Rep. John MacDonald

Maddy summaryHB 1301 increases the annual fee for moorings not located in designated mooring areas from $25 to $50, with $25 of each fee directed to the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund. This primarily affects boat owners with individual moorings on New Hampshire's inland waterways who pay annual registration fees. The funds will support competitive grants or loans to municipalities and nonprofit lake/watershed groups for projects preventing or mitigating harmful cyanobacteria blooms. The bill generates an estimated $68,750-$80,000 annually for the fund starting in fiscal year 2027. It modifies RSA 270:62, V to establish this fee allocation.

Maddy summaryHB 1431 restricts the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (containing ingredients like imidacloprid and clothianidin) in New Hampshire. It bans non-agricultural applications (e.g., for lawns, gardens, or ornamental plants) and requires these pesticides to be sold only to licensed dealers and used by state-certified applicators. The bill also prohibits their use on state property (like parks and highways) except for invasive species control, structural pest management, or approved exceptions, and bans applications during bloom periods on flowering plants to protect pollinators. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture must create an educational program about pollinator-friendly alternatives and integrated pest management. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1156 requires estate administrators to record probate court notices about real estate inherited through wills or similar means in their county's registry of deeds, in addition to notifying local town/city officials. This directly affects estate administrators handling inheritance cases and county registries of deeds, which may charge a fee (e.g., $12 for the first page) for recording these notices. The bill modifies RSA 554:18-a to mandate this recording before final court accounts are filed, applying to most inherited property except when sold with court approval. It creates a new administrative step for estates but does not change inheritance rules or tax obligations.

Maddy summaryHB 1439 modifies penalties for New Hampshire retirement system retirees who exceed part-time work hour limits. It replaces full annuity suspensions with proportional reductions based on excess earnings, spread over 12 months. Retirees may avoid penalties by demonstrating good faith (e.g., relying on employer reporting errors), and full suspension is limited to willful, repeated violations or failure to cooperate with system inquiries. The bill directly affects retirees working part-time while receiving state retirement benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 1028 updates New Hampshire's legal definition of "renewable generation facility" to explicitly include energy produced from bio-oil, bio-synthetic gas, and biodiesel (as defined in RSA 362-A:1-a). This change directly affects renewable energy projects seeking tax benefits under RSA 72:73, particularly those using these biofuels. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, clarifying which facilities qualify for related tax provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1459 standardizes post-retirement part-time work limits for certain New Hampshire retirees under the state retirement system. It allows retirees who were working part-time at 1,664 hours per year as of January 1, 2019, to retain this higher limit when changing part-time jobs with participating employers, provided they maintain continuous part-time employment (no break longer than 28 days) and avoid positions requiring mandatory retirement system membership. The bill clarifies that this hour limit applies to successive part-time roles regardless of job title, duties, or employer changes. It directly affects retirees who met the 2019 employment conditions and work for participating employers like state agencies or local governments. The policy change has no fiscal impact, as noted in the bill's fiscal note.

Maddy summaryHB 1400 allows property owners to opt out of funding locally adopted property tax credits or exemptions by submitting form PA-29 annually by April 15th. It directly affects property owners who pay local property taxes but do not currently receive any local tax credits or exemptions. The key provision requires annual submission of the form to stop contributing to these programs, with the exception that those already receiving benefits cannot opt out. This creates a straightforward mechanism for property owners to decline funding local tax programs without needing to alter their existing tax status. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1229 would require sellers and their agents to provide a "minimum standards" document to buyers before the sale of any property bordering public waters. The buyer must sign an acknowledgment confirming they have read and understood this document, which outlines requirements for water quality protection, and a copy of this signed form must be sent to the Department of Environmental Services within seven days. If a property owner violates these new disclosure rules along with existing shoreland laws, they face a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first offense and $2,000 for each subsequent offense. The bill also ensures that any future changes to shoreland regulations will not apply retroactively to properties already under these rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1103 modifies the penalties under New Hampshire's Shoreland Protection Act by clarifying the conditions under which individuals can be fined for damaging public waterways. Specifically, the bill states that people who harm waterways and fail to make a good faith effort to fix the damage after being notified by the Department of Environmental Services will face penalties. This change aims to streamline the enforcement process by removing barriers that previously made it harder for the department to seek civil fines for proven violations. The law takes effect on January 1, 2025, and does not alter the maximum amount of fines that can be imposed per violation.