Rep. Mark Proulx

Maddy summaryThis New Hampshire bill would temporarily stop state agencies from purchasing or leasing electric, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid vehicles for their fleets for a ten-year period starting July 1, 2024. The law requires agencies to use only traditional internal combustion engine vehicles or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles during this time, citing the need for improved battery technology and a modernized electric grid. It directly impacts the Department of Administrative Services and other state entities that manage vehicle fleets, effectively pausing the adoption of newer electric options for the next decade. The legislation does not authorize new funding or positions, and it leaves the decision of which specific non-electric vehicles to buy to individual agencies.

Maddy summaryThis law requires the Department of Safety to create and maintain a statewide database of maps showing where government radio towers and equipment are located. Municipalities, counties, and state agencies must submit their own radio system maps to this repository and keep the information up to date. The resulting database will be available for emergency services and public safety officials to use for planning and to find areas with poor radio coverage. The law takes effect on October 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires manufacturers and sellers of firefighting gear to inform buyers whether the equipment contains PFAS chemicals, a specific class of fluorinated compounds. Starting in 2020, these notices must be included in employee files and given directly to firefighters, while records of the disclosure must be kept for three years. The state safety department is tasked with encouraging the purchase of PFAS-free gear, and fire departments are directed to prioritize safer alternatives when they become available. By 2025, the law prohibits departments from offering or allowing the use of firefighter uniforms that include intentionally added PFAS chemicals.

Maddy summaryHB 1079 establishes a formal program for critical incident stress management teams to support emergency response and public safety workers who face psychological trauma from their duties. The bill defines these teams as groups of specially trained volunteers, including both active and retired personnel, who provide confidential counseling and crisis intervention services. To ensure quality care, team members must meet specific certification standards set by recognized organizations like the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. The law also creates a new rural and underserved area educator incentive program and includes provisions that protect the confidentiality of information shared during these support sessions, with specific exceptions for imminent threats of harm or abuse.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows new applicants for state emergency medical services licenses to receive a temporary provisional license if they have passed their required exam but are waiting longer than three weeks for criminal background check results. Under this provision, these provisional licenses require direct supervision by a licensed professional at all times and are limited to a duration set by the state director. The temporary license automatically ends if the final criminal history check results in a denial of the permanent license.