HB 289 clarifies New Hampshire's voting domicile rules by preventing legal dependents (e.g., minors under parental custody) from claiming a voting residence if their custodian lives outside the state. It also states that obtaining a New Hampshire driver's license or registering a vehicle demonstrates a voter's intent to maintain continuous presence in the state for voting purposes. The bill amends election law to define "domicile" more precisely, affecting voters who might otherwise claim residency based on temporary ties like student status or dependency. These changes aim to align voting eligibility with physical presence and intent, without altering existing student voting rights. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.
This bill clarifies that "citizen" under New Hampshire's right-to-know law includes press organizations working to inform New Hampshire residents, regardless of where they are based. It requires public bodies to disclose preliminary drafts of documents circulated to a majority of members during meetings, not just final versions. These changes apply to all public bodies and affect how meeting materials are shared with the public. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.
HB 253 requires New Hampshire lawyers managing interest-bearing pooled trust accounts to remit quarterly interest or dividends to the New Hampshire public defender's office. The public defender must not have contributed to nonprofits or political campaigns during that quarter and must publish its full annual budget. If the public defender fails these requirements, the funds instead go to the state general fund. The law establishes this funding mechanism while allowing the Supreme Court and bar association to create implementing rules that align with these core provisions.
HB 651 increases the base cost of an adequate education per student from $4,100 to $7,356.01 and raises differential aid amounts for specific student groups: free or reduced-price meal eligible students by $1,733.28 (to $4,126.20), English language learners by $602.88 (to $1,435.20), and students with special education needs by $1,582.56 (to $3,767.40). The bill also expands the definition of an adequate education to include additional resource elements like teacher benefits, technology, and facility maintenance. This change, effective July 1, 2025, will require higher state funding for school districts, charter schools, and education freedom accounts, with an estimated $576 million increase for school districts in fiscal year 2026.
HB 671 establishes a statewide kindergarten literacy readiness program for children aged 4-5 who are not yet enrolled in kindergarten. The program uses evidence-based educational technology (delivered via home or center-based settings) to develop early reading, math, and science skills, with mandatory family engagement. It requires the New Hampshire Department of Education to provide the program (subject to funding) and the Department of Health and Human Services to notify eligible families participating in FANF or WIC programs about the initiative. The bill mandates annual reports tracking participation, equipment access, program usage, and comparisons of kindergarten readiness outcomes between participants and non-participants.
This bill requires all New Hampshire public school boards and public library boards to adopt policies for curating library materials by July 1, 2026. The policies must prohibit censorship based on disagreement with viewpoints or content being offensive (while allowing age-appropriate restrictions), and ensure diverse perspectives in collections. It establishes a formal review process for challenged materials, requiring libraries to maintain access to materials during review and creating committees with specific membership requirements to evaluate removal requests. The bill also provides legal protections for librarians and staff who follow these policies, including immunity from liability and the ability to seek damages for harassment. The bill has no fiscal impact as it's expected to be implemented within existing staffing resources.
HB 595 adds flood resiliency improvements to the definition of qualifying improvements for C-PACE and R-PACE funding, helping property owners finance flood mitigation measures. It enables municipalities to offer property tax abatements or freezes for flood resilience projects and to assess fees on properties in flood resilience zones to fund a non-lapsing flood resilience investment fund. The bill also appropriates $500,000 for a statewide analysis of flood risk mitigation costs and benefits. These provisions directly affect property owners in flood-prone areas and municipalities seeking to implement flood resilience programs.
HB 341 requires New Hampshire's Secretary of State to verify voter addresses with the U.S. Postal Service at least 90 days before all town, municipal, general, and primary elections. This would identify voters who may have moved, with the updated records sent to local election officials for final verification under existing rules. The bill directly affects the Secretary of State's office (which must conduct the checks) and local election supervisors (who verify addresses). It has a minimal fiscal impact, costing less than $10,000 annually through 2028, as noted in the bill's fiscal analysis.
HB 525 transfers administration of the program for the deaf and hard of hearing and the board of licensure for interpreters for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing from the Department of Education and Vocational Rehabilitation to the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. The bill amends relevant statutes to update references to the new administrative body and includes all program functions, records, equipment, and funds in the transfer. This change moves oversight of interpreter licensing and services for the deaf and hard of hearing community to a different state office without altering licensing requirements or service standards. The transfer affects both the program administrators and the interpreters who must now work under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. The bill does not create new requirements but changes administrative oversight of existing programs.
HB 233 requires the New Hampshire Vaccine Association to audio and video record all its meetings and post the recordings on its website within 48 hours. It also mandates that written or verbal questions asked during meetings be answered and posted online within 14 days. The bill directly affects the association’s operations, requiring new transparency measures for its public communications. These provisions aim to make the association’s decision-making process more accessible to the public. The law would take effect 60 days after passage.
SB 211 requires New Hampshire schools to designate athletic teams as "female," "male," or "coed" based on students' biological sex at birth (as listed on their birth certificate). It prohibits biologically male students from participating in "female" designated teams or using female locker rooms, while allowing male-designated teams to include all students. The bill creates a legal cause of action for athletes harmed by violations, including protections against retaliation for reporting issues. It excludes K-5 sports and intramural activities, and takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 443 clarifies the term length for appointed members of New Hampshire's Higher Education Commission. It changes the law to state that appointed members serve fixed 5-year terms, removing the previous requirement that terms continue "until a successor is appointed and qualified." Vacancies are still filled for the remaining term, as specified in the current law. This bill directly affects the appointed members of the commission and takes effect 60 days after passage.
