Rep. Tom Cormen

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all properly noticed meetings and hearings of municipal agencies to be livestreamed for public viewing or, if technology fails, video recorded and made accessible online. Local governments must post these recordings on their websites within 72 hours and keep them archived for at least five years. To fund this requirement, municipalities must vote to raise money at their annual town meetings, except those already livestreaming their meetings. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, and explicitly states that it does not change existing rules about emergency meetings or allow officials to attend meetings remotely.

Maddy summaryThis bill outlines how the state commission should manage energy procurement agreements for customers who do not choose their own electricity supplier. It requires the commission to oversee contracts between utilities and energy providers, ensuring a mix of short, medium, and long-term agreements to balance stable retail prices with wholesale market costs. The legislation also mandates that costs related to renewable energy standards and the administration of default service be paid by these customers, while allowing the commission to take steps to prevent misuse of the default service option.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the distribution of artificial intelligence-generated media that falsely depicts a specific person without their consent and without a clear label indicating the content is synthetic. It applies to anyone who shares such misleading text, images, videos, or audio with the intent to deceive others about what the person actually did. The law creates a stricter penalty for content used near elections or intended to harm a candidate, classifying those offenses as felonies in repeat cases or when violence is provoked. Violations of the general rule are punishable as misdemeanors, while election-related violations carry heavier penalties under specific circumstances. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the New Hampshire Department of Energy to conduct a study on the benefits and risks of supporting clean or non-carbon emitting power generation. The investigation must examine topics such as customer costs, grid reliability, cybersecurity, and how other states handle clean energy standards. After consulting with utilities and other stakeholders, the department is required to submit a report to the legislature within one year offering recommendations on financial and regulatory support. The bill aims to balance economic growth, energy security, and electricity rates for existing customers.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies how municipalities and counties can group their electric customers together to negotiate power rates. It updates state laws to ensure that the personal data of these individual customers remains private and is not made public. The legislation also specifies that these local groups can use customer information to develop new energy services and comply with existing energy regulations. By making these adjustments, the bill aims to streamline how local governments manage and utilize electricity aggregation programs.

Maddy summaryThis 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.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a faster approval process for modifying existing energy facilities, such as adding battery storage or changing fuel types, without requiring a full new siting review. To qualify for this expedited track, the facility must already be approved, connected to the grid, and located on the same land, while the changes must improve health and safety and stay within current grid capacity limits. The process requires state agencies to complete their reviews within 90 days and mandates a 30-day deadline for the site evaluation committee to determine if an application is complete. Local communities are still informed through public notices and sessions, ensuring that municipal concerns are addressed alongside the streamlined state procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new penalties for drivers who exceed posted weight, height, or size limits on covered wooden bridges in New Hampshire. It creates a two-tier fine system where drivers face a $500 penalty for violating size limits without causing damage, and a $1,000 fine if their vehicle damages the bridge, with higher fines up to $2,000 if the violation blocks traffic. Additionally, vehicle owners must pay the full cost of any repairs to the bridge, plus a $100 civil penalty if they fail to pay within 30 days. The law also clarifies that towing a trailer on a bridge marked "nothing in tow" counts as a violation of dimensional limits. These provisions take effect on January 1, 2025, and all fines collected go to the municipality or agency responsible for maintaining the bridge.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new chapter in state law to regulate how government agencies use artificial intelligence, defining specific terms like generative AI and deepfakes. It prohibits the use of AI for manipulating individuals, classifying people in ways that could lead to discrimination, conducting public surveillance with facial recognition, or creating deceptive deepfakes. While the law allows for certain AI applications, it requires human review for irreversible decisions affecting rights or law enforcement actions and mandates that users be informed when interacting with AI systems. State agencies must audit their current systems within nine months to ensure compliance and remove any prohibited tools, while also submitting annual reports to the governor and legislative leaders.