A bill to consent to certain amendments to the New Hampshire-Vermont interstate school compact, approved by Public Law 91-21.
PL 95-536 (S.2403), enacted 10/27/1978

PUBLIC LAW 95-536—OCT. 27, 1978 
92 STAT. 2035 
Public Law 95-536 
95th Congress 
An Act 
To consent to certain amendments to the New Hampshire-Vermont Interstate 
School Compact, approved by Public Law 91-21. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate mid House of Refyesentatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled., That the consent of 
Congress is given to the amendments to the New Hampshire-Vermont 
Interstate School Compact which have been agreed to by such States 
and are substantially as follows: 
(1) amend article VII-G to read as follows: 
"(G) STATE AID PROGRAMS.—As used in this paragraph the term 
'initial aid' shall include New Hampshire and Vermont financial assist-
ance with respect to a capital project, or the means of financing a capi-
tal project, which is available in connection with construction costs 
of a capital project or which is available at the time indebtedness is 
incurred to finance the project. Without limiting the generality of 
the foregoing definition, initial aid shall specifically include a New 
Hampshire state guarantee under RSA 195-B with respect to bonds 
or notes and Vermont construction aid under chapter 123 of 16 V.S.A. 
As used in this paragraph the term 'long-term aid' shall include New-
Hampshire and Vermont financial assistance which is payable periodi-
cally in relation to capital costs incurred by an interstate district. 
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing definition, long-
term aid shall specifically include New Hampshire school building 
aid under RSA 198 and Vermont school building aid under chapter 
323 of Title 16 V.S.A. For the purpose of applying for, receiving and 
expending initial aid and long-term aid an interstate district shall be 
deemed a native school district by each State, subject to the following 
provisions. When an interstate district has appropriated money for a 
capital project, the amount appropriated shall be divided into a New 
Hampshire share and a Vermont share in accordance with the capital 
expense appoitionment formula in the articles of agreement as though 
the total amount appropriated for the project was a capital expense 
requiring apportionment in the year the appropriation is made. New 
Hampshire initial aid shall be available with respect to the amount 
of the New Hampshire share as though it were authorized indebted-
ness of a New Hampshire cooperative school district. In the case of 
a State guarantee of interstate district bonds or notes under RSA 
195-B, the interstate district shall be eligible to apply for and receive 
an unconditional State guarantee with respect to an amount of its 
bonds or notes which does not exceed fifty percent of the amount of 
the New Hampshire share as determined above, Vermont initial aid 
shall be available with respect to the amount of the Vermont share as 
though it were funds voted by a Vermont school district. Payments 
of Vermont initial aid shall be made to the interstate district, and 
tlie amount of any borrowing authorized to meet the appropriation 
for the capital project shall be reduced accordingly. New Hampshire 
and Vermont long-term aid shall be payable to the interstate district. 
The amounts of long-term aid in each year shall be based on the New 
Hampshire and Vermont shares of the'amount of indebtedness of the 
interstate district which is payable in that year and which has been 
Oct. 27, 1978 
[S. 2403] 
New Hampshire-
Vermont 
Interstate School 
Compact, 
amendment. 
Consent of 
Congress. 
Financial 
assistance, 
construction. 
