SB 157-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
03/12/2015 0677s
03/12/2015 0840s
6Jan2016... 2498h
2015 SESSION
15-0796
04/09
SENATE BILL 157-FN
AN ACT requiring high school students to pass a competency assessment of the United States and New Hampshire government and civics.
COMMITTEE: Education
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires students in high school or equivalent to take and pass a government and civics competency assessment as a component of instruction in the history, government, and constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/12/2015 0677s
03/12/2015 0840s
6Jan2016... 2498h
15-0796
04/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT requiring high school students to pass a competency assessment of the United States and New Hampshire government and civics.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 School Boards; Instruction in National and State History and Government. Amend RSA 189:11 to read as follows:
189:11 Instruction in National and State History and Government.
I. In all public and private schools in the state there shall be given regular courses of instruction in the history, government and constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire, including the organization and operation of New Hampshire municipal, county and state government and of the federal government. Such instruction shall begin not later than the opening of the eighth grade and shall continue in high school as an identifiable component of a year’s course in the history and government of the United States and New Hampshire.
II. As a component of instruction under paragraph I, a locally developed competency assessment of United States government and civics that includes, but is not limited to, the nature, purpose, structure, function, and history of the United States government, the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and noteworthy government and civic leaders, shall be administered to students as part of the high school course in history and government of the United States and New Hampshire. Students who attain a passing grade on the competency assessment shall be eligible for a certificate issued by the school district. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) test may be used to satisfy the requirement of this paragraph.
2 Applicability. The provisions of this act shall only apply to students eligible to receive a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate on or after January 1, 2017.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
15-0796
Revised 04/09/15
Amended 03/23/15
SB 157-FN FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to encouraging high school students to take and pass a United States citizenship test.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Education states this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendments #2015-0677s and #2015-0840s), may increase local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2016 and each fiscal year thereafter. There will be no impact on state, county, and local revenues or state and county expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Education states this bill encourages students to take the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ test administered to all applicants for United States citizenship as a compliment to their high school education; the successful completion of which would make students eligible for a certificate issued by their school.
The Department states to the extent local school districts choose to incorporate the assessment into their curriculum, additional costs associated with the administration of the test may be incurred. The Department is unable to estimate the number of schools that would choose to administer the test and therefor unable to determine to what extent passage of the proposed legislation would increase local expenditures in FY 2016 and each fiscal year thereafter.