Rep. Katy Peternel

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents a planned 2026 repeal of child care staffing ratio requirements and the associated waiver system. It requires the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to send annual notices to licensed child care providers about their option to request a waiver of staffing rules. The department must also report waiver applications, approvals, and denials to the legislature annually, starting in 2025. This directly affects child care providers who rely on these staffing rules and waiver options.

Maddy summaryHB 1837 updates New Hampshire's boating regulations to increase penalties for violations, raise mooring fees, and add display requirements for vessel registration. It raises fines for unregistered boats to $50 for a first offense and $100 for repeat offenses in the same year, doubles mooring fees from $25 to $50 per field, and requires boat owners to display valid registration numbers and decals. The bill also repeals existing requirements for mandatory boat safety courses (RSA 270:46-a) and rental boat safety checklists (RSA 270-D:2-c). These changes directly affect boat owners, operators, and public mooring field users, taking effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1124 establishes the "Right to Compute Act" in New Hampshire, creating a constitutional right for residents to privately own and use computational resources (like computers, software, networks, and AI tools) for lawful purposes. It prohibits government entities from restricting this right except for specific, narrowly defined compelling interests - such as preventing AI infrastructure risks, stopping fraud, protecting minors from deepfakes, or addressing datacenter nuisances. The bill defines "computational resources" broadly to include all technology enabling data processing, and "government action" to cover any rules or policies limiting such tools. It explicitly preserves existing intellectual property laws and does not override federal regulations. This law directly affects all New Hampshire residents using digital tools by strengthening protections against unwarranted government interference.

Maddy summaryHB 1378 would require healthcare providers to give parents or legal guardians full access to their minor child's electronic medical records (including online patient portals), except in three specific cases: 1) when the minor can legally consent to treatment without parents (e.g., certain reproductive or mental health services), 2) when a protective order or court ruling prohibits access, or 3) when a provider documents in writing that disclosure could cause abuse or neglect. This bill directly affects parents, guardians, and healthcare providers by changing how medical records are shared. It aims to support parental involvement in children’s healthcare decisions while preserving existing legal protections for minors in sensitive situations. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1217 permits public and private entities to separate individuals by biological sex in two specific situations: multi-user bathrooms/locker rooms and athletic competitions where biological males typically have physical advantages (like strength or speed). It defines "biological sex" as male or female and states that such separation does not count as discrimination under New Hampshire law. The bill makes this classification optional - entities are not required to implement it. This change modifies New Hampshire's anti-discrimination law to explicitly allow these limited sex-based classifications.

Maddy summaryHB 1828 requires New Hampshire's Department of Education to create an auditing process for teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities. The audit ensures these programs teach research-backed literacy instruction (including phonics, fluency, and vocabulary) aligned with the science of reading. The department must develop metrics to evaluate how effectively programs teach these methods and publish the results online. This directly affects all post-secondary institutions offering teacher training in New Hampshire.

Maddy summaryHB 1571 requires New Hampshire's Department of Education to review statewide academic standards for English/language arts, math, and science every 10 years, beginning in June 2026. The review must align standards with rigor, clarity, and relevance, incorporating input from students, parents, and educators. School districts must select new curriculum materials from a department-approved list based on the revised standards. The bill appropriates $1 for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 to fund this process.

Maddy summaryHB 1286 allows dentists to treat patients who decline recommended x-rays, provided the treatment doesn't violate dental standards of care. Dentists must obtain a signed waiver from patients acknowledging they waive the right to sue if injury occurs due to missing x-rays. The bill protects dentists from license penalties or disciplinary action when following this process. It amends New Hampshire's dental practice law to clarify these procedures and takes effect 60 days after passage. This directly affects dentists and patients in clinical decisions about x-ray requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1155 amends New Hampshire's home education advisory council structure, adding six voting members appointed by home educator associations (one per association) and clarifying roles for other members. The council now includes nonvoting representatives from school associations and the education commissioner, with appointed members serving three-year terms. Key duties require the council to meet quarterly, develop communication between home educators and schools, recommend rule changes to the education commissioner, and establish a grievance committee. This bill directly affects home educators, public school administrators, and state education officials through this advisory body. (4 sentences)

Maddy summaryHB 1319 allows towns, village districts, and school districts to establish or disband local committees that annually review government spending to identify cost-saving opportunities. To adopt such a committee, a local government must hold a vote at its annual meeting using specific ballot language asking for approval, with a majority vote required. If created, the committee (called FACTS) would consist of 3-7 members serving staggered 3-year terms, tasked with evaluating spending efficiency to provide better value for taxpayers. This applies to towns using town meetings or official ballot systems, school districts, and village districts with certain budget processes.