SB 655 requires employee leasing companies and their client companies to ensure leased workers have workers' compensation coverage. It mandates that either the leasing company or client company must purchase and maintain this insurance, with options for one policy (voluntary market) or two policies (one voluntary, one residual market). The bill clarifies that both parties share the same legal protections under workers' compensation law and neither is vicariously liable for the other's workplace actions. This directly affects employee leasing businesses and their client employers in New Hampshire. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.
HB 656 requires local school districts to treat all federal grant funds as "unanticipated money" for budgeting purposes. It mandates that school boards publicly disclose any obligations tied to these grants - such as specific requirements or reporting duties - through either a public hearing (for grants of $20,000 or more) or by including a summary in meeting minutes (for smaller amounts). The bill ensures transparency by requiring this disclosure before funds are accepted, regardless of the grant's size. This directly affects school districts receiving federal education grants in New Hampshire.
SB 644 requires background checks for individuals seeking permits to operate solid waste and hazardous waste facilities in New Hampshire. Specifically, it mandates criminal history checks - including fingerprint-based national database searches - for owners, officers, directors, partners, and managers of these facilities during the permit application process. The law applies to all facility owners (including partners in partnerships and managers/members in LLCs) and covers both new permits and ownership transfers. These checks must be conducted through the state police and FBI databases, with applicants submitting authorization forms and fingerprints to the Department of Environmental Services.
HB 1733 clarifies that electricity utilities cannot charge customers who leave default service plans for cost differences from competitive energy markets. The bill requires that any adjustments for over- or underpayment of energy costs must be handled through future changes to the default service rate itself, not through extra fees. This directly affects residential and business customers who switch away from a utility's default electricity plan. The key provision prevents utilities from collecting "true-up" charges as mandatory fees from customers who no longer use the default service.
HB 1073 extends the deadline for New Hampshire's Secretary of State to establish a registry of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), which are online organizations operating without central control. The bill changes the current law (RSA 301-B:14 and RSA 301-B:31) to require completion by January 1, 2027, instead of the previous deadline. This affects the Secretary of State’s office directly, giving them additional time to implement the registry. The bill does not alter DAO regulations or requirements - only the timeline for creating the registry. It is a procedural change with no substantive policy impact.
SB 600 requires New Hampshire's governor to submit quarterly budget reports starting October 1, 2026, detailing the status of the state's general and education trust funds. These reports must compare actual versus planned revenue and spending, including current spending figures and future projections. The reports are submitted to the state's fiscal committee in the General Court. This bill affects the governor's office and the fiscal committee by establishing a regular reporting schedule for key state funds. It does not change existing funding levels or create new spending.
SB 595 creates a path for community water systems to return to standard testing schedules after being required to test more frequently due to missing or late water tests. It directly affects water systems sanctioned by the Department of Environmental Services for these violations. The key provision requires such systems to submit six consecutive timely water test results to revert to the original testing frequency. This bill modifies existing rules to provide a clear remediation process without changing overall testing requirements. The change applies only to systems that have corrected their testing compliance.
HB 1381 extends the filing deadline for political organizations to nominate candidates for state offices by 10 business days after the regular candidate filing period ends. The regular filing period runs from the first Wednesday in June to the Friday of the following week, and this extension allows a political organization's chairperson to file nominations for any office where no candidate filed during the regular period. All filings during this 10-day extension must be submitted to the Secretary of State. This bill directly affects political parties and candidates seeking nomination for state offices.
SB 505 repeals the $34 temporary registration fee for non-resident owners of off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs), such as ATVs or snowmobiles. This change affects non-residents who previously paid the temporary fee for short-term use; they will now need to pay the full regular registration fee ($61-$100, depending on OHRV type and nonprofit club membership). The bill removes the temporary registration option, requiring all non-residents to use the standard registration process. This simplifies the fee structure but eliminates the lower-cost short-term option. The change takes effect November 1, 2026.
HB 1549 clarifies that New Hampshire vehicle owners only need to provide titles, bills of sale, or identification documents at initial registration or when ownership changes - not for annual registration renewals. The bill explicitly states that a current registration certificate is sufficient for renewals, removing ambiguity about recurring document requirements. It also allows town/city clerks to accept personal recognizance as identification and specifies required details for bills of sale during transfers. This change affects all New Hampshire vehicle owners who renew registrations annually, aligning statutory language with current practice to reduce confusion for residents and clerks.
SB 610 revises New Hampshire's long-term care insurance regulations by moving the insurance commissioner's rulemaking authority for loss ratio standards into a new section of the law. It allows the commissioner to approve innovative long-term care policies if they benefit the public and offer reasonable value relative to premiums, while updating criteria for disapproving insurance forms (e.g., removing unreasonable benefits or deceptive pricing). The bill also permits public hearings on form and rate filings, with the commissioner able to limit disclosure of sensitive details during these hearings. These changes directly affect insurers, the insurance commissioner, and long-term care policyholders by streamlining approvals and clarifying regulatory processes.
SB 598 creates a task force to study sustainable funding options for New Hampshire's cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund, which addresses harmful algal blooms in water bodies. The task force - comprising legislative members, state department directors, and community representatives - will examine specific mechanisms like voluntary watercraft decals, license plate donations, redirecting septic application fees, and reallocating transportation drainage funds. It will not directly create funding but will explore these concrete options to support the existing fund. The task force must report its findings by November 1, 2026, to state leaders. This bill focuses solely on studying funding pathways, not implementing new policies.
