Rep. Marjorie Smith

Maddy summarySB 507 would have extended the deadline for filing a petition for a new trial from three years to an unspecified longer period for most civil cases. The bill included a specific exception for criminal felony and class A misdemeanor cases, allowing new trial motions based on newly discovered evidence or new forensic testing regardless of the time limit. Although the legislation passed both legislative chambers, it was vetoed by the Governor and subsequently sustained by the legislature, meaning it did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new article to the New Hampshire constitution to explicitly guarantee a fundamental right to abortion. It would protect this right for all individuals up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, allowing restrictions only if there is a compelling state interest addressed by the least restrictive means. After 24 weeks, the bill permits abortion if an attending physician judges it necessary based on applicable standards of care. The legislation also outlines the process for submitting this constitutional amendment to voters for a decision at the November 2024 general election.

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 updates New Hampshire's child support guidelines to better reflect modern family arrangements by clarifying definitions and adjusting calculations. It formally defines terms like "eligible child care costs," "parenting time," and "substantially similar incomes" to provide clearer standards for courts and parents. The law introduces a new framework where child support obligations may be reduced or eliminated if both parents have similar incomes and share parenting time equally, while still allowing for adjustments in cases of significant health needs, long distances, or abuse. These changes aim to ensure that child support orders are fair and do not leave one parent with a higher adjusted income than the other when both are actively involved in raising the children. The provisions will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis law requires schools and local governments to use the official statutory names for holidays when they appear in official documents, publications, or calendars. It also mandates that civics and government classes include specific information about election laws and voting procedures. The changes apply to any educational institution or municipality that officially recognizes a holiday listed in the state code. These provisions take effect 60 days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the requirement for accessible voting systems to include local elections in cities and towns that currently only provide them for state elections. It legally defines an accessible voting system as any machine capable of printing a paper ballot marked with the voter's choices, ensuring compliance with federal disability laws. Under the new rules, every polling place in municipalities using official ballot systems must have at least one such machine available to allow voters with disabilities to cast their ballots privately and independently without assistance. The changes take effect on January 1, 2025, aiming to ensure equal access to voting for all eligible citizens regardless of their disability status.

Maddy summaryHB 1624 allows individuals over the age of 21 to distill liquor at home for personal or family use, provided the product is not sold. The law sets specific production limits, permitting households with two or more producers to make up to 200 gallons of beer or wine annually, while single-person households are limited to 100 gallons. Any liquor distilled from these amounts must remain for personal consumption and cannot be offered for sale. This change takes effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis law allows non-lawyer paraprofessionals to provide legal services in New Hampshire courts, removing previous restrictions that limited their practice to specific judicial settings. It establishes a pilot program that begins on January 1, 2030, during which the state Supreme Court must submit interim and final reports to legislative leaders assessing how well the program works. The legislation also sets the effective date for these changes to start immediately upon signing, ensuring the new rules are in place before the pilot program commences.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new process allowing litigants to challenge court rulings if they believe a judge's misconduct directly caused an unfavorable decision. To qualify for relief, a party must file a petition within three years of the ruling and 180 days after the misconduct finding is made public, provided they have not already lost a similar legal battle on this issue. A senior judge will review the petition to decide if there is a reasonable likelihood that the misconduct influenced the outcome, with the power to dismiss the case or vacate the ruling and send it for a rehearing by a different judge. The decision by the senior judge on whether misconduct was causal is final and cannot be appealed, though any new ruling resulting from a rehearing can be appealed normally.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the life of the Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education by updating reporting deadlines to include a final report due in 2027. The commission is tasked with tracking how Holocaust and genocide education is implemented across schools, specifically monitoring instruction by grade level, curriculum, and hours taught. It must submit regular reports to state officials, including the governor and legislative leaders, detailing its findings and any suggestions for new laws. The changes take effect immediately upon the bill's passage.