This bill updates New Hampshire laws to clarify the roles and licensing requirements for contract and tenant manufacturers of beer, wine, and liquor. It establishes specific definitions for businesses that produce alcohol on behalf of others and creates new license options allowing smaller producers to operate within the facilities of larger host manufacturers. The legislation sets annual fees, reporting obligations, and production rules for these arrangements while ensuring they comply with existing state and federal regulations. Although the bill title mentions a committee to study Chinese land acquisition, the provided text focuses exclusively on these alcohol manufacturing definitions and does not include provisions related to that committee.
Signed by Governor Sununu 08/02/2024; Chapter 320; 10/01/2024 HJ 16
This bill establishes a new "Master Teacher" credential for educators who have at least seven years of teaching experience and receive high ratings on local evaluation systems. To qualify, teachers must submit a portfolio demonstrating leadership in classroom practice, supervision, student support, collaboration, and professional development. The credential is intended to identify experienced teachers as resources to improve student learning and school collaboration, but it does not grant them authority to recommend personnel actions. Additionally, the bill sets fee limits for issuing and renewing Master Teacher licenses, ensuring they do not exceed the cost of standard educator licenses. These changes take effect on October 1, 2024.
This law prohibits the sale of new consumer products that contain intentionally added chemicals known as PFAS, which are commonly used for stain and water resistance. The ban covers a wide range of household items, including mattresses, carpets, cosmetics, food packaging, and furniture, while excluding products made with high percentages of recycled content or those regulated by federal law. Manufacturers and distributors must stop producing or importing these items, and the state can also pursue civil lawsuits against companies responsible for PFAS contamination in public drinking water systems. Additionally, the legislation provides a framework for settling legal claims related to the impacts of these chemicals on water supplies.
This bill clarifies which school districts are responsible for funding special education services for children with disabilities placed in state facilities for detained or adjudicated youth or county correctional facilities. It establishes that the responsible district is determined by the child's legal custody status and their most recent residence before entering the facility, while also capping the liability at the state average elementary cost per pupil. Additionally, the legislation requires the Department of Education to remove certain student records from the state special education information system and to develop rules for alternative dispute resolution procedures.
This bill creates a new state trust fund specifically to hold money from legal settlements related to soil and water contamination. When the attorney general receives settlement funds for environmental damage, they must deposit the money into this separate account rather than mixing it with other state funds. The state treasurer will manage and invest the money, and the legislature will decide how to spend it on cleanup efforts, testing, health monitoring, or further investigation for the specific contamination involved. If funds remain unused after four years or if the contamination is already fixed, the money will be moved to other dedicated environmental funds. The law does not apply to criminal fines, penalties, or settlements that already have specific funding rules under existing statutes.
This bill establishes stricter rules for placing children in state care into residential facilities, prioritizing placement with relatives or in foster homes as the first options. It mandates that residential care be used only as a last resort for children aged 12 and older, unless there is a specific medical or therapeutic need, and requires all such facilities to meet new state certification standards before receiving funding. To enforce these standards, the Department of Health and Human Services will create a team to inspect and certify programs, conduct regular unannounced visits, and report quarterly on their oversight activities and spending. Additionally, the bill requires special approval from the state director before placing any child in a facility outside of New England.
HB 1585 creates a new professional role called a Certified Assisted Living Medication Aide (CALMA) to administer non-injectable medications in residential care facilities under the supervision of a facility administrator. To become a CALMA, individuals must be at least 18 years old, work as employees in these facilities, complete a board-approved education program with at least 40 hours of training, and pass a certification exam. The bill also establishes a requirement for CALMAs to complete eight hours of continuing education every two years and ensures they have access to clinical consultants 24 hours a day. Additionally, the legislation appropriates $300,000 to fund a state loan repayment program for qualified nursing professionals and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to report on a potential student loan forgiveness program for nurses who do not qualify for the repayment assistance.
This law requires electricity generators in New Hampshire to notify the Department of Energy within 30 days if an outside regulatory agency threatens to force their plant to close. In response, the state's energy department must investigate how the closure would impact power reliability and costs, and it may take legal steps to challenge the external order. The bill also states that state agencies cannot be sued for actions taken to protect in-state power generation under these rules.
This law prohibits individuals, corporations, and political committees from distributing artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes of candidates within 90 days of an election unless they include a clear disclosure stating the media was manipulated. The required label must specify whether the content is an image, video, or audio and must be displayed prominently for the entire duration of the media or read aloud at regular intervals. Exceptions exist for bona fide news reports that acknowledge the material's questionable authenticity, interactive computer service providers, and satire or parody that does not rely on AI. Candidates whose images are used in deceptive deepfakes can seek legal relief, including injunctions to stop publication and financial damages against the creator. The bill took effect on August 1, 2024.
This bill updates New Hampshire's safe haven laws to allow parents to anonymously surrender infants up to 61 days old, matching the age limits of other New England states. It expands the definition of safe haven devices to include containers installed in hospitals, police stations, and fire departments, provided they are staffed around the clock and have alarms. The legislation also clarifies that parents who surrender a baby cannot be prosecuted solely based on evidence found during that surrender, while still permitting investigations into other crimes not directly linked to the act of surrendering the child.
This bill establishes a formal process for the Department of Environmental Services to transfer ownership of state-owned dams to local municipalities or other interested groups before removing them. Under the new rules, the department must offer the dam and its associated rights to the local municipality at least one year in advance, providing detailed information on the dam's condition and repair costs. If the municipality declines or cannot afford the necessary debt, the offer extends to associations of landowners or other public entities capable of maintaining the structure. The department may only proceed with dam removal if no party accepts the transfer, provided the dam is not in imminent danger of failure or removal does not serve a compelling environmental interest.
