This bill authorizes the state to issue bonds specifically for funding public school expenses, amending RSA 6-A by adding a new section, 6-A:15. The state treasurer is directed to issue these bonds under terms determined by the governor and executive council, with the proceeds deposited into the education trust fund established in RSA 198:39. The bonds will be issued in amounts sufficient to ensure adequate funding for public schools, and school administrative units are required to provide necessary information for establishing statewide base education adequacy aid payments. Additionally, the bill clarifies that municipalities and towns are not precluded from issuing their own bonds for similar purposes.
The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminable, as it does not change the existing state funding formula for education grants. The Treasury Department estimates that approximately $1.08 billion in bonds may be issued, with a fixed coupon rate of 5% and a 20-year amortization period. Debt service payments are projected to be significant, with estimates of around $119 million in FY 2029 and $235 million in FY 2030, declining thereafter. The bill does not alter the state's existing debt limits or use bonded indebtedness for operating appropriations, and the overall impact on the education trust fund and general fund expenditures will depend on future actions by the governor and executive council.