The 2026 legislative session is approaching, and bill filings are now appearing on the General Court website. GSHE is a statewide, volunteer-run support organization dedicated to families who choose independent home education under New Hampshire’s RSA 193-A. We monitor legislation that directly affects home education and legislation in other areas only when it may intersect with or impact RSA 193-A families.
This roundup provides an early overview of the bills filed so far. More bill text will be posted in the coming days, and GSHE will publish updates accordingly.
Home Education Bills (Top Priority)
These are the bills that directly impact NH’s home education law, RSA 193-A, or the structures that support independent home education in New Hampshire.
HB 1268 — Modifying definitions and requirements relative to home education
Prime sponsor: Rep. Kristin Noble (R)
Bill’s text available here
HB 1268 is one of the most significant home education bills of the 2026 session because it proposes multiple statutory changes to RSA 193-A. After reviewing the full text, GSHE’s assessment is that HB 1268 is not a good bill for independent home education. As drafted, it increases regulation, adds new procedural requirements, narrows flexibility, and restricts long-standing home education practices. Without substantive amendments, it would reduce freedoms for home education families.
LSR 2026-2376 — Clarifying the definition of home education
Prime sponsor: Rep. Katy Peternel (R)
Text not yet available
Only the LSR title is available at this time. GSHE does not speculate on intent or impact until bill language is released. We will monitor this bill as it progresses.
LSR 2026-2385 — Requiring scholarship organizations to notify parents about the requirement to provide written notice upon terminating a home education program
Prime sponsor: Rep. Katy Peternel (R)
Text not yet available
GSHE will provide an analysis once the full text is released.
HB 1155 — Relative to the Home Education Advisory Council (HEAC)
Prime sponsor: Rep. Katy Peternel (R)
Bill’s text available here
HB 1155 clarifies the structure and responsibilities of the Home Education Advisory Council. It does not change requirements for families under RSA 193-A.
Key provisions include:
- voting membership limited to home education organizations and two at-large members appointed by the Commissioner
- establishing HEAC’s formal responsibilities: communication with agencies, comments on the Ed 315 rule changes, and creating a grievance committee
HB 1155 moves the long-standing but unwritten purpose of HEAC into statute along with the grievance committee specified in Ed 315 rules, which govern home education as much as the statute itself. The bill removes voting powers to the public and private school agency representatives. Historically these organizations are unfriendly to home education although current representatives have been supportive of the community and HEAC’s work.
At this time, GSHE is not taking a position on the bill and will continue to monitor it.
Parents’ Rights Legislation (Education Related)
GSHE monitors parents’ rights bills when they directly address educational authority, as these measures may influence the legal environment in which home education exists.
CACR 24 — Relating to the right to educate children (constitutional amendment)
Prime sponsor: Rep. Michael Granger (R)
Bill’s text available here
CACR 24 proposes adding constitutional language affirming that parents and legal guardians have the right to direct the education of their children. It does not amend RSA 193-A directly, but because it concerns educational authority, GSHE is monitoring it.
Constitutional amendments require a three-fifths vote in both chambers and approval by two-thirds of voters.
CACR 24 has clear, straightforward language that is not ambiguous or vague. It should embed parents’ rights to direct their children’s education in New Hampshire’s constitution.
At this time and based on the text of the bill, GSHE supports it.
EFA-Related Bills (Monitored Only When Potentially Relevant to RSA 193-A)
GSHE does not track all EFA legislation, which is a separate educational pathway defined in state statute RSA 194-F and Ed 800. EFA policy is outside our scope. However, we review EFA-related bills when the language could affect families who home educate under RSA 193-A. In previous years, some EFA bills used broad or imprecise definitions that extended to independent home education.
GSHE will only report on EFA bills that have the potential to impact RSA 193-A.
LSR 2026-2894 — Adds definitions and reporting requirements related to education freedom accounts
Prime sponsor: Rep. Peggy Balboni (D)
Text not yet available
GSHE will continue to follow this LSR to determine if it extends to independent home educating families or not.
LSR 2026-3028 — Relative to academic accountability of education freedom accounts
Prime sponsor: Rep. Tracy Bricchi (D)
Text not yet available
GSHE will continue to follow this LSR to determine if it extends to independent home educating families or not. A bill with a similar title in 2024, HB 1610, was among the worst bills in recent years to threaten traditional home education. Read about HB 1610 (2024) here.
LSR 2026-2834 — Regarding participation in the Education Tax Credit and EFA programs
Prime sponsor: Rep. Sallie Fellows (D)
Text not yet available
At this point, only the title is available, and it is impossible to know what the bill intends to do. The wording appears counterintuitive based on past program issues. Historically, concerns have centered on EFA participants receiving ETC funds, not ETC recipients receiving EFAs. The title suggests restricting ETC recipients, but that does not align with the program interactions that have raised questions in recent years.
Whether the intent is to make the programs mutually exclusive—or something entirely different—cannot be determined from the title alone. GSHE will evaluate the bill once the full text is released.
For background on the ETC program, which directly includes independent home education families, see GSHE’s 2025 article on this topic.
Drivers Education (Community Interest Only)
Driver education is outside GSHE’s advocacy scope. However, many families inquire about parent-taught driver education, so the following bill is included for general awareness.
HB 1452 — Relative to parent-taught driver education
Prime sponsor: Rep. Aidan Ankarberg (I)
Bill’s text available here
HB 1452 would allow a parent or guardian to provide driver education instruction as an alternative to an approved driver education course if it is deemed equivalent as determined by the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation.
Because this is outside the scope of GSHE, we will not monitor this bill. It is provided as one that may be of interest to our community.
Next Steps
The text of 2026 bills will continue to be released throughout December. Public hearings are often scheduled during the first two weeks of January and typically have little advance notice. We recommend signing up for the House and Senate Calendars and Journals on the NH General Court website. The Calendars are where the House and Senate publish dates for public hearings and floor votes.
For those bills that affect independent home education, GSHE will:
- post hearing dates, locations, sign-in links, and opportunities for testimony
- provide talking points
- publish dedicated articles for major bills such as HB 1268
No action is needed at this time. Staying informed is the first step.
Want to Support Home Education in New Hampshire?
Families who wish to engage in the legislative process can explore GSHE’s practical guide — Making a Difference. This resource explains how to follow bills, track hearings, prepare testimony, understand committee procedures, and collaborate with other families.
GSHE Advocacy Resources
Join GSHE to access all of our how-to guides, community forums, and receive our newsletter to stay informed.
Sign up for our newsletters and periodic special alerts at our website. Members automatically receive our monthly newsletters directly to your emails.
Members can access our Making a Difference how-to guide that includes a video on how to be an effective advocate in Concord — how to follow bills, prepare testimony, and coordinate with others.
Members can also find news and updates in our GSHE Action Forum that is focused on advocacy for traditional, unfunded home education, open to NH home education families and supporters not legislators or special-interest organizations and their representatives.
About GSHE
Granite State Home Educators (GSHE) is a 501(c)(4), all-volunteer, statewide grassroots organization dedicated to supporting and empowering families who choose independent home education under RSA 193-A. We provide guidance, resources, community connections, and legislative monitoring focused exclusively on independent home education.
