Rep. Kristine Perez

Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution declares that New Hampshire's government operates under an express trust defined by the state constitution, arguing that only powers explicitly written in the document are granted to officials. The bill seeks to restrict absentee voting to only those physically absent from their town or suffering from a physical disability, while also mandating that absentee ballots be marked in the presence of an authorized official to ensure witness standards match those for in-person voting. Additionally, the measure aims to eliminate electronic voting machines and requires that ballot counting be supervised by selectmen to guarantee human eyewitnesses are present during the process. Although the House passed this resolution, an interim study committee reviewed it and ultimately did not recommend it for future legislation.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire state laws to clarify how schools should handle bullying and cyberbullying that occurs between different school districts. It defines "cross-district" incidents as those happening across multiple districts and expands the scope of bullying to include actions off school property if they disrupt a student's education or school operations. The legislation requires schools to investigate reported incidents within five school days, with a possible seven-day extension, and specifically assigns the responsibility for investigating cross-district cases to the district where the bullying originated. These rules apply to all students and schools in the state and will become effective 60 days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summaryHB 1005 proposes creating a new Judicial Training Coordinator position to oversee professional development for judges and court staff. The bill mandates that all new judges and non-judicial employees hired after July 1, 2025, complete an initial orientation covering court procedures, legal skills, and specific topics like ethics and implicit bias. It also establishes annual continuing education requirements, such as 24 hours for supreme and superior court justices and 12 to 16 hours for various clerks and administrative roles. Although the legislation outlines these specific training hours and responsibilities, the bill was ultimately laid on the table and did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new article to the state constitution that grants parents a fundamental right and responsibility to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children. It establishes that the state or local governments cannot interfere with these parental rights unless they prove a compelling interest of the highest order that cannot be served any other way. The measure includes a specific exception stating that this right does not apply to parental actions that would end a child's life or cause physical harm to them. Rather than passing into law directly, the bill sets up a process to put this constitutional amendment to a vote of the qualified voters in November 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 1370 directs the Secretary of State to prepare and distribute secure, durable containers and tamper-evident sealers to town and ward clerks for preserving ballots before state elections. The bill also requires these officials to use special containers specifically designed for separate ballots related to questions posed to voters. Although the legislation was adopted by the conference committee, it was ultimately laid on the table and did not become law before the end of the session.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Hampshire school districts to create policies ensuring parents receive at least two weeks' advance notice before specific curriculum materials covering human sexuality, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity are used in class. It also mandates that districts make these materials available for parental review upon request and allows parents to request exceptions to specific course content if they find it objectionable, provided they arrange and pay for an alternative education plan. Additionally, the legislation prohibits schools from preventing parents from asking about their child's mental, emotional, or physical well-being, while maintaining an exception for situations where disclosure could lead to abuse or neglect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires newspapers, periodicals, radio and television stations, and billboard operators to charge the same advertising rates to all political candidates, committees, parties, and causes. To ensure transparency, media companies must file their advertising rate schedules with the secretary of state at least 30 days before the election deadline, and any changes to these rates must be filed five days in advance to take effect. Additionally, all political advertisements must be clearly labeled as "Political Advertising" at the beginning or end of the ad. These rules are designed to prevent media outlets from discriminating against specific political groups by offering them different prices for the same advertising space.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public and private schools in New Hampshire to designate interscholastic sports teams as male, female, or coed based on the biological sex listed on a student's birth certificate. It explicitly prohibits female-designated teams from allowing male students to participate and mandates that schools enforce these rules without fear of legal complaints or investigations from government entities or athletic associations. The legislation also creates a legal pathway for students or schools to sue for damages if they believe these eligibility rules have been violated or if someone faces retaliation for reporting such violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows existing school administrative units to merge their administrative offices to reduce costs, provided the combined unit has only one superintendent. To support these mergers, the state will offer a grant of $200 per student annually for two years, with funding coming from the education trust fund and requiring the merger to be completed by July 1, 2030. The planning committee will evaluate merger proposals using the same process used for reorganizations, and the grant amount will be calculated based on the number of students residing in the district as of October 1st. This law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and applies to all school districts served by the newly merged administrative unit.