Rep. Joe Alexander

Maddy summaryHB 1602 would expand the authority of the Housing Appeals Board to review and modify final decisions made by state agencies and municipal boards regarding housing permits, fees, and licenses. The bill allows applicants and other aggrieved parties with legal standing to appeal these decisions directly to the board, while also requiring municipalities to be parties in such cases. A key provision is that appeals of local decisions can only proceed after all local remedies have been exhausted. Although the bill was referred for an interim study, the committee ultimately did not recommend it for future legislation.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Consumer Tax Relief Act, proposes reducing several state taxes on businesses and communications services over a multi-year period. It lowers the business profits tax rate from 7.4 percent to 7.0 percent by 2029 and reduces the business enterprise tax rate from 0.45 percent to 0.25 percent by 2027. Additionally, the legislation phases down the communications services tax from 7 percent to 1.75 percent starting in 2024 and completely repeals the tax by 2027. The bill also updates administrative rules regarding tax understatements, tax expenditure reporting, and property taxation for public utilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a formal process for the Department of Environmental Services to transfer ownership of state-owned dams to local towns or groups of landowners before the dams are removed. Under the new rules, the department must offer the dams to affected municipalities first, providing them with detailed information about the dam's condition and estimated repair costs, and only proceed with removal if no one accepts the transfer within a set timeframe. To support these transfers and future maintenance, the legislation creates a loan program funded by a state dam maintenance fund, offering 20-year loans at a 5 percent interest rate to towns or associations that take ownership. The bill also mandates that any loans taken must be repaid using local budget appropriations or property taxes from areas bordering the impoundment, with a cap of 50 percent of those taxes. Additionally, the process includes an exemption for dams deemed to be in imminent danger of failure, allowing the state to remove them immediately without offering a transfer.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes amending the state constitution to require a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers before passing laws that create new taxes, increase existing taxes, or issue state bonds. It also mandates that the legislature must set aside funds from the general budget to pay interest and principal on any state debt. If approved by voters, these changes would make it more difficult to raise revenue through taxation and would ensure that debt payments are prioritized in the state budget. The bill is currently procedural, as it was submitted for a vote but did not pass before the legislative session ended.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire law to require schools, school districts, and public academies to perform criminal history checks on all job applicants before making a final employment offer. It allows school leaders to negotiate with unions to conduct these background checks on a recurring basis rather than just once, ensuring ongoing safety for students and staff. Additionally, the legislation provides legal protection for schools that follow these procedures, shielding them from negligence lawsuits if they properly complete the required background checks.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates driveway construction rules to limit new driveways to a maximum width of 50 feet and restricts the number of driveways allowed per property unless the land frontage is over 500 feet. It also mandates that local planning boards issue driveway permits within 60 days for residential projects and grants them authority to regulate stone walls and fences near public roads. Separately, the legislation expands eligibility for the state's child care scholarship program by including children with delays in social or emotional development, even without a formal medical diagnosis. To support these changes, the bill appropriates $375,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services for rulemaking and program administration.

Maddy summaryThis law prevents local towns and cities from requiring fire sprinklers in new or existing single-family and two-family homes, as well as in buildings with four or fewer residential units. It also stops local officials from enforcing any past rules that mandated sprinklers in manufactured housing parks. While the state fire marshal can still grant exemptions for safety reasons, local governments are barred from adopting stricter fire safety rules than the state code for these specific residential properties. The changes take effect 60 days after the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryHB 318 updates the rules for how magistrates and bail commissioners handle the release or detention of people awaiting trial. The bill requires officials to consider public safety and the likelihood of a defendant appearing in court when making bail decisions, while explicitly prohibiting the use of money as the only reason to keep someone detained. It establishes stricter standards for certain serious crimes, such as homicide and sexual assault, by mandating that arrested individuals be held until they can appear before a judge rather than being processed by a bail commissioner. Additionally, the law creates a rebuttable presumption that defendants with a history of failing to appear in court or committing new offenses while on bail should be detained, though they retain the right to present evidence to challenge this decision.