On August 8, 2021, Governor Chris Sununu signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 148, the Career and Technical Education Omnibus Bill. SB 148 had 19 sections in total, ranging from funding for construction and renovation of CTE centers, to reporting requirements for high schools in New Hampshire.
The bill’s journey into law was complicated. Due to the pandemic, the Senate combined standalone bills into “omnibus” bills to streamline the process. Additionally, the bill went through a Committee of Conference in June, where House and Senate members compromised on key elements of the bill. Finally, the bill amends sections of SB 276, a relatively new law that took effect last year.
Out of a recognition for the complexity of this bill and the journey it took, the NH Alliance for College and Career Readiness crafted a simplified technical assistance document in an effort to highlight the sections that will actually take effect.
SB 148 had several contingencies that included alternative language that would go into effect if the statewide budget bill was signed. Since the statewide budget was signed in June, Sections 11 and 12 of the bill were replaced with Sections 18 and 19; the attached technical assistance document only includes information on the sections that are active in order to minimize confusion.
NOTE: Sections of the bill include contradictory effective dates. For example, Section 7 requires the NH Department of Education to adopt rules by June 30, 2021; however, the bill’s effective date is October 9, 2021. Reaching Higher NH is seeking clarification on the actual effective dates of the sections in question, and will update the post and attachment accordingly.
Read more about SB 276, the “Drive to 65” Act:
The NH Alliance for College and Career Readiness, is a project of Reaching Higher NH. The Alliance is a diverse and collaborative group focused on bridging policy, communications, and engagement efforts to help all NH students graduate college and career ready. Alliance members include representatives from K-12 education, postsecondary education, business & industry, and the nonprofit sector. Learn more at www.TheNHAlliance.org
