HB 1300 introduces a local tax cap for school districts, which will be voted on during the state general elections in 2026 and 2028. The bill requires every town and ward to conduct a vote on both a local tax cap and a fixed cap on the central office administrative budget of the school district, with the question included on the ballot by law without needing additional local legislative approval. The bill specifies that the central office administrative expenses cannot exceed 6% of total school district appropriations, excluding bonded capital costs, and defines the maximum allowable property tax levy as the prior fiscal year's levy adjusted for inflation and new taxable property growth. It also removes references to the "name of municipality" and "name(s) of school district(s)" in the ballot question, replacing them with a standardized format.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the roles of educational personnel and allows the legislative body to exceed the local tax cap under certain conditions, requiring a supermajority vote. It mandates compliance documentation to be submitted to the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA), which will ensure that no tax rates exceed certified limits. The bill includes a sunset provision that will cause the tax cap regulations to expire on January 1, 2032, and allows taxpayers to enforce compliance in superior court. Additionally, it grants the DRA rulemaking authority for implementing these provisions and requires updates to its reporting systems, with an estimated cost of $100,000. The effective date for most provisions is set for September 1, 2026, while the repeal of existing RSA 32:5-i will take effect on January 1, 2032.

Statutes affected:
As Amended by the Senate: 21-J:13
Version adopted by both bodies: 21-J:13, 32:5-i