The 2026 legislative session includes a significant bill affecting home education: HB 1268 (2026), a wide-ranging proposal to revise several sections of RSA 193-A, New Hampshire’s home education statute. Some portions of the bill reorganize existing language, one section reflects positive progress, and several others introduce new requirements or remove long-standing protections for families.
Because RSA 193-A defines the rights and responsibilities of families who provide home education in New Hampshire, any proposal to amend it merits close review. Earlier this fall, GSHE provided the sponsor with a detailed analysis of the draft language. Now that the bill has been formally filed, we are sharing a public summary so families can understand what HB 1268 would change and how it may affect their home education programs.
Read GSHE’s full analysis provided to the sponsor (PDF)
What follows is an overview of the major provisions in HB 1268 and GSHE’s position on each section.
Summary of HB 1268
1. Notification Restricted to District Superintendents
HB 1268 removes the option for families to file home education notification with the NH Department of Education or with a nonpublic (private) school. Instead, notification would be limited to the resident district superintendent.
This change reduces long-standing flexibility, increases district involvement, and introduces new ambiguity about when notification is required. Families have relied on notification choice for decades; eliminating it narrows parental control and creates room for misinterpretation. It is a major rollback of parental rights and educational freedom.
GSHE does not support this change.
2. Disability-Specific Language Raises Concerns
The bill adds a new section regarding home-educating children with disabilities, referencing RSA 186-C, which limits recognition of a disability to determinations made within the public school system under IDEA.
Parents already have the right to provide home education to all children, including those with disabilities. Adding disability-specific language:
- implies separate categories of oversight,
- ties recognition of disabilities to public-school processes, eliminating determinations made by private or independent professionals, and
- creates openings for future regulation.
GSHE does not support this addition.
3. References to District Calendars and Instructional Terms
HB 1268 introduces public-school calendar concepts into RSA 193-A. Home education programs are not required to follow district schedules, instructional hours, or academic terms. There are many aspects of public education that are not mirrored in home education — pedagogy, state standards, participation in the statewide assessment, scope and sequence, attendance minimums, calendar days, and daily hours. Bringing this up invites more regulation and raises the question as to why these other areas are not expressly addressed. This invites more problems than it solves.
Including these references risks:
- blurring boundaries between home education and public school,
- misinterpretation by districts, and
- creating pressure for additional regulation.
GSHE does not support this language.
4. Removing Start and End Notices Eliminates Safeguards
Current law provides:
- a 5-day notification window when beginning a home education program, and
- a requirement to notify when ending a program.
While GSHE would generally support legislation for NH to become a no-notification state, the issue of truancy as defined in RSA 189:35-a must be addressed. As proposed, HB 1268 can harm unwary families and give authorities a big club (DCYF) to use.
Additionally, ending a program without notice will cause confusion, especially when distinguishing between home education, EFAs, or truancy cases.
GSHE opposes removing these frameworks unless these concerns are addressed in an amendment.
5. Merging Notification with Equal Access Requirements
The proposed bill inappropriately blends home education notification language with the statute governing Equal Access, RSA 193:1-c. Merging them will cause confusion for families and administrators and could lead to districts tying access to unrelated home ed requirements. There is no compelling reason to complicate either statute further. These sections serve distinct legal purposes and should remain separate.
GSHE does not support combining these sections.
6. Participating Agency Reporting Requirements Placed in RSA 193-A
The bill adds reporting duties for participating agencies into RSA 193-A. While the intent to ensure accurate recordkeeping is reasonable, placing district-related duties inside the statute governing family responsibilities is not appropriate.
GSHE is neutral on the concept but not on the placement.
7. Annual Assessment Improvements
HB 1268 updates the assessment section of RSA 193-A in several ways that support family autonomy. These include:
- restoring parental authority over assessments,
- reducing unnecessary oversight, and
- clarifying that assessment results are for the family’s use.
These changes reflect improvements GSHE recommended in mid-2025.
This is the one section of HB 1268 that GSHE supports.
GSHE’s Position on HB 1268
Except for the assessment section, HB 1268 makes multiple changes that reduce family choice, expand district involvement, or create additional regulatory openings. Some provisions are redundant; others generate new confusion or eliminate existing protections.
If HB 1268 advances without substantial revisions, GSHE will oppose the bill.
We will continue to follow the proposal closely and provide updates throughout the legislative session.
Want to Support Home Education in New Hampshire?
Families who want to engage with the legislative process—whether for five minutes or an entire day—can find practical guidance in our how-to resource:
Making a Difference: How to Engage in NH’s Legislative Process
https://gshenh.org/courses/make-a-difference/
Next Steps
HB 1268 will receive a public hearing early in the 2026 session. GSHE will publish the date, location, bill number, sign-in link, and talking points as soon as they are available.
For now, no action is required. Staying informed is the first step.
GSHE remains committed to advocating for families and policy that respects the independence of home education in New Hampshire.
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.
Granite State Home Educators (GSHE) is a 501c4, all-volunteer statewide grassroots organization created to support and empower families who choose home education for their children’s learning.
