Rep. Jason Osborne

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes creating a New Hampshire Legal Tender Act that would allow gold and silver bullion, along with digital representations of these metals, to be used as legal tender for private debts and state taxes. It establishes a state-run bullion depository to securely store these metals and permits individuals and businesses to hold accounts for storing, transferring, and exchanging bullion without incurring tax liabilities on exchanges or sales. The legislation also allows taxpayers to report income in a functional currency of their choice, such as gold or silver, and requires the state to maintain detailed records of all depository transactions for at least seven years. However, the bill was ultimately not recommended for future legislation during a 2024 interim study, indicating it did not advance to become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1676 creates a Sunset Commission to evaluate New Hampshire's occupational licensing boards and determine if they should continue existing. The commission, made up of members appointed by the governor, legislative leaders, and the public, will assess whether current regulations are necessary for consumer safety or if less restrictive alternatives like voluntary certification or market competition would suffice. Based on its findings, the bill proposes repealing or modifying the authority of numerous boards over the next six years, starting with acupuncture and body art practitioners in 2025 and ending with real estate and physical therapy boards in 2030. Ultimately, the legislation aims to reduce regulatory barriers while ensuring that any remaining restrictions are the least intrusive methods needed to protect public health and safety.

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 summaryHB 1706, known as the Circumcision Transparency Act, would require health care providers in New Hampshire to obtain written informed consent from parents before performing a non-therapeutic circumcision on a child under 18. The bill mandates that providers use a specific consent form detailing the procedure's risks, lack of proven medical benefits, and available alternatives, while also prohibiting solicitation or coercion of parents. Additionally, the law would require two parental signatures for the procedure, provide an educational guide for parents who choose not to circumcise, and mandate that consent forms be retained for 25 years. Although the bill includes provisions to protect religious ceremonies and allow for tissue donation opt-ins, it was ultimately not recommended for future legislation by the state committee.

Maddy summaryHB 1408 proposes merging the existing boards for architects and landscape architects into a single regulatory body called the Board of Architects and Landscape Architects. This new entity would be composed of five members appointed by the governor, including two practicing architects, two practicing landscape architects, and one public member with no financial ties to the professions. The bill establishes specific qualifications for board members, such as requiring a decade of active practice in their respective fields, and outlines the board's authority to set licensing rules, ethical standards, and continuing education requirements. Additionally, the legislation repeals and re-enacts the relevant statutes to formally consolidate these two professional groups under one unified oversight structure.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the state's Medicaid program from covering gender reassignment surgery for individuals under the age of 18. By adding a new provision to the state's Medicaid laws, it explicitly excludes this specific medical procedure from coverage for minors. The change would take effect 60 days after the bill is passed, ensuring that public funds are not used for these surgeries for people in that age group.