Rep. Jeff Tenczar

Maddy summaryHB 1267 requires school districts to create a policy that prevents school attorneys, law enforcement, and other non-school staff from questioning minor students (under 18) without written permission from a parent or guardian. For students aged 18 or older, the policy must ask if they want their parents notified before questioning, and if they consent, parents can be present. The policy also ensures parents or guardians can attend questioning and bring their own attorney, with exceptions only for child welfare investigations by designated social services. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1541 requires New Hampshire's Secretary of State to provide all voting precincts with secure, lockable, tamper-evident containers for storing ballots before each election. These containers must be reusable, stackable, transportable, numbered, and designed to accommodate different ballot sizes. The bill mandates annual progress reports tracking container replacements and locations, using existing Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds without new state appropriations. It directly affects all local election offices statewide by standardizing ballot storage equipment.

Maddy summaryHB 1577 allows utilities to share customer information with town emergency planners for emergency response planning and coordination. It requires utilities to have contracts with municipalities that include security safeguards to protect data and prohibit using the information for unrelated commercial purposes without customer consent. The bill directly affects utilities and municipal emergency management authorities by creating a legal pathway for this data sharing while adding privacy protections. This amends existing law (RSA 363:38) to permit the disclosure specifically for emergency planning, not for general use or billing.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 repeals a legal immunity that previously protected healthcare facilities (like hospitals and clinics) when they followed rules or orders issued during New Hampshire's COVID-19 state of emergency. This bill specifically removes the immunity provision found in RSA 21-P:42-a, meaning facilities could now face legal liability for actions taken under those emergency directives. The repeal takes effect upon the bill's passage, directly affecting healthcare providers that operated under pandemic-era mandates. It makes no new rules but changes the legal landscape for facilities complying with past emergency orders.

Maddy summaryHB 1379 changes the annual deadline for publishing special education complaint data reports from July 1st to September 1st, starting in 2026. This bill directly affects the New Hampshire Department of Education, which is required to publish the annual report on its website and share it with the Office of Special Education Advocate, the State Advisory Council, and education committee chairs. The key change modifies the reporting date in RSA 186-C:5-a, III without altering the report's content or scope. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryThis constitutional amendment (CACR 13) proposes removing all references to the "register of probate" position from New Hampshire's constitution. It would amend Articles 71 and 81 to delete the elected office and its duties, which were already redistributed to circuit court clerks in 2011. The bill does not create or change any current duties but formally eliminates the obsolete constitutional reference. Voters will decide in the November 2026 election whether to approve this change.

Maddy summaryHB 1070 mandates that individuals placed in protective custody for suspected mental health crises must be transported by ambulance to a hospital or designated mental health site for evaluation, rather than by law enforcement. This applies directly to people experiencing acute mental health emergencies who are deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill requires emergency medical technicians to provide care during transport, sets a 6-hour limit for protective custody, and allows law enforcement to override ambulance transport only if the individual poses a safety risk to medical personnel. It does not change eligibility criteria for involuntary admission but standardizes the initial transport process for mental health evaluations.

Maddy summaryHB 1291 would make it a class A misdemeanor to operate a small drone without permission over large public gatherings (like sports events, concerts, or festivals) or over critical infrastructure, such as power plants, water treatment facilities, military sites, or government buildings. The bill defines "critical infrastructure" to include specific facilities like petroleum refineries, electric substations, and public safety buildings. This law would take effect on January 1, 2027, and applies to all drone users who fly without prior authorization in these scenarios. The bill does not require new funding but may impact law enforcement and court processes if violations occur.

Maddy summaryHB 1413 would reinstate the death penalty as a sentencing option for individuals convicted of capital murder in New Hampshire, replacing the current requirement of life imprisonment without parole. The bill amends RSA 630:1, III to allow courts to impose the death penalty in such cases, effective January 1, 2027. This change directly affects defendants found guilty of capital murder, who would now face the possibility of execution instead of mandatory life without parole. The bill does not alter the definition of capital murder but modifies sentencing authority for these specific offenses.

Maddy summaryHB 1203 requires courts to immediately order the return of firearms or ammunition seized during a criminal case when the case ends in a not guilty verdict or is dismissed by the state. It mandates that law enforcement agencies must return the property within 24 hours of the court order, eliminating the need for background checks in these specific situations. The bill directly affects individuals whose firearms were temporarily seized as part of a criminal proceeding that did not result in a conviction. This policy change ensures a streamlined process for returning property without additional screening once a case concludes without a guilty finding.