HB 1051 New Hampshire House · 2026 Regular Session

modifying the procedures and requirements for school bus driver criminal history records checks and expanding the personnel subject to such checks.

HB 1051 establishes a commission to study whether New Hampshire should create a centralized statewide database for fingerprinting and background checks. The commission, composed of two House members, one Senate member, and state agency representatives (including from safety, education, and licensing), will examine current check practices, assess costs, review other states' systems, and determine the best agency to manage such a database. It must report its findings and recommendations to state leaders by November 1, 2026, without creating the database itself. The bill only sets up a study to inform future decisions, not to change current laws or practices.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Transportation

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Nov 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Nov 7, 2025 Signed Jun 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Version adopted by both bodies → CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION · 5 edits

MODERATE

The changes from the adopted version to the chaptered final version are primarily technical and formatting in nature. The bill was assigned Chapter 116, an approval date of June 2, 2026 was added, punctuation in a list of criminal statute citations was cleaned up (semicolons replaced with commas), and a clarifying comma was added in Section I. No substantive policy changes were made.

TECHNICAL

The bill was assigned Chapter 116 and section numbers were updated from '1' and '2' to '116:1' and '116:2' to reflect its place in the compiled laws.

In Section V(a), semicolons separating individual RSA criminal statute citations (e.g., RSA 630:1; 630:1-a; 630:1-b) were replaced with commas, standardizing the list format. The same statutes are referenced.

A comma was added in Section I before 'as would school administrative units' for grammatical clarity.

The fiscal note section and the Legislative Branch Administrator (LBA) signature block were removed, which is standard when a bill transitions to its chaptered form.

TIMELINE

An explicit approval date of June 2, 2026 was added to the final version.

Introduced → As Amended by the House · 8 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten. The original version established a temporary study commission to examine the feasibility of creating a statewide fingerprinting and background check database. The amended version instead directly modifies existing law (RSA 189:13-b) to require criminal history records checks, including fingerprinting, for school bus drivers, transportation vehicle drivers, bus monitors, designated volunteers, and contracted service providers, with specific disqualifying offenses and a 5-year clearance period.

Scope change

The bill shifted from a broad, temporary study commission examining the feasibility of a statewide fingerprinting database (with self-repealing language) to a permanent, targeted amendment of school bus driver background check law that expands coverage to volunteers and contractors and adds fingerprinting requirements.

SCOPE

The entire study commission structure was removed, including the commission membership (legislative appointments, department commissioners), its tasks (feasibility study, cost analysis, interstate comparison), its November 1, 2026 report deadline, and its self-repealing provision effective November 30, 2026.

The bill now directly amends RSA 189:13-b to require criminal history records checks for school bus drivers, school transportation vehicle drivers, school bus monitors, designated volunteers, and contracted service providers working with school administrative units, school districts, chartered public schools, public academies, or non-public special education schools.

REQUIREMENT

Requires submission of a criminal history records release form authorizing state and FBI checks, plus a complete set of fingerprints taken by law enforcement or an authorized department employee. If fingerprints are invalid after two attempts, police clearance from every city, town, or county of residence in the past 10 years may be accepted instead.

The department of education must establish and implement a secure system to check all covered personnel against the NASDTEC database using the applicant's social security number.

ELIGIBILITY

Lists specific disqualifying offenses including drug trafficking (RSA 318-B:2), various sex offense statutes (RSA 630 through 649-B), and child pornography offenses (RSA 650:2). Also prohibits employing anyone whose educator credential has been revoked in New Hampshire or any other state.

TIMELINE

Criminal history record check clearance is valid for 5 years. The department must destroy all criminal history record information within 60 days of receiving it. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.

FISCAL

The department may require individuals to pay the actual costs of the criminal history records check.

ENFORCEMENT

The department must adopt rules under RSA 541-A governing the rights of educational and contracted personnel and their ability to appeal a denial of clearance based on a pending charge or conviction.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 5, 2026

Signed into law

Signed by Governor Ayotte 06/02/2026; Chapter 116; eff.07/01/2026

lower

Apr 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/23/2026; SJ 10

upper

Apr 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 04/23/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 15

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Introduced

Introduced 03/05/2026 and Referred to Judiciary; SJ 6

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0711h: MA VV 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 3

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Introduced

Amendment # 2026-0711h: AA VV 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 3

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0711h (NT) 02/18/2026 (Vote 12-0; CC) HC 9 P. 4

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Work Session: 02/11/2026 09:30 am GP 159

lower

Nov 7, 2025

Introduced

Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety HJ 1 P. 4

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors