HB 112-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0048
05/02
HOUSE BILL 112-FN
SPONSORS: Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4; Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4; Rep. Mooney, Hills. 12; Rep. Soti, Rock. 35; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17
COMMITTEE: Education Funding
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires university system and community college system students, as a requirement for graduation, to pass the 2020 version of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0048
05/02
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; University System of New Hampshire; Civics Graduation Requirement. Amend RSA 187-A by inserting after section 16-c the following new section:
187-A:16-d Civics Graduation Requirement. Every student admitted or transferring to an institution in the university system of New Hampshire on or after January 1, 2026 shall, as a requirement for graduation and in addition to any other baccalaureate degree graduation requirements, show proof of having passed the 128-question 2020 version of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test with a score of 70 or better, or shall be required take and pass such test with a score of 70 or greater. University system of New Hampshire institutions shall establish procedures to administer, certify, and record results of this assessment for students needing to satisfy this requirement. Exchange students and foreign nationals shall be exempt from this section.
2 New Section; Community College System of New Hampshire; Civics Graduation Requirement. Amend RSA 188-F by inserting after section 6-a the following new section:
188-F:6-b Civics Graduation Requirement. Every student admitted or transferring to an institution in the community college system of New Hampshire on or after January 1, 2026 shall, as a requirement for graduation and in addition to any other degree graduation requirements, show proof of having passed the 128-question 2020 version of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test with a score of 70 or better, or shall be required take and pass such test with a score of 70 or greater. Community college system of New Hampshire institutions shall establish procedures to administer, certify, and record results of this assessment for students needing to satisfy this requirement. Exchange students and foreign nationals shall be exempt from this section.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026.
25-0048
Revised 2/20/25
HB 112-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT requiring students in the university and community college systems of New Hampshire to pass the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services civics naturalization test.
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | USNH - Approximately $100,000 - $500,000 Annually
CCSNH - Approximately $100,000 - $500,000 Annually
Total - Approximately $200,000 - $1,000,000 Annually | ||||
Funding Source(s) | USNH and CCSNH Operating Funds | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires students in University System of New Hampshire (USNH) and Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) to pass the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services civics naturalization test.
University System of New Hampshire (USNH)
The University System of New Hampshire states that compliance with this bill is expected to increase USNH operating expense by an indeterminable amount, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 annually, and has provided the following information:
- Given the potential adverse reputational factor of withholding degree conferral for otherwise qualified baccalaureate graduates and the potential adverse impact on graduation rates, USNH institutions would take a proactive approach with students to ensure that the naturalization test requirement would not deter successful degree completion. This would include such efforts as monitoring testing records, outreach to enrolled NH public high school graduates who did not provide proof of having satisfied the requirement at the secondary level, outreach to more than 2,100 students annually who would be required to take the test (expected to intensify around graduation time frames which occur at various points throughout the academic year), and remediation guidance for students who fail to pass the test. Assuming all testing, record-keeping, and initial/routine student communications would occur electronically, and assuming students could re-take the test without limitation on their own, administrative oversight and individualized student outreach could be performed by the equivalent of one (1) additional full-time staff systemwide (estimated $130,000 annual salary/benefits).
- Costs would be incurred for testing platform procurement, initial integration with USNH enterprise platforms, and ongoing licensure and maintenance. Procurement costs might be mitigated by the adoption of the platform as configured by the NH Department of Education.
- Given the critical value of graduation rates in a fiercely competitive postsecondary environment, particularly among New England states, there is potential for additional costs should enough students fail to take/pass the naturalization test such that it impacts graduation rates. In this scenario, it is conceivable that the testing requirement could be incorporated into general education requirements with courses taught by adjunct faculty with learning outcomes designed expressly for test passage.
Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH)
The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) states the experience of implementing this requirement at the secondary school level suggests significant complexity in planning, implementation and ongoing management to ensure compliance, however anticipates the fiscal impact to be between $100,000 and $500,000 annually. Costs would be incurred in the procurement, integration and maintenance of an online testing format, and CCSNH expects it would see increased expenses associated expected workloads, including a new position to be responsible for implementation, ongoing administration and compliance. Based on information provided to CCSNH from the New Hampshire Department of Education (Department), the Department’s current vendor for the test estimated a cost of approximately $100,000 (beyond the costs assumed in the $100,000-$500,000 figure above) to develop a feature to document student completion of the test while in high school; after the first year/development, those costs would be rolled into the contract.
Ultimately, this bill’s precise impact on each system is indeterminable. This bill does not provide funding.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
University System of New Hampshire and Community College System of New Hampshire