NH House Education Committee votes on a slate of bills; debates literacy program, school nurse rules, charter accountability

Concord — The House Education Policy Committee met for an extended session Feb. 21, taking final committee votes on multiple bills and holding hearings on several others. Lawmakers voted to advance an early childhood literacy pilot, rejected bills that would have required schools to change reporting or curriculum, and approved an amendment package to a school-nurse bill that drew a close 10–8 vote.

The committee front-loaded routine roll-call measures and then spent longer on programs tied to early literacy, school nursing qualifications and accountability for education freedom and charter programs. Several items drew extended testimony from Department of Education officials, education advocates and many home-education families.

Why it matters: The committee’s recommendations shape whether bills move to the House floor and, ultimately, which proposals reach final enactment. The panel’s votes on building aid, school-nurse certification and early-literacy pilots affect state education spending, hiring rules for health staff in schools and how the state coordinates programs that supplement or replace traditional classroom instruction.

What the committee did - Votes at a glance (committee recommendations): - HB 415 (removes requirements that public schools provide menstrual products): Motion to “inexpedient to legislate” (ITL) adopted, 17–0. Moved by Rep. Litchfield; second by Rep. Freeman. (Committee clerk roll-call recorded 17 yays, 0 nays.) - HB 388 (public reporting on special-education metrics): Motion ITL adopted, 17–0. Sponsor and committee expressed student-privacy concerns for small districts. - HB 730 (require information on adoption be provided in health education): Motion ITL adopted, 17–0. - HB 671 (kindergarten literacy-readiness pilot / nonprofit digital partner program): Committee recommended “ought to pass” (OTP) by voice/roll call, 18–0, advancing a proposal that would authorize state support for a 15‑minute daily early-literacy digital program (the department previously contracted with Waterford using ARP/ESSER funds). Committee members and the department discussed…