources grantto program,complete tothe bework administeredrequired by thethis Department,billThe alongDepartment states it would need to add one position (SOC 11-04) with aan newestimated dedicatedcost fund,of and$88,000 afor $10FY million2027, appropriation$109,000 fromfor theFY education2028, trustand fund$113,000 infor FY 2027.2029 (assuming a start date of September 1, 2026).

The Department states it does not currently have the staffing resources to complete the extensive work required by this bill.

The Department states it would need to add one position (SOC 11-04) with an estimated cost of $88,000 for FY 2027, $109,000 for FY 2028, and $113,000 for FY 2029 (assuming a start date of September 1, 2026).

While there is no direct authorization for a new position in this bill, it allows for the Department to use SFCIF funds for the “administration” of the grants.

The Department states there would also be expenditures associated with awards given to school districts for both planning grants up to $150,000 and for consolidation project grants up to $1,500,000 per district per fiscal year.

As the Department cannot predict how many school districts would participate in the grant program each year, the impact on state expenditures is considered indeterminable.

The range of potential annual state expenditures and local revenue specific to grant awards would range from $0 (no participation in the program) to $10,000,000 (full participation in the program).

School Facilities Improvement Plan The Department states it does not currently have the staffing resources to complete the extensive work required by this bill.

The Department states it would need to add one position (SOC 11-04) with an estimated cost of $88,000 for FY 2027, $109,000 for FY 2028, and $113,000 for FY 2029 (assuming a start date of September 1, 2026).

  The Department expects there would be an increase in local school district expenditures as this bill changes the requirement thatfrom “may” to “shall” for school districts to have in place and provide to NHEDthe Department a long-long-range range facility capital improvement programprogram. from “may” to “shall”.