HB 214 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

6Jan2022... 2225h

2021 SESSION

21-0268

06/04

HOUSE BILL 214

AN ACT relative to a public school facility condition assessment and school building aid grants.

SPONSORS: Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4; Rep. Allard, Merr. 21

COMMITTEE: Education

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill provides for the department of education to complete a facility condition assessment of schools' facilities and identify a facilities priorities list.  Schools seeking school building aid will have to have in place a long-range capital improvement program.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

6Jan2022... 2225h 21-0268

06/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One

AN ACT relative to a public school facility condition assessment and school building aid grants.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1  Public School Infrastructure Fund; Facility Condition Assessment.  Amend RSA 198:15-y, III(g) to read as follows:

(g)  Funding for the department of education to support the development, implementation, and maintenance of a facility condition assessment for public elementary and secondary schools.  A facility condition assessment shall assess the schools' facility condition, energy use, educational sufficiency, and technology infrastructure.

(h)  Other school building or infrastructure needs the governor, in consultation with the public school infrastructure commission, may identify, except for school building aid projects that are otherwise prohibited by law.

2  New Paragraphs; Grants for School Construction; Facility Condition Assessments.  Amend RSA 198:15-a by inserting after paragraph V the following new paragraphs:

VI.(a)  A facility condition assessment produced using public school infrastructure funds under RSA 198:15-y, III shall be used to establish a school facilities priorities list in the department of education.  The list shall identify schools that may need construction or major reconstruction within the next 10 years in order to provide an adequate learning environment in a safe, healthy, and efficient to operate facility.  The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A relative to the establishment and procedures for the facilities priorities list.

(b)  Beginning with construction authorized by a local school district on or after July 1, 2025, projects not on the school facilities priority list shall not be eligible for school building aid grants unless deemed an emergency pursuant to RSA 198:15-c, I(c).

VII.  Beginning July 1, 2023, and each fiscal year thereafter, a school district desiring to avail itself of the grants provided under this section shall have in place a long-range capital improvement program that identifies facility goals and outlines procedures and guidelines to be followed to approach and accomplish those goals.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect upon its passage.

LBA

21-0268

Amended 4/8/22

HB 214- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2021-2225h)

AN ACT relative to a public school facility condition assessment and school building aid grants.

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

METHODOLOGY:

This bill expands the usage of the Public School Infrastructure Fund (PSIF) to include funding for the Department of Education to support the development, implementation, and maintenance of a facility condition assessment for public elementary and secondary schools.

The Department of Education states, based on information gathered from other states, the estimated cost of a facility condition assessment ranges from $0.05 to $0.15 per square foot.  Assuming the mid-range of $0.10 and an estimated 33 million combined square footage of all New Hampshire public schools, the estimated cost of a statewide facility assessment would be $3.3 million. The current balance of the PSIF is approximately $2.3 million and under current law a general fund transfer of $1 million to the fund will occur on July 1, 2022, bringing the fund to an estimated $3.3 million to start FY 2023. Distributions from the PSIF are initiated by the Governor, in consultation with the Public School Infrastructure Commission, and approved by the Executive Council and Fiscal Committee of the General Court. To the extent funds are available and approved, this bill would increase state expenditures by $3.3 million in FY 2023.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Education