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HB129 • 2026

relative to the definition of the term "evidence-based" within public education.

relative to the definition of the term "evidence-based" within public education.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Mike Belcher (R), Margaret Drye (R), Katy Peternel (R), Travis Corcoran (R), Kristin Noble (R), Matt Sabourin dit Choinière (R)
Last action
2026-01-07
Official status
HOUSE
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how much local expenditures will increase due to the need to replace existing practices with those that meet the definition of 'evidence-based'.

Science in Education Act

This act defines 'evidence-based' for teaching methods used by public schools and requires the Department of Education and local school districts to use only these evidence-based methods.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'evidence-based' as a term that applies to pedagogical methods, excluding surveys and self-reported data sets. It means methods or techniques that meet at least one of two requirements: reproducibility in multiple well-designed studies within the same discipline or independent confirmation by well-designed studies across different disciplines.
  • Requires the Department of Education and all local school districts to use only evidence-based methods in their policies, training programs, and pedagogical techniques.
  • Requires schools to share information about scientific studies they used to prove that their teaching methods are evidence-based.
  • Allows the Department of Education to create rules for implementing this law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Education
  • Local school districts and educators

Terms To Know

evidence-based
Teaching methods that meet specific criteria based on scientific studies, excluding surveys and self-reported data.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not provide funding for new positions or programs.
  • Local school districts may face increased administrative costs to review and implement evidence-based teaching methods.
  • It is unclear how much local expenditures will increase due to the need to replace existing practices with those that meet the definition of 'evidence-based'.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-07 H

    Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 70

  2. 2025-11-05 H

    Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 10/30/2025 (Vote 25-0; CC) HC 51 P. 10

  3. 2025-10-14 H

    Executive Session: 10/30/2025 10:00 am GP 230

  4. 2025-09-09 H

    Division II Work Session: 10/16/2025 10:00 am GP 230

  5. 2025-03-28 H

    Retained in Committee

  6. 2025-03-19 H

    Division II Work Session: 03/21/2025 01:00 pm LOB 209

  7. 2025-03-14 H

    Executive Session: 03/17/2025 01:15 pm LOB 210-211

  8. 2025-02-12 H

    Division II Work Session: 02/19/2025 10:30 am LOB 209

  9. 2025-02-06 H

    Ought to Pass : MA DV 203-155 02/06/2025 HJ 4 P. 15

  10. 2025-02-06 H

    Referred to Finance 02/06/2025 HJ 4 P. 15

  11. 2025-01-30 H

    Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 01/27/2025 (Vote 10-7; RC) HC 10 P. 7

  12. 2025-01-30 H

    Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate

  13. 2025-01-22 H

    Public Hearing: 01/27/2025 10:00 am LOB 205-207

  14. 2025-01-22 H

    Executive Session: 01/27/2025 01:30 pm LOB 205-207

  15. 2025-01-06 H

    Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 2 P. 7

Official Summary Text

relative to the definition of the term "evidence-based" within public education.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 129-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION
25-0205
11/02

HOUSE BILL
129-FN

AN ACT
relative to the definition of the term "evidence-based" within public education.

SPONSORS: Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4; Rep. Corcoran, Hills. 28; Rep. Drye, Sull. 7; Rep. Noble, Hills. 2; Rep. Peternel, Carr. 6; Rep. Sabourin, Rock. 30

COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration

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ANALYSIS

This bill defines "evidence-based" as applied to pedagogical methods and requires the department of education and all local school districts to conform with such definition in all communications.

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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.
25-0205
11/02

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT
relative to the definition of the term "evidence-based" within public education.

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

1 Short Title. This act shall be known as the Science in Education Act.

2 Legislative Findings. It is the intent of the general court that the term “evidence-based” is either poorly defined or undefined in both law and educational practice. The scientific method relies on the concept of falsifiability and testing of theorems in properly designed experimentation to test truth claims. The paramount metric and standard for evaluation of theorems is resistance to falsification by achieving repeatedly consistent results over multiple experiments. The general court believes that while peer review of studies has uses, including evaluating the proper design of studies, peer review alone has no weight in evaluating or falsifying truth claims. A rigorously scientific approach to education will give substantial weight to repeatability of studies confirming theorems of educational praxis while affording relatively little weight to peer review alone.

3 New Section; Evidence-Based Methods Required. Amend RSA 193-E by inserting after section 1 the following new section:
193-E:1-a Evidence-Based Methods Required.
I. All methods of delivering public education shall be evidence-based, including educator training, policies, and any pedagogical methods attached to or accompanying curriculum (though not to the content of the curriculum itself) adopted by the department of education, local school districts, and any other regulatory body that may prescribe teaching methods.
II. "Evidence-based" under this section shall exclude surveys and other self-reported data sets, and other subjective measurements such as reports of student progress and learning. "Evidence-based" under this section means methods or techniques that meet at least one of the following requirements, without regard to peer review status:
(a) Reproducibility in multiple, well-designed studies within a single discipline.
(b) Independent confirmation by well-designed studies across multiple disciplines.
III. Any use of the term "evidence-based" in communications by the department or local school districts shall conform to the definition in paragraph II.
IV. The department and all local school districts shall make publicly available the scientific studies on which they relied to assure the methods meet the definition of "evidence-based." If the curriculum provider is a third party, the department or school board may require the provider to furnish it to them.
V. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A to implement the provisions of this section.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA
25-0205
12/11/24

HB 129-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT
relative to the definition of the term "evidence-based" within public education.

FISCAL IMPACT:

This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.

Estimated State Impact

FY 2025
FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028

Revenue
$0
$0
$0
$0

Revenue Fund(s)
None

Expenditures*
$0
$118,000
$123,000
$127,000

Funding Source(s)
General Fund

Appropriations*
$0
$0
$0
$0

Funding Source(s)
None

*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2025
FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028

Local Revenue
$0
$0
$0
$0

Local Expenditures
$0
Indeterminable Increase

METHODOLOGY:
This bill defines "evidence-based" as applied to pedagogical methods and requires the Department of Education and all local school districts to conform with such definition in all communications.

The Department states it would need one (1) new education consultant position (SOC 25-7, step 3) to execute the requirements, to conduct the reviews and provide technical assistance to the local education agencies on how to evaluate and implement the requirements. In addition, the position would work on removing and revising all state requirements that conflict with the proposed legislation. The Department’s estimated cost for this position, including salary, benefits, and other costs, is $118,000 in FY 2026, $123,000 in FY 2027, and $127,000 in FY 2028. It should be noted this bill provides neither authority nor funding for new personnel.

The Department states this bill will increase local school district administrative costs relative to reviewing all education methods, as well the replacement and implementation of new education methods (including materials and training). In addition, the Department states at the local and state levels to ensure they meet the definition of evidence-based proposed in this legislation, there are several potential revisions to current practices, laws and rules, educator training programs, policies, and pedagogical methods for a wide variety of actors in public education. Given the depth and scope of these administrative and implementation processes, the Department states this bill will increase local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2026 and each year thereafter. Impacts would vary from district to district.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Education