Rep. Tony Piemonte

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Hampshire's drug laws to impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for individuals convicted of trafficking specific quantities of fentanyl class drugs. It requires a minimum of three and a half years in prison for selling five grams or more of fentanyl, and raises that minimum to seven years for sales of 28 grams or more, while also increasing the maximum possible sentence to life imprisonment for repeat offenders. The law includes exceptions for minors, people with significant mental impairments, and those with minor roles in the crime, and it takes effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new commission to evaluate how New Hampshire supports technology-based start-up businesses. The commission will include representatives from the state legislature, the governor's office, and private industry sectors such as venture capital and tech alliances. Its main task is to assess the current business ecosystem, compare it with other states, and propose ways to improve funding, tax incentives, and job training opportunities. The group must submit its findings and legislative recommendations to state leaders by November 1, 2024. Additionally, the bill repeals an existing, similar commission to prevent duplication of efforts.

Maddy summarySB 425 increases the fee for bail commissioners from $40 to $60. This change applies to individuals who act as bail commissioners in criminal cases, though those who are already full-time, salaried law enforcement officers or court staff will not receive the fee unless they are working outside their regular duties. The bill also specifies that the collected fees should be sent to the local town or city if the commissioner is a government employee, and it maintains the existing rule that fees must be waived for indigent defendants.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Anti-Sanctuary Act, would require state and local law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. It explicitly prohibits any government entity from adopting policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration requests, such as honoring detainers or withholding inmate information. While the law mandates efforts to support federal enforcement, it includes specific exceptions that prevent the use of immigration status information against victims or witnesses of certain serious crimes like domestic violence and sexual assault. If a local agency violates these requirements, the state attorney general could file a lawsuit to stop the policy and seek court orders to enforce compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 1187 sought to update state laws regarding how local municipalities can lease equipment for their buildings and facilities. The bill would have clarified that lease agreements containing nonappropriation clauses are not considered debt and would have allowed the costs of building improvements that become fixtures for the equipment to also be financed through these leases. This change would have directly affected local town councils and city governments by expanding their options for funding equipment purchases without increasing their official debt load. Although the bill passed the legislature, it was vetoed by the Governor and the veto was sustained, meaning the proposed changes did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis law allows non-profit organizations in the state to hire outside individuals to run charity auctions without requiring those individuals to hold a professional auctioneer's license. To qualify, the hired person must sign a written contract that clearly defines their duties, compensation, and identifies where the auction money will be held, while strictly prohibiting them from taking a commission or percentage of the sales revenue. Political advocacy groups are explicitly excluded from these rules and must continue to follow standard licensing requirements if they hold auctions. The changes take effect on October 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how property taxes are calculated for telecommunications poles and conduits owned by phone utilities, VoIP providers, and commercial mobile radio service companies. It establishes a new formula that values these structures based on their replacement cost minus depreciation over 40 years, while explicitly excluding them from the annual property tax equalization ratio. As a result, these specific assets will be assessed at a fixed market value rather than being adjusted annually based on overall property market fluctuations. The changes will take effect on April 1, 2025, impacting the tax bills for the entities that own these infrastructure items.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for a specific local tax cap in New Hampshire towns and districts that have already chosen to use it. It clarifies that the estimated tax amount for the upcoming year must include both the operating budget and all other approved spending, ensuring the total does not rise by more than the previously set cap unless adjusted for specific factors. The law applies automatically to existing tax cap programs without requiring towns to pass new local amendments to adopt it. It became effective on September 1, 2024, after being signed into law by the Governor.

Maddy summarySB 419 updates the state's medical cannabis program by requiring the health department to publish an annual report containing detailed statistics on patients, caregivers, medical conditions, and enforcement actions. The bill also permits qualifying patients and their designated caregivers to grow cannabis at home under specific conditions, such as keeping plants in a locked, enclosed area with a canopy limit of 50 square feet per person. To support this, the law clarifies definitions for plant maturity and establishes that caregivers may receive up to $500 annually for their assistance without it being considered illegal sales. Additionally, the legislation provides legal protections for patients and caregivers who cultivate within the allowed limits and for laboratories testing cannabis samples.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits undocumented immigrants from driving in New Hampshire if they hold out-of-state driver's licenses issued specifically to individuals without lawful presence in the United States. Under the new law, anyone caught driving with such a license commits a class B misdemeanor, and the Department of Safety must maintain a public list of these invalid license types on its website. The measure also updates the state's driver license compact to explicitly exclude recognition of these specific foreign licenses, while requiring the department to update its systems and potentially hire staff to manage the new list.