HB 1020 designates Lake Winnipesaukee as New Hampshire's official state lake. This symbolic recognition formally honors the lake's cultural and recreational significance to the state without changing any laws, regulations, or policies. The bill was introduced by multiple legislators and referred to the Resources, Recreation and Development committee. It has no direct impact on residents, businesses, or government operations.
HB 1806 creates a process for educators with revoked or suspended licenses (not due to criminal conduct) to petition for removal from the state's public registry of educator misconduct. To qualify, petitioners must provide documentation showing rehabilitation and proof the revocation wasn't criminal. The Department of Education must review petitions within 90 days and may remove names if the individual poses no current risk to students and removal aligns with public interest. The bill also requires biennial registry reviews to remove deceased individuals and ensure accuracy, while mandating annual anonymized reporting of removals.
HB 1688 expands when schools and treatment facilities may use physical restraint on students, allowing it only when there is an imminent risk of bodily harm to a child or others. It modifies the definition of "seclusion" by adding a new exception: temporarily isolating a child alone to help them regain self-control (if they can leave the area and no barriers exist). The bill removes the previous requirement that restraint must address "substantial" harm, lowering the threshold to "imminent risk" of harm. Restraint must still be a last resort after other interventions fail, used only by trained staff. The bill directly affects students in schools and treatment facilities and the staff who implement these practices.
HB 1534 clarifies how electric utilities recover costs related to default service - the safety-net option for customers who don’t choose a provider. It requires utilities to recover costs (including those from renewable energy compliance) through approved default service rates, ensuring past under- or over-collections are addressed in future rates for the same service tier. The bill also allows the utility commission to implement measures discouraging long-term use of default service, with any revenue from such measures used to offset stranded costs. This directly affects customers on default service plans and utilities managing these rates.
HB 1001 allows county attorneys to appoint investigators with statewide law enforcement authority, directly affecting county attorney offices and the investigators they hire. The bill requires these investigators to hold state police certification (per RSA 106-L:5, V) and report exclusively to the county attorney, while county commissioners must approve the appointments. Investigators must maintain certification or face removal, and the county attorney retains full operational control. The law does not prevent county attorneys from hiring non-certified investigators without law enforcement powers.
HB 1129 allows school superintendents or their designees to approve students' limited use of personal laptops and tablets for specific educational activities during school hours, under direct teacher supervision. This use would be exempt from existing school policies that typically prohibit personal electronic devices like cell phones. The bill does not change the general rule banning personal devices but creates a clear exception for learning purposes when approved by school leadership. It directly affects students and schools in New Hampshire by modifying cell phone policy frameworks to support educational technology use.
HB 1222 prohibits blocking public crosswalks by banning parking vehicles that encroach on crosswalks, placing objects or structures within marked crosswalks, or delaying pedestrians. It directly affects drivers, businesses, and individuals who may park or place items in crosswalks, ensuring clear pathways for pedestrians. The bill establishes fines of up to $250 for first offenses and $500 for repeat violations, with exemptions for emergency vehicles and authorized closures by local authorities. This law takes effect 60 days after passage, aiming to improve pedestrian safety at intersections.
HB 1372 establishes a commission to study whether New Hampshire should reestablish a state psychiatric hospital for adults with severe mental illness. The commission - comprised of legislative members, health department representatives, and corrections officials - will examine current mental health resources, assess individuals cycling through jails or emergency rooms due to untreated conditions, and evaluate costs, staffing, and potential locations for a new facility. It will also review best practices from other states and gather input from mental health professionals and families. The commission must submit its findings and recommendations to state leaders by November 1, 2026. This bill does not fund or create a hospital but sets up a study to inform future decisions.
HB 1116 modifies two areas of New Hampshire law. It removes a judge's ability to refuse to testify in criminal cases when they have firsthand knowledge of relevant facts, after a court determines the testimony is material. The bill also requires courts to send written notice of small claims cases to defendants within 10 days of filing, by mail to their last known address, with a 30-day response window. These changes directly affect judges who might be subpoenaed for criminal testimony and defendants in small claims cases. The bill aims to improve transparency in criminal proceedings and streamline small claims litigation.
HB 1346 authorizes the Police Standards and Training Council to assign its law enforcement training specialists to state, county, or local law enforcement agencies for crowd control and law enforcement services at public/private events or extra-duty assignments outside regular hours. It directly affects local law enforcement agencies that request these services, as the council’s specialists can now be detailed to support them. The bill requires the council to establish a reimbursement rate covering officer pay, vehicle use, benefits, and other costs, with agencies paying for these services. This change creates a formal process for sharing the council’s training specialists while ensuring costs are covered through reimbursement, with no expected state expenditure impact.
This House Resolution (HR 29) requests the New Hampshire Supreme Court to clarify the scope of specific constitutional provisions regarding the separation of powers. It asks the court to provide an opinion on how Articles 4, 72-a, and 73-a interact, particularly concerning the legislature's authority versus judicial power in areas like court administration, budgeting, and rulemaking. The resolution lists 11 specific legal questions about whether the legislature retains authority over matters not strictly defined as "judicial power" under the constitution. As a procedural request for a court opinion, it does not create new law or directly affect any individuals or entities. The resolution seeks clarification on existing constitutional language to resolve ambiguities about legislative and judicial responsibilities.
HB 1290 requires New Hampshire's Department of Energy to create rules for the installation, interconnection, and use of customer-owned energy storage systems (like home batteries). These rules will guide the Public Utilities Commission when approving utility tariffs and making decisions about customer compensation for such systems. The bill does not change existing net metering rules or electrical permit requirements for installers. It directly affects homeowners, businesses, and utilities by establishing a regulatory framework for customer energy storage. The rules must be adopted by the Department of Energy, with the Commission using them to approve tariffs and orders.
