HB 321 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

8Apr2021... 0537h

05/20/2021   1396s

2021 SESSION

21-0358

06/11

HOUSE BILL 321

AN ACT requiring school districts to submit an annual report concerning gifted and talented students.

SPONSORS: Rep. Moffett, Merr. 9; Rep. Pearl, Merr. 26; Rep. Lang, Belk. 4; Rep. Shaw, Hills. 16; Rep. Pitre, Straf. 2; Rep. Hobson, Rock. 35; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20

COMMITTEE: Education

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill requires all public schools to submit annual reports to the department of education detailing the policies, programs, and procedures that are in place to identify and accommodate the needs of gifted and talented students.

This bill also requires the department of education to develop a standardized format for reporting such information and to conduct an annual reassessment of such format to ensure that the information reported is useful.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

8Apr2021... 0537h

05/20/2021   1396s 21-0358

06/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One

AN ACT requiring school districts to submit an annual report concerning gifted and talented students.

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

1  New Section; Instruction of Pupils; Gifted and Talented Students; Report.  Amend RSA 189 by inserting after section 29-a the following new section:

189:29-b  Identification and Accommodation of Gifted and Talented Students.

I.  In this section, "gifted and talented student" means a student identified as having unique academic, artistic, or athletic potential according to assessments selected and administered locally.

II.  Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, every New Hampshire public school shall submit to the department of education, no later than August 1, an annual narrative report detailing the policies, programs, and procedures that are in place to identify and accommodate the unique needs of gifted and talented students.  If no such policies, programs, or procedures exist, the report shall so state.

III.  The department shall develop a standardized format for the submission of such information and shall reassess the format each year to ensure the required information is useful.  The department shall make the reports available on its public Internet website.

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

LBA

21-0358

5/3/21

HB 321- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2021-0537h)

AN ACT requiring school districts to submit an annual report concerning gifted and talented students.

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

METHODOLOGY:

The bill would require, on an annual basis, all public schools to submit a narrative report to the Department of Education explaining which policies, programs, and procedures are in place to identify and accommodate the unique needs of gifted and talented students.  The Department anticipates additional staff time and effort may be required to collect reports and ensure all reports have been submitted from every school. If reports are allowed to be submitted electronically, additional IT support may be needed.  At this time, the fiscal impact to the State is indeterminable.  Likewise, the fiscal impact at the local level is also currently indeterminable as the impact will vary by district and be associated with school district staff time and effort to produce the reports intended by this bill.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Education