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Legislative bills

New Hampshire Bans Public Schools from Housing Migrants, Introduces Unrelated Provisions

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed a bill into law on Friday, banning public schools, colleges, and universities in New Hampshire from housing migrants. The law, House Bill 71, makes exceptions for short-term shelter during natural disasters and revokes state funding from institutions that violate the law. The bill's introduction was inspired by a January 2024 incident in New York City, where migrants were housed in a Brooklyn high school during a severe storm, temporarily disrupting classes. State Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia cited this incident as a key motivator for the bill, aiming to prevent school shutdowns. The law also includes unrelated provisions requiring towns with 10,000 or more people to post property valuation changes publicly, as well as mandating that the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services contracts abide by the patients' bill of rights.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new law bans public schools, colleges, and universities in New Hampshire from housing migrants, making exceptions for short-term shelter during natural disasters.
  • State Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia introduced the bill, citing a January 2024 incident in New York City where migrants were housed in a school during a severe storm.
  • The incident temporarily disrupted classes, prompting Harvey-Bolia to aim for preventing school shutdowns.
  • The law includes unrelated provisions requiring towns with 10,000 or more people to post property valuation changes publicly, and mandating that the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services contracts abide by the patients' bill of rights.
  • State Rep. Glenn Cordelli supports the bill, citing incident reports from Massachusetts facilities that housed migrants, showing fights, assaults, overdoses, rapes, and attempted suicides.
  • The law revokes state funding from institutions that house migrants, including those being resettled or en route to deportation.

Statistics:

  • The bill, House Bill 71, was signed into law on Friday.
  • The bill's sponsor, State Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia, cited a January 2024 incident in New York City as inspiration.
  • The incident involved housing migrants in a Brooklyn high school during a severe storm for roughly 12 hours.
  • The law makes exceptions for short-term shelter during natural disasters, such as hurricanes or blizzards.
  • The unrelated provisions in the law affect towns with 10,000 or more people and require public posting of property valuation changes.

Sources:

  • [Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin](https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/06/25/new-hampshire-legislature-to-vote-on-banning-school-buildings-from-being-used-to-house-migrants/)
  • [Gov. Kelly Ayotte](https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/06/25/new-hampshire-legislature-to-vote-on-banning-school-buildings-from-being-used-to-house-migrants/)
  • [House Bill 71](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2025&id=70&txtFormat=html)
  • [State Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia](https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/06/25/new-hampshire-legislature-to-vote-on-banning-school-buildings-from-being-used-to-house-migrants/)
  • [New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XI/151/151-21.htm)

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