Rep. Riché Colcombe

Maddy summaryHB 1807 requires school districts to include specific financial information in voting materials for school budget decisions. It mandates that warrant articles and ballots display the previous year's per-pupil cost (calculated using updated formulas), 10-year cost-per-pupil and teacher salary trends in graphs, and the estimated tax impact if all budget articles pass. This affects all New Hampshire school districts and voters participating in school budget votes. The bill repeals the old per-pupil cost calculation method and requires standardized, inflation-adjusted data presentation to improve transparency for voters.

Maddy summaryHB 1374 modifies the procedure for school districts withdrawing from cooperative school districts. It requires only a 3/5 supermajority of voters in the withdrawing district to approve withdrawal, replacing the prior requirement that also needed majority support from the entire cooperative district. This simplifies the process by focusing approval solely on the district seeking to leave. The bill directly affects school districts considering separation from cooperative arrangements.

Maddy summaryHB 1828 requires New Hampshire's Department of Education to create an auditing process for teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities. The audit ensures these programs teach research-backed literacy instruction (including phonics, fluency, and vocabulary) aligned with the science of reading. The department must develop metrics to evaluate how effectively programs teach these methods and publish the results online. This directly affects all post-secondary institutions offering teacher training in New Hampshire.

Maddy summaryHB 1132 would require public schools and public charter schools in New Hampshire to remove all flags except the U.S. flag, New Hampshire state flag, and POW/MIA flag from school buildings and grounds. Exceptions allow for flags used in specific educational contexts (like foreign language or U.S. history classes), U.S. military branch flags, and official city or town flags. Violations would trigger escalating penalties: a warning for the first offense, disciplinary action for the second, and potential state-imposed fines up to $1,000 for third or subsequent violations. The law would take effect on September 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1224 modifies how towns calculate their default budget when no new budget is approved by the deadline. It specifically allows funding for vacant public safety positions (like police, fire, or emergency medical roles) that were listed in last year's approved budget, provided they remain vacant before the previous budget was approved. Unspent funds for these positions must reduce local taxes instead of being reallocated to other budget areas. This change directly affects New Hampshire towns using the default budget process for official ballot town meetings. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1773 would direct New Hampshire to seek federal approval to prohibit SNAP (food stamp) benefits from purchasing sweetened drinks (with 5g+ added sugar) and candy. The bill requires the state health department to submit a waiver to the USDA by January 2027, defining prohibited items like soda and candy bars while excluding milk, juice blends, and certain non-refrigerated sweets. It mandates implementation plans for retailers and annual reports on purchasing patterns and health outcomes. This would directly affect SNAP recipients in New Hampshire who currently use benefits for these restricted items.

Maddy summaryHB 656 clarifies that local school districts in our state have the authority to accept federal grants without needing additional state approval. This bill directly affects school districts by streamlining their ability to access federal funding for educational programs. The key provision removes potential barriers, ensuring districts can independently accept eligible federal grants as permitted by federal law. The bill does not change existing grant requirements but explicitly affirms districts' authority to do so.

Maddy summaryHB 463 would change who serves on election recount boards for local select board and school board elections in New Hampshire. It specifically modifies the composition requirements for these recount boards, altering the appointment process or membership criteria. The bill directly affects local election administrators and voters in communities holding these specific local elections. As of the latest update, the bill remains pending in committee after a committee report recommended it pass, but it has not yet been voted on by the full legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 590 would change the election procedures for school boards in cooperative school districts (where multiple towns share a school system). It directly affects these districts and their residents by altering how school board members are chosen. The bill introduces new requirements for candidate qualifications and voting processes within these shared governance structures. This is a procedural change focused on standardizing election rules across cooperative districts, as reflected in the committee's recommendation to pass it with amendments.

Maddy summaryHB 113 would regulate the operation of off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs) on specific highways within the town of Windsor. It directly affects OHRV users and local authorities managing those roadways. The bill establishes rules for where and how OHRVs may operate on designated town highways, aiming to balance recreational access with safety and infrastructure concerns. Currently, the bill has been referred for interim study by the committee with a 15-0 vote, indicating it is under review but has not advanced further.