Rep. Katelyn Kuttab

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 would authorize the New Hampshire Department of Education commissioner to issue subpoenas to investigate specific serious misconduct allegations against licensed educators. The commissioner could use these legal orders to compel individuals to appear for questioning or to produce documents and other items in cases involving sexual or physical assault, drug possession, failure to report abuse, and other violations of educator codes of conduct. The legislation also adds a provision stating that records from these investigations and related closed hearings would be exempt from public access under state open records laws. Additionally, the bill sets specific rules for how subpoenas must be served, including different timeframes for compliance depending on whether the recipient is a licensee or a non-licensee.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a specific legal process called a "family access motion" to help parents enforce court-ordered parenting time when the other parent denies or interferes with it. It requires courts to provide a simple form for parents to file these motions without a lawyer and mandates that the case be resolved within 60 days. If a parent is found to have violated the parenting plan without good cause, the court can order remedies such as making up the lost time, requiring counseling, imposing fines, or ordering the violator to pay the other parent's legal fees. The law takes effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a specific exception to the rule requiring operator certificates for commercial vessels, allowing individuals aged 14 to 17 to operate small boats without certification under strict conditions. To qualify, the vessel must be 16 feet or shorter and used solely for selling pre-packaged food or non-alcoholic beverages, while prohibiting activities like towing, safety support, or transporting passengers. The law also defines what constitutes a commercial passenger vessel and sets new requirements for written examinations and certifications for those operating larger commercial vessels. These changes take effect on January 1, 2025, with a temporary provision starting on September 17, 2024.

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 law requires local supervisors of the checklist in cities and towns to hold meetings at least every 90 days to review and update voter registration records. During these sessions, officials must process requests to correct the list, such as removing voters who have moved away or fixing address errors for those who have moved within the area. The bill also mandates that notice of these meetings be posted online or in local newspapers at least seven days in advance. Once passed, the new requirement for regular maintenance meetings will take effect on September 17, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis law creates a new committee to investigate ways to improve access to mental health services and ensure providers meet network standards in New Hampshire. The committee will examine barriers to provider accreditation, review enforcement methods for service availability, and gather public input before submitting a report with recommendations by November 2024. Additionally, the bill requires that any candidate for a mental health license must sign a written agreement stating that their supervisor assumes full professional, ethical, and legal responsibility for the services they provide. These changes aim to increase accountability and expand the availability of mental health care for residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the lead vehicle of a funeral procession to obey stop and yield signs at intersections, just like any other driver. Once the lead vehicle has legally passed through an intersection, all following vehicles in the procession may proceed without stopping. The law clarifies that while the procession has the right-of-way, it must still operate with due caution. These changes take effect on January 1, 2025, and apply to all funeral escort vehicles in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the legal definitions of "full course meals" and "full service restaurants" for alcohol licensing purposes in New Hampshire. It specifies that a full course meal includes a variety of prepared foods like grilled items, fried dishes, baked goods, sandwiches, salads, soups, and stove-top cooked options. A full service restaurant is now defined as an establishment with seating for at least ten guests that must offer multiple meal choices from at least two of these food categories. These changes affect businesses seeking or holding liquor licenses by clarifying the requirements for their dining areas and menus.