26apr01...0855h

6/7/01 1390s

26june01...1858CofC

2001 SESSION

01-0596

04/09

HOUSE BILL 354-FN-A-LOCAL

COMMITTEE: Finance

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill extends the kindergarten construction program through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004 and increases by $6,000,000 the amount of the bonded appropriation for the kindergarten construction program. The bill also removes eligibility for existing kindergarten programs, and repeals the kindergarten construction program in its entirety effective July 1, 2004.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

26apr01...0855h

6/7/01 1390s

26june01...1858CofC

01-0596

04/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

287:1 School Money; Kindergarten Construction Program Extended. Amend RSA 198:15-r, I to read as follows:

I. There is established in the department of education a kindergarten construction program. For the [5-year] 7-year period starting July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, [2002] 2004, the commissioner of education shall make grants available to eligible districts that currently do not operate a public kindergarten program to cover 75 percent of the actual cost of construction of kindergarten facilities, exclusive of site acquisition and core facilities. [The commissioner shall also make grants available to eligible districts that currently operate a public kindergarten program for 75 percent of the cost of construction, exclusive of site acquisition, needed to provide the kindergarten program with classrooms that meet the appropriate standards for school building construction established by the state board of education, pursuant to RSA 541-A and under the authority of RSA 21-N:9, II(c).] Grants shall also cover the cost of initial equipment needed to operate a kindergarten program.

287:2 Kindergarten Construction Program; Availability of Funds Amended. Amend RSA 198:15-r, II to read as follows:

II. Nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit the inclusion of the site and related facilities that are not eligible for funding by the state under this subdivision as part of kindergarten construction costs from being included in a regular building aid funding request as provided in RSA 198:15-b. However, no school district which receives funding for a kindergarten construction project under this subdivision shall be eligible to receive school building aid under RSA 198:15-b for the same project.

287:3 Kindergarten Construction Program; Appropriation Amended. Amend 1997, 348:6 to read as follows:

348:6 Appropriation; Kindergarten Construction. A sum not to exceed [$22,500,000] $28,500,000 is hereby appropriated to the department of education for the purposes of constructing kindergarten classrooms. This appropriation shall be nonlapsing and in addition to any other appropriation to the department of education; provided, however, that the department of education shall not approve grant requests for such purposes for more than:

I. $6,000,000 in the biennium ending June 30, 1999.

II. $5,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000.

III. $5,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001.

IV. $6,500,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002.

V. $2,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003.

VI. $4,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004.

287:4 Kindergarten Construction Program; Bonding Amount Amended. Amend 1997, 348:7, I as amended by 1997, 351:56 to read as follows:

I. To provide funds for the appropriation made in section 6 of this act, the state treasurer is hereby authorized to borrow upon the credit of the state not exceeding the sum of [$22,500,000] $28,500,000 and for said purpose may issue bonds and notes in the name of and on behalf of the state of New Hampshire in accordance with RSA 6-A; provided that bonds or notes shall not be issued in excess of:

(a) $6,000,000 in the biennium ending June 30, 1999.

(b) $5,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000.

(c) $5,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001.

(d) $6,500,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002.

(e) $2,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003.

(f) $4,000,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004.

287:5 Kindergarten Construction Program; Penalty Provision. If, within 20 years of the completion of kindergarten facilities constructed under the kindergarten construction program as set forth in RSA 198:15-r through 198:15-t, a school district or city maintaining a school department discontinues the kindergarten program or uses these classrooms for other than kindergarten, it shall be required to pay back to the state 100 percent of the kindergarten construction grant payments received under such program. Upon a showing of good cause by the school district, the commissioner of education may waive this penalty in whole or part on a case by case basis.

287:6 Repeal. The following are repealed:

I. RSA 198:15-s, II, relative to kindergarten construction grant eligibility for existing public kindergarten programs.

II. RSA 198:15-r through RSA 198:15-t, relative to the kindergarten construction program.

287:7 Effective Date.

I. Paragraph II of section 6 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

(Approved: July 17, 2001)

(Effective Date: I. Paragraph II of section 6 shall take effect July 1, 2004.