92 STAT. 2036 
PUBLIC LAW 95-536—OCT. 27, 1978 
apportioned, in accordance with the capital expense apportionment 
formula in the articles of agreement. The New Hampshire aid shall 
be payable at the rate of forty-five percent, if there are three or less 
New Hampshire members in the interstate district, and otherwise it 
shall bo payable as though the New Hampshire members were a New 
Hampshire cooperative school district. New Hampshire and Vermont 
long-term aid shall be deducted from the total capital expenses for 
the fiscal year in which the long-term aid is payable, and the balance 
of such expenses sliall be apportioned among the member districts. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions. New Hampshire and Ver-
mont may at any time change their State school aid programs that 
are in existence when this compact takes effect and may establish new 
programs, and any legislation for these purposes may specify how such 
programs shall be applied with respect to interstate districts. Notwith-
standing the foregoing, the respective amounts of New Hampshire 
and Vermont initial and long-term aid, with respect to a capital 
project of the Dresden School District for which indebtedness is 
authorized by a vote of the District after July 1, 1977, shall be 
initially determined for each year for each member district by the 
manner provided in this paragraph and the aid shall be paid to the 
Dresden School District, however, the amount of aid for those capital 
projects received by the Dresden School District on account of each 
member district shall be used by the District to reduce the sums which 
would otherwise be required to be raised by taxation within that mem-
ber district."; 
(2) insert the following at the end of article VII: 
"(I) Notwithstanding paragraph (G) of this Article, initial and 
long-term aid may be allocated among the members of an interstate 
district other than the Dresden School District in the manner which 
is provided in the articles of agreement of that district, or if not therein 
provided, in the manner specified in paragraph (G) for all interstate 
districts other than the Dresden School District."; and 
(3) amend Article IX to read as follows: 
"ARTICLE 
IX 
u 
AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT 
"A. Amendments to the articles of agreement shall be adopted in 
the manner provided in the articles of agreement, and if no such provi-
sion is made in the articles of agreement then amendments shall be 
adopted by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of those present and vot-
ing at an interstate district meeting, except that: 
"a. If the amendment proposes the addition of a new member dis-
trict, the amendment shall be adopted in the same manner provided 
for the adoption of the original articles of agreement, provided that 
the planning committee shall consist of all of the members of the inter-
state district board of directors and all of the members of the school 
board of the proposed new member district or districts, and provided 
that the amendment shall be submitted to the voters of the interstate 
district, the affirmative vote of two-thirds of those present and voting 
at an interstate district meeting being required for approval of the 
amendment. The articles of agreement together with the proposed 
amendment shall then be submitted to the voters of the proposed new 
member district or districts, and an affirmative vote of a simple major-
ity of those present and voting at each district meeting shall be 
required for approval of the amendment. 
PUBLIC LAW 95-536—OCT. 27, 1978 
92 STAT. 2037 
"b. No amendment to the articles of agreement may impair the 
rights of bond or note holders or the power of the interstate district 
to procure the means for their payment. 
"c. Amendments to the articles of agreement of the Dresden School 
District shall be adopted in the following manner: (1) an amendment 
shall be initially approved upon the affirmative vote of a simple major-
ity of those voters of the Dresden School District who are present and 
voting at a meeting called for such purpose, (2) the amendment ini-
tially approved by the voters of the Dresden School District shall 
become final and effective upon the expiration of thirty days after the 
date of that vote, unless a petition is duly filed within that thirty-day 
period and the amendment is subsequently not approved by the voters 
of a member district in accordance with the procedure specified in 
clause (3), (3) if a petition, valid under applicable State law, is filed 
before the expiration of that thirty-day period with the clerk of any 
school district which is a member of the Dresden School District, which 
petition requires the calling of a special meeting of that member dis-
trict for the purpose of considering the approval of the amendment 
initially adopted by the voters of the Dresden School District, then 
the board of school directors of that member district shall thereupon 
call a special meeting of that district for that purpose, (4) if the 
amendment as initially approved by the voters of the Dresden School 
District is approved by more than forty percent of the voters present 
and voting at the meeting of each member district in which a petition 
was filed under this section, then the amendment as initially adopted 
shall become final and effective upon the vote of that member district 
last to vote. If the amendment as initially approved by the voters of 
the Dresden School District is not so approved by niore than forty 
percent of the voters present and voting at the meeting of any one 
member district, then the amendment shall be null and void and of no 
effect.". 
Approved October 27, 1978. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 95-1722 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
SENATE REPORT No. 95-968 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 124 (1978): 
July 14, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 12, considered and passed House.