HB 1483 creates a special license plate option for New Hampshire motor vehicle owners who are licensed amateur radio operators. The plate would display either the operator's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) call sign or a lightning bolt symbol, requiring FCC certification at application. The Department of Safety's emergency management division may access a list of plate holders for disaster coordination, but the bill explicitly states no additional privileges (like emergency lights or traffic exemptions) are granted. The director of motor vehicles may set fees for these plates, subject to legislative committee approval.
This bill requires New Hampshire's Insurance Commissioner to create and publish a report by January 1, 2028, and every five years thereafter, detailing insurance risks from extreme weather events like floods, storms, and hurricanes. The report must include information on "fortified home and commercial standards" (measures to reduce weather-related damage) and identify areas at risk of coverage loss or premium increases, using data from FEMA maps, New Hampshire coastal viewer tools, and other risk assessments. It also mandates that the Commissioner develop these fortified standards using science-based guidelines from national insurance organizations and consider them when setting insurance rates. This affects insurers, who must factor these standards into rate calculations, and consumers, who will receive accessible information about weather-related risks and mitigation options.
HB 1266 amends New Hampshire law to clarify that election moderators may access the designated vote-counting area during their duties, even if they are candidates for non-election offices. The bill removes a previous restriction that required moderators to leave this area, ensuring they can remain present to perform their official responsibilities. However, moderators must still disqualify themselves from tabulating votes for the specific office they are running for, as required under existing rules. This change directly affects election moderators who are also candidates for non-election positions in New Hampshire.
HB 1460 prohibits companies and services that collect children's data from selling their location or other sensitive information. It directly affects businesses operating apps, websites, or platforms that gather data from minors, banning the sale regardless of parental consent. The bill amends New Hampshire's data privacy law (RSA 507-H) by adding a new requirement that covered entities cannot sell children's data, building on existing federal COPPA rules. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, without new state funding or positions.
SB 405 modifies New Hampshire's campaign finance reporting rules by raising the threshold for keeping donor personal information private from $50 to $200 per election cycle. It also increases the threshold requiring detailed donor information (like occupation and employer) from $200 to $1,000 per election cycle. Additionally, the bill allows political committees to summarize small donations collected at events (e.g., fairs) if each donation is $50 or less and the total per donor stays under $200, raising previous limits from $25 and $50. These changes primarily affect political committees and individual donors contributing within the new thresholds.
SB 560 updates New Hampshire's land surveying standards by formally adopting the National Geodetic Survey's (NGS) current coordinate system, replacing outdated terms like "New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927" and "1983." It requires all survey documents, maps, and land records to use the new "New Hampshire state plane coordinate system" (NHSPCS) defined by NGS, phasing out older systems by specific deadlines (1927 system no longer usable after 1989, 1983 system after NGS releases the new standard). This directly affects licensed land surveyors, government agencies, and anyone creating or recording land surveys or maps. The bill clarifies terminology, standardizes coordinate units (feet/meters), and mandates clear documentation of survey methods in public records.
HB 1630 prohibits businesses from selling nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") and specific inhalants like butyl nitrites for recreational use, creating a class A misdemeanor for violations. Key exceptions include medical use (e.g., by hospitals or dentists), food-related applications (like whipped cream cans), and industrial/automotive purposes. The law explicitly exempts sales of flavored whipped cream and substances sold for legitimate medical, food, or industrial purposes, but presumes recreational intent if products are marketed with food-like flavors. It takes effect January 1, 2027, with no estimated state revenue or expenditure impact.
HB 1489 updates New Hampshire's legal procedures for handling depositions and discovery across state lines. It replaces the existing "Uniform Foreign Depositions Law" with a new "Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act" (RSA 517-A), clarifying how courts process subpoenas from other states. The bill requires parties seeking discovery in New Hampshire to submit foreign subpoenas to a local court clerk, who then issues a standardized subpoena incorporating the original terms. This affects lawyers, courts, and parties in multi-state legal cases by streamlining cross-jurisdictional discovery while aligning with similar laws in other states.
HB 1742 protects customers who generate their own electricity (like solar panel owners) from being accidentally enrolled in third-party power programs without their consent. It requires utilities to investigate such cases within 10 business days and restore affected customers to their standard utility service within 5 days if confirmed. For up to six months prior to restoration, utilities must apply retroactive net metering credits for electricity they exported to the grid but weren't credited for during the incorrect enrollment. This ensures customers aren't financially penalized for errors in enrollment.
SB 496 exempts private residences designated by broker-dealers as supervisory locations from being classified as branch offices under securities regulations. The bill adds a definition for "residential supervisory location" as a private home used for supervising agents, provided it complies with FINRA Rule 3110.19. This directly affects broker-dealers and their associates by reducing regulatory burden for using home offices to supervise field staff. The policy change clarifies that such residences are not treated as formal branch offices for registration or supervision purposes.
HB 1758 allows school bus drivers currently certified in Vermont to obtain a New Hampshire school bus driver's certificate without retaking the state's special driving exam. It directly affects Vermont-certified drivers seeking to work as school bus drivers in New Hampshire. The bill amends state law to permit drivers to submit proof of their Vermont certification as valid proof of qualification, instead of requiring a separate New Hampshire examination. This creates a streamlined process for Vermont-certified drivers to work in New Hampshire school transportation without additional testing.
SB 590 allows municipalities to use revolving funds to support energy services under approved electric aggregation plans. It specifically authorizes the use of non-tax revenues (like fees from participating customers) to supplement these programs, while prohibiting the use of local tax funds for this purpose. This bill directly affects towns and cities operating aggregation plans, which let residents and businesses collectively choose electricity providers. The key change is enabling municipalities to establish revolving funds for these services, with potential local expenditure increases estimated between $10,000 and $100,000 per municipality that adopts the provision. Participation in aggregation plans remains voluntary for residents and businesses.
