Rep. Mark Pearson

Maddy summaryHB 1229 requires courts to enforce alimony waivers in divorce agreements unless the waiver is proven invalid due to coercion, fraud, duress, mutual mistake, material misrepresentation, supervening illegality, or unconscionability. It directly affects individuals in divorce proceedings who have signed agreements waiving alimony rights. The bill amends New Hampshire law to make such waivers binding by default, shifting the burden to the party challenging the waiver to prove one of the specified grounds for invalidity. The change takes effect January 1, 2027. This policy alters how courts handle alimony waiver agreements in family law cases.

Maddy summaryHB 1225 amends New Hampshire's child support guidelines by updating how "adjusted gross income" is calculated for determining support payments. The bill specifically adds Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from an employee's pay as a deductible item when calculating income for child support obligations. This change directly affects parents who pay child support (obligors), as it may lower their calculated income and potentially reduce their required payments. The amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1710 adopts the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act into New Hampshire law, creating new procedures for courts to address child abduction risks. It requires courts to issue prevention measures - such as travel restrictions or custody adjustments - when a credible risk of abduction is proven, based on specific risk factors like prior abduction attempts or threats. The bill mandates detailed petitions including the child’s location, the respondent’s details, and history of domestic violence or custody disputes. This applies to all courts handling child-custody cases, directly affecting parents, guardians, and legal entities involved in custody proceedings.

Maddy summarySB 466 makes it a class A felony to alter, remove, or destroy identifying marks (such as the maker's name, model, or serial number) on any firearm. Possessing a firearm with such altered marks is considered evidence that the possessor made the changes. This law directly affects individuals who modify firearm markings or possess firearms with altered identification, raising penalties from a misdemeanor to a felony. The bill takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1744 requires health insurance companies operating in New Hampshire to submit annual reports by March 1st starting in 2026, detailing their mental health and substance use disorder coverage practices. These reports must include data on claims denial rates, average wait times for appointments, provider network availability, and compliance with federal parity laws. The insurance commissioner will review these reports and make de-identified data publicly available, while the state Medicaid program must also report annually starting in 2027 on similar metrics. This bill establishes new transparency requirements without authorizing new funding or positions.

Maddy summarySB 547 regulates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in New Hampshire to increase transparency and fairness in drug pricing. The bill requires PBMs to act in the best interest of health insurance companies (their clients) and bans them from keeping profits from "spread pricing" - where PBMs charge health plans more than they pay pharmacies for drugs. It defines key terms like "affiliate" and "revenue," and mandates that PBMs pass all rebates from drug manufacturers to health plans rather than retaining them. This directly affects PBMs, health insurers, and pharmacies, aiming to address high drug costs (23% of healthcare spending) and patient cost concerns (25% skip doses due to expense).

Maddy summaryHB 1769 prohibits publicly funded medical facilities (including state-funded hospitals and clinics) from referring patients for abortions, except in medical emergencies or when referring to a pregnancy resource center (a nonprofit facility offering counseling/support but not abortion services). The bill requires these facilities to submit compliance affidavits and allows taxpayers or affected mothers/family members to sue the facility or state for violations. It also voids contracts with organizations that violate the referral ban. This law directly affects state-funded healthcare providers and creates new legal avenues for challenging abortion referrals. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1779 requires New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services to consider a child's cultural background during foster care placements and develop resources to support their cultural heritage. The bill mandates foster parents to complete cultural sensitivity training covering language, traditions, and community connections, and assigns a cultural advocate to each foster child within 30 days to help integrate cultural practices and link to community resources. It also establishes a dedicated "Cultural Foster Care Fund" for implementation costs and requires the department to publish timelines and progress reports on partnerships with cultural organizations. This directly affects children in foster care, foster families, and the state's child welfare system.

Maddy summaryHB 1327 updates the legal definitions of "commercially-zoned land" and "mixed-use" in New Hampshire law. It clarifies that commercially-zoned land refers to areas where commercial use is permitted under local zoning rules, and defines mixed-use development as projects combining residential or other uses within a single building or area approved by a local planning board. These changes directly affect developers seeking approval for projects that blend residential and commercial spaces, requiring planning board review for such developments. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1750 provides a $4.4 million supplemental appropriation from the General Fund to New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This funding addresses a budget shortfall caused by federal legislation reducing the federal cost-share for SNAP administrative costs from 50% to 25%, which the state did not have time to budget for before the change. The appropriation specifically covers increased state administrative expenses for SNAP operations during the 2026-2027 fiscal year, ensuring continued program functionality without altering SNAP eligibility or benefits. It does not create new positions or change program rules, as noted in the fiscal impact statement.