Rep. Bill Boyd

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the state of New Hampshire to distribute funds from the estate of Tekeste Berhanu, a resident of Nashua, to three specific nonprofit organizations. If the estate has no heirs and the money is turned over to the state, one-third of the proceeds will go to Ascentria Care Alliance, one-third to the International Institute of New England, and one-third to the Roca Kidz Club. These funds are intended to support the resettlement of refugee children through the work of these agencies. The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage and was signed into law by the governor.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire's child support guidelines to better reflect modern family arrangements by clarifying definitions and adjusting calculations. It formally defines terms like "eligible child care costs," "parenting time," and "substantially similar incomes" to provide clearer standards for courts and parents. The law introduces a new framework where child support obligations may be reduced or eliminated if both parents have similar incomes and share parenting time equally, while still allowing for adjustments in cases of significant health needs, long distances, or abuse. These changes aim to ensure that child support orders are fair and do not leave one parent with a higher adjusted income than the other when both are actively involved in raising the children. The provisions will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the issuance of special number plates for surviving spouses of veterans who have passed away, allowing them to keep the license plates indefinitely until they remarry. The legislation amends existing laws to ensure that these plates, originally designated for veterans, can be transferred to a spouse without requiring a new application or fee upon the veteran's death. Additionally, the bill extends similar permanent rights to the surviving spouses of retired National Guard members and active-duty service members who qualify as veterans. These changes aim to provide a seamless transition for families while maintaining the requirement that the plates are non-transferable to anyone other than the eligible spouse.

Maddy summaryThis bill grants the commissioner of the Department of Safety the authority to create temporary safety zones on public and coastal waters during emergencies. Under these new rules, the commissioner can set maximum speed limits for vessels for up to ten days when immediate action is needed due to weather or environmental hazards. The law takes effect ninety days after its passage, allowing officials to respond quickly to dangerous conditions without waiting for additional legislative approval.

Maddy summaryHB 1190 adopts the Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact, allowing licensed social workers to practice across multiple states with a single license issued by their home state. This change aims to reduce the burden of obtaining separate licenses for each state while improving public access to social work services, including through telehealth. The bill establishes a commission to oversee the agreement and ensures that social workers remain accountable to the laws of the state where their clients are located. It also includes specific provisions to support military families and facilitate the sharing of disciplinary information among member states.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Matthew Brown Act, requires public schools and charter schools in New Hampshire to print the phone number for the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline on student identification cards. The law applies to cards issued for the first time or replaced after the bill takes effect, ensuring that students in grades 6 through 12 have immediate access to eating disorder support resources. Schools must also verify annually that the helpline number on these cards is accurate and up to date before each new school year. The legislation aims to integrate mental health resources directly into the daily materials students carry, rather than relying on them to find help information elsewhere.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians from being fired or disciplined if they miss work to respond to an emergency they witness or encounter while driving to their job. It requires employers to accept a signed statement from the fire or ambulance department chief confirming the employee's response time and return time, though no pay is owed for the missed hours. If an employer violates these rules by terminating or punishing an employee, the law mandates immediate reinstatement with full pay, seniority, and benefits restored. The protection applies to all volunteer, reserve, and intermittent personnel who have not worked more than 975 hours in the previous six months.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the criminal penalty for violating the privacy of minors in New Hampshire by making such acts a class B felony. It directly affects anyone who knowingly or should reasonably know that a person under 18 is entitled to privacy in a specific location. The key provision amends existing privacy laws to specify that breaching the peace or privacy of a child in these settings will result in the most severe felony classification. This change aims to provide stronger legal consequences for privacy violations involving children without altering the underlying definition of what constitutes a privacy breach.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for how public agencies charge fees when individuals request government records under the Right-to-Know law. It clarifies that agencies can only charge for copying costs or for employee time spent beyond ten hours, setting a maximum hourly rate of $25 for those additional hours. The legislation also requires agencies to provide clearer explanations when denying requests and mandates that multiple requests made within a 30-day period be treated as a single request to prevent fee stacking. Additionally, it establishes a requirement for agencies to create transparent policies for calculating these costs and allows requesters to file complaints if they believe the estimated fees are unreasonable.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts the ability of incarcerated individuals, parolees, and those convicted of violent felonies or crimes against children to change their legal names. To obtain a name change, these individuals must now prove to a probate court that the change is necessary, and they must notify relevant government agencies and the original prosecuting authority. The law also requires the prosecutor to attempt to inform the victim or the victim's family, allowing them to share their views with the judge before a decision is made. These rules apply specifically to serious offenses such as murder, assault, kidnapping, and sexual crimes, while the changes take effect on July 30, 2024.