SB00449
Changes to School Funding Notices, State Land Classification, Child Care Zoning, and Regional Programs
In one sentence
This law changes when school funding amounts are posted online, requires state agencies to identify certain types of land for tax classification purposes, bans zoning rules that treat licensed child care homes differently from regular houses, creates a new regional performance incentive program, and removes an old equipment purchase program.
What it does
- Requires the Office of Policy and Management to notify public school operators and post funding amounts online on April 1 instead of March 1 each year.
- Directs state agencies working with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to identify land they own or hold in trust that is used as farm, forest, open space, or maritime heritage land so local assessors can classify it correctly for taxes.
- Prohibits towns from writing zoning rules that treat licensed family or group child care homes located in residences differently than single-family or multi-family houses.
- Creates a new regional performance incentive program allowing groups of towns to share services, redistribute grants based on priorities, or share revenue through proposals submitted by them.
- Removes the law for the intertown capital equipment purchase incentive program.
Who it affects
- Public school operators who receive funding allocations
- State agencies that own or hold land in trust
- Municipal assessors and zoning officials
- Regional councils of governments, regional educational service centers, and participating municipalities
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not specify how much total funding will be available for the new regional performance incentive program.
- It is unclear which specific state-owned properties will qualify as farm, forest, open space, or maritime heritage land until agencies identify them.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Maritime heritage land
- Land defined in state statutes that is preserved for its connection to the history or culture of waterways.
- Regional performance incentive program
- A new system where groups of towns can propose ways to share services, money, or grants based on regional needs.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
To (1) make revisions to statutes relating to the (A) local capital improvement fund, (B) small town economic assistance program, and (C) public school district repair and improvement project program, (2) classify certain property owned or held in trust by the state as farm land, forest land, open space land or maritime heritage land, and (3) repeal statutes (A) relating to the intertown capital equipment purchase incentive program, and (B) prohibiting zoning regulations from treating family child care homes and group child care homes located in a residence in a manner different from single or multifamily dwellings.
Official activity
Bill history
- Signed by the Governor
- Transmitted to the Secretary of State
- Transmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor
- Public Act 26-137LCO
- Transmitted Pursuant To Joint Rule 17
- Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House
- House Calendar Number 578
- Rules Suspended
- House Adopted Senate Amendment Schedule A
- House Passed as Amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A
- In Concurrence
- Senate Adopted Senate Amendment Schedule A 4213
- Senate Passed as Amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A
- Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' OfficeLCO
- Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
- Senate Calendar Number 195
- File Number 284LCO
- Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/30/26 5:00 PMLCO
- Filed with Legislative Commissioners' OfficeLCO
- Joint Favorable SubstitutePD