Merit Institute Merit

The New Hampshire Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (NH-MEWRA)

New Hampshire state companion to MEWRA. Builds on the Education Freedom Account Program (RSA 194-F), NH chartered public schools (RSA 194-B), and CCSNH performance mechanisms.

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE MERIT-BASED EDUCATION & WORKFORCE REFORM ACT (NH-MEWRA)

Vehicle: State passage. New Hampshire General Court, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “New Hampshire Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (NH-MEWRA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Court finds that New Hampshire enacted the Education Freedom Account Program under RSA 194-F (2021) administered by a scholarship organization designated by the Department of Education; that New Hampshire operates chartered public schools under RSA 194-B authorized by the State Board of Education; that New Hampshire operates the Town Tuitioning mechanism under RSA 193:1 and RSA 194:22 allowing districts without public high schools to pay tuition at approved in- or out-of-state public and approved nonpublic schools; that CCSNH operates performance-reporting under RSA 188-F; that NH Employment Security administers Individual Training Accounts under RSA 282-A and the NH Works framework; and that New Hampshire publishes school-performance data through the i4see longitudinal-data system. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “New Hampshire outcome-based school” means a provisional school authorized under Title II by the New Hampshire Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“NH-OBSA”).
  2. (b) “EFA” means the Education Freedom Account Program under RSA 194-F.
  3. (c) “NH Employment Security ITA” means a training account under RSA 282-A and associated NH Works infrastructure.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing New Hampshire Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • RSA 194-F (Education Freedom Account).
  • RSA 194-B (chartered public schools).
  • RSA 193:1 and RSA 194:22 (Town Tuitioning).
  • RSA 188-F (CCSNH).
  • RSA 282-A (NH Employment Security).

TITLE II — NH OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOL AUTHORIZER

Sec. 201. Establishment of NH-OBSA

  1. (a) The State Board of Education shall designate, within existing charter-authorizer infrastructure under RSA 194-B, a NH Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“NH-OBSA”).
  2. (b) NH-OBSA shall authorize provisional schools without requiring regional-accreditor accreditation.

Sec. 202. Outcome-Based Authorization Standard

  1. (a) Authorization requires publication of outcome metrics under Sec. 401.
  2. (b) Facilities, safety, and background-check standards applicable under RSA 194-B.
  3. (c) Four-year term, renewable on thresholds.

TITLE III — EDUCATION-FUND PORTABILITY

Sec. 301. Education Freedom Account Extension

  1. (a) A Title II-authorized school is eligible as an eligible school for EFA purposes under RSA 194-F.
  2. (b) The scholarship organization designated under RSA 194-F:2 shall treat Title II-authorized schools equivalently.

Sec. 302. Training Accounts

  1. (a) NH Employment Security shall ensure that within 24 months, at least 50 percent of training-account disbursements flow to providers publishing outcome data in the NH-OBSA Registry or Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Through the New Hampshire ETPL under 29 U.S.C. Sec. 3152.

TITLE IV — PUBLISHED OUTCOME METRICS

Sec. 401. New Hampshire Outcome-Metrics Registry

  1. (a) NH-OBSA shall publish completion rate; one- and three-year post-completion earnings medians; post-completion licensure, NHRMC, or Federal FRAC attainment.
  2. (b) Data sources: the NH State Longitudinal Data System (including i4see) and NH Employment Security wage records, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 402. Coordination with the Federal NLMF

  1. (a) Crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Nothing authorizes disclosure of PII except as permitted under RSA 91-A (Right-to-Know Law) and 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g (FERPA).

TITLE V — ENFORCEMENT & REMEDIES

Sec. 501. Non-Compliant Provider Remedies

  1. (a) Suspension of EFA eligibility; NH-OBSA Registry suspension; administrative penalty up to $500,000 per willful violation, consistent with RSA 194-B enforcement.
  2. (b) No private right of action.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect July 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: MEWRA. Other New Hampshire bills: NH-ACSA, NH-GT&P, NH-AI-Workforce.