HB 1571 requires New Hampshire's Department of Education to review statewide academic standards for English/language arts, math, and science every 10 years, beginning in June 2026. The review must align standards with rigor, clarity, and relevance, incorporating input from students, parents, and educators. School districts must select new curriculum materials from a department-approved list based on the revised standards. The bill appropriates $1 for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 to fund this process.
HB 1544 prohibits the use of scented products in public areas of state buildings across New Hampshire. It requires state agencies to use only fragrance-free cleaning products, provide fragrance-free items in restrooms and hygiene areas, and ban fragrance dispensing devices (like air fresheners) in all state buildings open to the public. The bill directly affects state employees, building maintenance staff, and visitors with sensitivities to scents, such as those with asthma or allergies. It cites medical evidence supporting this change, aligning with the American Medical Association’s recommendations. The law takes effect 60 days after passage, with full compliance required within one year.
HB 1597 raises the maximum deductible amount for business property purchases from $500,000 to $2.5 million for property placed in service on or after January 1, 2027. This directly affects businesses making significant capital investments in equipment or property, aligning New Hampshire’s tax code with federal deduction limits. The key provision modifies the expense deduction cap under the Business Profits Tax statute, allowing larger upfront deductions for qualifying assets. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage, with potential revenue impacts noted as indeterminable starting in fiscal year 2027.
HB 219 phases out New Hampshire's minimum requirement for electricity providers to source a certain percentage of power from renewable sources. It mandates a 20% annual reduction in these renewable energy targets starting in 2026, fully eliminating the minimum standard by 2030. This directly affects electricity providers (including distribution companies, competitive suppliers, and community aggregators) who must meet these renewable sourcing requirements. The bill replaces the current standard with a structured 5-year phase-out, allowing utilities to offer 100% renewable power options to default service customers starting in 2026.
HB 215 requires landfill permit applicants (for new sites or expansions) to submit a report detailing both potential harms (like pollution, traffic, or property value impacts) and benefits (such as meeting New Hampshire's waste capacity needs). The Department of Environmental Services must then determine if the landfill provides a "net public benefit" based on specific criteria, including whether it addresses state waste capacity shortages and aligns with state waste management goals. Applicants bear the cost of an independent third-party assessment to evaluate harms. This bill adds a new requirement for applicants to prove net public benefit before permits are issued, focusing on concrete impacts rather than general claims.
HB 1676 restricts the sale of certain rodenticides containing high-risk active ingredients (like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, and warfarin) to unlicensed individuals in New Hampshire. It requires sellers to verify that buyers are certified pesticide applicators or registered agricultural operations before any sale - whether in-person, online, or via catalog - documenting this verification for three years. The law prohibits internet or remote sales without this verification and imposes civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. It takes effect January 1, 2027, directly affecting consumers and retailers selling these products.
HB 1809 would establish a regulated program under New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services allowing licensed medical providers to use psilocybin for specific qualifying conditions. It directly affects patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, or substance use disorders (and potentially other conditions approved later), and medical providers who must be separately approved as both practitioners and producers of psilocybin. Key provisions include creating a state program to approve providers/producers, requiring public listing of approved providers, mandating data collection for program evaluation, and defining psilocybin as naturally occurring (excluding synthetic versions). The bill sets up a supervised therapeutic framework with strict requirements for provider applications, facility locations, and patient eligibility.
HB 1138 limits how much out-of-state solid waste New Hampshire landfills can accept. It requires existing landfill operators (permit holders before 2026) to cap out-of-state waste at 30% of total waste by January 1, 2030. New landfills permitted after January 1, 2026, must limit out-of-state waste to 15% of total waste. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.
HB 1132 would require public schools and public charter schools in New Hampshire to remove all flags except the U.S. flag, New Hampshire state flag, and POW/MIA flag from school buildings and grounds. Exceptions allow for flags used in specific educational contexts (like foreign language or U.S. history classes), U.S. military branch flags, and official city or town flags. Violations would trigger escalating penalties: a warning for the first offense, disciplinary action for the second, and potential state-imposed fines up to $1,000 for third or subsequent violations. The law would take effect on September 1, 2026.
HB 1458 requires businesses offering massage, reflexology, structural integration, or Asian bodywork therapy in commercial locations to obtain a facility license from the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Owners must affirm they have no convictions for prostitution or human trafficking-related offenses and cannot allow residents to live in the facility. The license must be posted visibly, and applications must be processed within 14 days unless denied for cause. This bill does not apply to services provided in non-commercial settings, such as a practitioner’s home or a client’s residence.
HB 1805 changes physical fitness testing requirements for New Hampshire certified law enforcement officers. It extends the required testing frequency from every 3 years to every 5 years and creates a permanent fitness waiver for officers with 19 or more years of service who request it. The bill directly affects all certified police officers, state corrections officers, and probation-parole officers hired after January 1, 2001. These changes modify existing law by adjusting the testing schedule and establishing the long-term waiver option. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.
HB 1206 clarifies which cases the family court (formerly judicial branch family division) can handle under equity jurisdiction. It explicitly states the court has equity powers for family law matters like divorce, child custody, alimony, and support when subject matter jurisdiction applies, removing ambiguous language from existing law. The bill does not create new authority but makes clear that these cases can be resolved through oral testimony, depositions, or consent without requiring a jury trial. It affects family court judges and individuals involved in family law proceedings in New Hampshire. The changes take effect January 1, 2027.
