The House Education Policy and Administration Committee held a public hearing on a non-germane amendment to SB 57 regarding the dissolution of the Home Education Advisory Council (HEAC) on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The video recording is available here starting at mark 2:14:36.
GSHE blogged the hearing and it is available here.
In his opening remarks, the sponsor of the amendment, Rep Glenn Cordelli, gave a brief overview of HEAC’s origins in 1990 when New Hampshire’s home education law and political environment were very different. He correctly indicated that the statute, RSA 193-A, has changed significantly in recent years in ways that no longer require the same functions of HEAC. However, he also characterized HEAC as “dysfunctional” and as “deviating” from their responsibility and has “lost its way.”
GSHE takes strong exception to that characterization as the discord has been because others on the council have conflated and co-mingled the Education Freedom Account (EFA) – an entirely separate and distinct educational option per NH state laws. GSHE, CHENH/SME, and the Prax Village representatives have worked to keep HEAC properly focused on independent home education as it is defined in statute, RSA 193-A.
Rep Cordelli also said that he consulted with others on this non-germane amendment for an unspecified time period, and upon questioning, admitted he discussed it with other legislators, not the home ed members of HEAC or the broader home education community.
Several home ed people testified that they are very upset about how the amendment was an ambush to the community.
Several members of the public voiced that HEAC should be focused on 193-A and the recent difficulties are because some members of the council were not staying on track with statutory boundaries. A few people directly said this amendment is retaliation for recent efforts to keep HEAC on track with independent home education and not conflated with the EFA.
Members of the public said the home ed community is not against the EFA or the families who are enrolled in this option, but strongly want to be respected and avoid further conflation with this different pathway.
Some who testified also pointed out that if HEAC is removed, then they want to also see the state Board of Education’s rule-making authority stricken from that same section of statute, RSA 193-A:3 because that is one of the remaining useful functions of HEAC outlined in law.
A couple members of the public indicated that they want HEAC to also include the EFA pathway, even though this educational options has their own parent and provider council available in law RSA 194-F:5.
Several home education moms are opposed to the non-germane amendment because they see HEAC as valuable, serving as an important bridge between the independent home education community, public education agencies, and the Department of Education. They said that HEAC allows some issues to be resolve much quicker than would otherwise be available, is a way to stay informed about issues and changes that impact the community, and is how the home ed community can be represented to the broader network of educational pathway representatives that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
Below are links to testimony at the hearing, shared with permission.
Michelle Levell representing GSHE
Amanda Weeden representing GSHE and CHENH/SME
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Shortly after the public hearings concluded, the committee entered executive session when they discuss and vote on bills and any amendments. The executive session on SB 57 is on this video link and begins at mark 5:56:15.
The committee introduced a different amendment to SB 57, #2025-1900h, that does not contain any changes to 193-A or the Home Education Advisory Council.
Representative Cordelli commented that there are “changes discussed” including “leadership on the council” although none of that has involved members of the home education community beyond what was shared in public testimony. He referenced the draft annual report that was discussed at the May HEAC meeting, and a wish to arrive at common ground for future actions or legislation. Rep Cordelli still chastised the independent home ed community without recognition of the legal separation of the two pathways.
We expect that this issue will be revisited for a potential bill in 2026, but for now, no changes are anticipated to the home education statute or the function of HEAC. Bills for 2026 are filed in the fall.
Note that HEAC meets again on June 13 for their next regular meeting. They typically do not meet over the summer.
The new amendment, #1900, received a 16 to 1 Ought to Pass (OTP) vote and then the bill received a 15 to 2 Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTP/A) recommendation.
BACKGROUND
Read GSHE’s original post about the public hearing here.
GSHE has closely followed HEAC for years and publishes summaries after each meeting. You can find the 2024-25 reports here.
HEAC Seeks Clarity re Home Education
HEAC Attempts to Improve Home Ed Communication
HEAC is Focused on Home Ed and the EFA is Public Education
