HB 1308 increases penalties for drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus in New Hampshire. It makes sworn testimony from bus drivers or witnesses sufficient evidence for violations, allows bus camera footage to be used as proof (but only for legal proceedings), and adds specific penalties: a $300 fine plus a 7-day license suspension for a first offense, escalating to a $750 fine plus 15 days in jail and indefinite license revocation for a third offense. This bill directly affects drivers who fail to stop for school buses, particularly those with prior violations. The changes take effect January 1, 2027.
HB 1708 reduces the statewide education property tax (SWEPT) rate for homeowners and property owners while increasing the business profits tax rate from 7.5% to 8.5% (with 40-44.2% of this revenue directed to the education trust fund). It sets specific annual revenue targets for the SWEPT - $346 million for 2026-2027, $284 million for 2027-2028, and $273 million annually thereafter - to maintain current education funding levels. Affected parties include residential property owners (who see lower taxes) and businesses (which pay higher profits taxes), with municipalities impacted by the tax shift receiving capped compensation up to $90 million. The bill ensures no net reduction in education funding by offsetting the SWEPT cut through increased business tax revenue.
HB 1013 prohibits any contest, game, or activity where a pig (greased, oiled, or otherwise) is released with the goal of capturing it. The bill directly affects individuals or organizers operating such events, making participation or operation a misdemeanor offense. Key provisions ban these activities under New Hampshire law (RSA 644:8-h) and set a January 1, 2027 effective date. The law does not address other animal-related contests or specify enforcement details beyond the misdemeanor penalty.
HB 1228 requires that past-due alimony payments must be enforced exactly as written in the original court order, without automatic adjustments. This directly affects individuals who owe or are owed alimony, particularly those with unpaid amounts. The bill specifies enforcement must follow the order's terms unless changed by a written agreement between the parties or a specific statute (RSA 458:19-aa). It takes effect January 1, 2027.
SB 589 requires New Hampshire to create a task force studying electricity needs for interstate trucking charging stations, port electrification, and transmission corridors, with a report due by June 2027. It authorizes a pilot program for microgrid development at up to five locations to improve energy resilience, collaborating with utilities and businesses. The bill also mandates the Department of Energy to develop cybersecurity guidelines for distributed energy systems like solar and battery storage. These provisions directly affect state agencies, transportation infrastructure planners, port operators, and energy providers by setting new planning and safety requirements.
HB 1363 amends New Hampshire law to allow the Department of Safety commissioner to designate an authorized person (not just the commissioner) to receive criminal conviction information from background checks for employee candidates. This directly affects state agencies and employers conducting background checks, streamlining how they receive sensitive criminal history data. The bill permits electronic fingerprint submissions and requires strict confidentiality for all criminal history records, while maintaining the existing process for state and federal background checks through the Division of State Police. The change aims to provide flexibility for employers without altering the core background check procedures.
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.
HB 1448 prohibits New Hampshire public schools from including any educational materials created or provided by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in their curricula. The bill amends state education law to explicitly ban WEF lectures, lesson plans, and other educational content from being used in classroom instruction. This directly affects all public school districts and educators in New Hampshire who develop or select curriculum materials. The law requires schools to exclude all WEF-provided materials while maintaining local control over curriculum choices as outlined in existing law.
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.
