Rep. Claudine Burnham

Maddy summarySB 246 requires New Hampshire Medicaid and private health insurers to cover maternal depression screenings at well-child visits and during prenatal/postpartum care for new mothers. It mandates coverage for screenings at specific intervals (1, 2, 4, and 6 months postpartum) and includes referrals to mental health resources. The bill allocates $275,000 to establish a perinatal psychiatric provider consult line and $75,000 for rural maternal health EMS services. These changes directly affect new mothers and infants in New Hampshire by expanding access to mental health support during the perinatal period.

Maddy summaryHB 200 creates a new process for local governments to exceed their legally established tax caps. It directly affects cities and towns that hit their tax limits, allowing them to raise taxes above those caps through a specific procedure. The key mechanism requires a two-thirds vote by a local governing body (like a city council) to request an override from the state, followed by a state review. This law, signed by Governor Ayotte and effective September 13, 2025, replaces previous ad-hoc approaches with a standardized state-level review process.

Maddy summaryHB 270 requires election officials to preserve external storage devices used in electronic ballot counting systems after elections. This directly affects state and local election administrators responsible for managing voting equipment. The bill mandates that these devices be retained for a specified period (as defined by the law) to ensure verifiable records of election results. The law became effective on September 13, 2025, following gubernatorial approval on July 22, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 369 updates New Hampshire's registration requirements for sexual offenders and offenders against children. It requires these individuals to report in person to local law enforcement within 5 business days of release from custody, conviction (if not incarcerated), or establishing new residence, employment, or schooling in the state. Offenders with multiple residences must report to their primary jurisdiction and provide all addresses, including those outside New Hampshire. The law, signed by Governor Ayotte and effective January 1, 2026, applies to misdemeanor and felony cases covered under current registration statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 288 limits when voters can request absentee ballots by requiring most applications to be received or postmarked within six months before an election. It directly affects voters seeking absentee ballots, except for federal UOCAVA forms (used by military and overseas voters), which can only be submitted starting January of the election year. The bill modifies state law to prevent acceptance of absentee ballot applications received earlier than this six-month window. This creates a specific timeframe for submitting absentee ballot requests, aligning with standard election administration practices.

Maddy summaryHB 474 requires that when counting write-in votes using ballot counting devices (which display write-in votes digitally or on paper), the moderator must conduct the count in the presence of a second sworn election official. This applies to towns or cities using devices approved by the state ballot law commission. The law directly affects local election officials handling write-in votes in jurisdictions using such technology, adding a verification step to the counting process. It does not change how write-in votes are cast, only the procedure for counting them.

Maddy summaryHB 80 would have allowed public body members (like city councilors or school board members) to attend meetings remotely via video call or similar technology only when in-person attendance was truly impossible. The bill aimed to provide flexibility for members facing unavoidable physical barriers to attending meetings directly. However, the bill was defeated by the committee on May 22, 2025, with a "Inexpedient to Legislate" vote, meaning it did not become law. This procedural bill was ultimately not enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 78 modifies the residency requirements for individuals serving as county commissioners. It mandates that all county commissioners must be an inhabitant who resides actually and permanently in the specific district they are chosen to represent, rather than only in the broader county. This bill amends existing law to clarify and standardize this district-level residency requirement for county commissioners across the state. For Strafford County, these new qualifications will apply to elections starting with the 2026 state general election or any vacancies prior, without affecting current commissioners' terms.