Rep. Keith Erf

Maddy summaryHB 1134 clarifies how town meeting budget items are counted for tax and budget cap calculations. It requires that total appropriations in warrant articles (budget items) be accumulated in the order they are voted on during annual town meetings, rather than by their position on the agenda. This directly affects towns operating under the town meeting form of government, ensuring consistent application when determining if a budget exceeds the 10% expenditure limit or triggers a tax cap override. The bill makes this procedural change to prevent ambiguity in budget voting outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 1183 changes New Hampshire's high school graduation requirements by mandating that students complete four mathematics courses to meet the state's math competency standard for career and college readiness. This replaces the current option allowing students to fulfill the requirement with three math courses plus one non-math course that applied math skills (e.g., in career-technical education). The bill applies to all public high school students graduating after July 1, 2027, and requires school boards to approve the specific math courses. The change eliminates the flexibility of combining math with other subjects to meet the graduation standard.

Maddy summaryHB 244 updates and reorganizes the existing legal framework for how municipalities enforce building and fire safety codes. It directly affects local governments and their code enforcement officers by clarifying and streamlining the procedures they use to inspect buildings and ensure fire safety compliance. The bill's key mechanism is reorganizing current code enforcement rules into a more logical, accessible format without changing the underlying safety requirements. This makes it easier for municipal staff to apply the rules consistently and for the public to understand the enforcement process. The bill focuses solely on improving the structure of the existing law, not on creating new safety standards.

Maddy summaryHB 337 updates the reporting requirements for the state's Judicial Council, requiring them to submit specific reports to the legislature by defined deadlines. This procedural bill directly affects the Judicial Council and the legislature by clarifying and modifying how the Council must communicate its activities and findings. The changes took effect on September 13, 2025, after the bill was signed by Governor Ayotte on July 15, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1 is a state budget bill that allocates funding to specific state departments for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2027. It directly affects state agencies by providing their operating budgets for these two fiscal periods. The bill authorizes the state to spend designated funds for departmental expenses, including personnel, operations, and programs. This routine appropriations measure was signed into law by Governor Ayotte on June 27, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 134 updates New Hampshire's definition of the "state building code" to adopt specific versions of international construction standards. It directly affects builders, architects, and property owners by requiring compliance with the 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code, 2021 International Plumbing Code, 2021 International Mechanical Code, 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2021 International Residential Code, and the 2023 National Electrical Code. The bill specifies these codes must be reviewed and recommended by the state building code review board and ratified by the legislature. This change ensures all new construction and major renovations statewide follow these updated, nationally recognized standards.

Maddy summarySB 92 updates New Hampshire's birth worksheet requirements to include current and prior names of parents and standardized Apgar scores at 1, 5, and 10 minutes for newborns. It directly affects parents, newborns, and the Vital Records Administration by restricting the personal information shared with the CDC - banning names, birth dates of parents, medical IDs, and addresses - but allowing release of parents' birth years and the baby's birth date. The bill's key mechanism requires the Vital Records Administration to omit specific identifiers when sending birth data to the CDC for public health reporting. The changes take effect June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 598 establishes a committee to study all public data sources across state government branches, including current data formats and potential new data streams. The committee will evaluate existing public data (like spreadsheets and databases), recommend standardized formats for government data outputs, and protect personal identifiable information. It requires the committee to report preliminary findings by November 2025 and final recommendations by November 2026. This bill directly affects all state government departments that provide public data, aiming to create consistency in how data is shared.

Maddy summaryHB 522 establishes a new legal expectation of privacy for personal information held by third-party providers (such as phone companies, banks, or social media platforms) in New Hampshire. It prohibits state and local government entities from acquiring, collecting, retaining, or using this personal information - defined to include biometric data, financial details, and location information - without specific statutory authorization. Exceptions exist for law enforcement investigations, emergencies, or court-ordered requests, but violations would be misdemeanors with potential penalties including $1,000 per violation and attorney fees. The bill directly affects New Hampshire residents whose data is managed by third-party services and requires government entities to comply with these privacy restrictions starting January 1, 2026.