§ 189:10-a — Facial Covering Policy for Schools

The school board of a school district or the chief executive officer of a chartered public school or public academy shall not adopt, enforce, or implement a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering for any purpose while on the school's property unless the facial covering is necessary for a specific extracurricular or instructional purpose, or is required by some other section of the law. In this section, "facial covering" means any item worn on the face which covers a student's mouth, nose, or both. This provision shall not prohibit any public school board or governing person or body of a school from requiring participating students to wear athletic gear intended to protect against concussive or similar sports-related physical damage, or to wear protective equipment while handling chemicals, fire, or other similar hazardous elements for scientific or similar educational purposes. Further, this provision shall not prohibit policies that may require facial coverings as part of a student's individualized education program pursuant to RSA 186-C or accommodation plan pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq).

Legislative History

2025, 180:1, eff. Sept. 13, 2025.