HB 563 adjusts New Hampshire's education funding for students receiving special education services by introducing three new funding categories based on the intensity of support needed. It increases grants by $2,185 for students receiving services 80% or more of the day (Category B), $3,278 for those needing 80% or more specialized support (Category B), and $7,648 for students in separate schools or homebound settings (Category C). The bill directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and Education Freedom Accounts, with an estimated $7.1 million increase in state funding for districts in fiscal year 2026. This change takes effect July 1, 2025, and replaces the previous special education funding structure with these tiered amounts.
HB 519 appropriates $500,000 annually from the General Fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to fund the Waypoint youth and young adult shelter's operations, programs, and projects. This funding directly supports the shelter’s services for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to use these funds starting July 1, 2025, with no additional policy changes beyond the financial allocation. It is a straightforward funding measure with no legislative policy shifts.
HB 97 appropriates $15 million annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Services. This funding supports approved wastewater infrastructure projects under state law, directly benefiting local wastewater systems and communities requiring upgrades. The money is nonlapsing, meaning unused funds carry over to future years, and must be used for projects approved by June 30, 2026. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with no new state positions created.
HB 465 amends New Hampshire's housing opportunity zone program to add income verification requirements for properties in these zones. It requires municipalities to establish how often property owners must verify tenant income (at move-in and no more than annually), with a special exception for accessory dwelling units priced affordably for households earning 80% or less of the area median income (AMLI). The bill also ensures tenants who initially qualified but later lost income eligibility can renew their lease for at least one year. This directly affects cities/towns establishing housing zones, property owners, and low-income renters in those zones. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.
HB 171 establishes an immediate moratorium on the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issuing permits for new landfill facilities. This directly affects developers and companies seeking to construct new landfills, halting all new permit applications and evaluations. The bill exempts expansions or modifications to existing landfills that were fully permitted by December 1, 2022. The moratorium remains in effect until new regulations, data, or policies are developed, with a repeal clause set for July 1, 2030.
HB 313 requires public meetings to remain open when discussion would likely harm a person's reputation, directly affecting attendees whose reputations might be impacted by public debate. The bill amends New Hampshire law (RSA 91-A:3(c)) to guarantee that any person with a right to attend such a meeting can request the session stay public, and the request must be granted. This applies to matters like discussions about individuals or applications for assistance based on poverty, ensuring transparency in these specific cases. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.
SB 185 sets strict time limits for investigations into professional misconduct allegations handled by New Hampshire's Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). Within 30 days of receiving an allegation, the OPLC must determine if it constitutes misconduct; if yes, the investigation must be completed within 60 days. This applies to all licensed professionals regulated under the OPLC, such as healthcare providers and attorneys. The bill requires the OPLC to report findings to the relevant board at its next meeting, with boards able to extend timelines or make final decisions if investigations are incomplete.
The bill authorizes video lottery terminals (VLTs) at charity gaming facilities and repeals historic horse racing licensing. It requires existing licensed operators to run VLTs, with 30% of revenue distributed to charities (35%), problem gaming services (0.25%), retirement system (4.75%), and the lottery commission. The bill also mandates responsible gaming plans and establishes procedures for handling unclaimed tickets. It will take effect January 1, 2028, replacing historic horse racing with VLTs at charity gaming facilities.
HB 458 would amend New Hampshire law to require that local welfare assistance (such as aid for the poor) be provided only to U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. This change directly affects individuals seeking local financial support through town welfare programs, removing eligibility for non-citizen residents. The bill modifies existing welfare law (RSA 165:1) to specify citizenship or legal residency as a requirement for receiving aid. It takes effect 60 days after passage, with potential cost reductions for municipalities as fewer people would qualify for assistance. The bill does not create new programs but changes eligibility rules for current local welfare support.
HB 129 defines "evidence-based" for public education methods to require that teaching approaches, training, and policies must be supported by reproducible scientific studies across multiple disciplines or well-designed experiments within a single discipline - excluding surveys or subjective data. It directly affects all New Hampshire public school districts and the Department of Education, mandating they use this definition in all communications and publicly disclose the scientific studies supporting their methods. The bill requires districts to review existing practices and adopt new evidence-based methods, with the Department of Education needing to hire a consultant to implement the changes (estimated cost: $118,000 annually starting in 2026). Local districts will also face administrative costs for reviewing and updating curricula and training, though exact impacts vary by district. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.
HB 68 requires school superintendents to approve student reassignment requests within the same school district unless they provide a valid written reason for denial. It directly affects parents or guardians requesting school changes and school superintendents handling those requests. The bill mandates that superintendents must provide parents with a written explanation for any denial within 10 days. If superintendents fail to meet these requirements, the reassignment request is automatically approved.
HB 216 removes a one-year limit on counting workers' compensation time toward retirement benefits for New Hampshire state employees. Previously, only up to one year of workers' comp payments counted toward retirement; this bill allows full credit for the entire period of disability benefits received. To qualify, employees must submit a department of labor verification form showing their disability payment dates. This change directly affects state workers injured on the job who receive ongoing workers' compensation payments.
