Rep. Len Turcotte

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public and private schools in New Hampshire to designate interscholastic sports teams as male, female, or coed based on the biological sex listed on a student's birth certificate. It explicitly prohibits female-designated teams from allowing male students to participate and mandates that schools enforce these rules without fear of legal complaints or investigations from government entities or athletic associations. The legislation also creates a legal pathway for students or schools to sue for damages if they believe these eligibility rules have been violated or if someone faces retaliation for reporting such violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new state laws to protect freedom of speech and association at public colleges and universities in New Hampshire. It designates outdoor campus areas as public forums where students and staff can engage in peaceful expression without being forced into designated "free speech zones." The legislation prohibits institutions from discriminating against student groups based on their religious, political, or ideological views and defines specific limits on when speech can be restricted, such as during unlawful fights or harassment. Additionally, the bill creates a legal remedy allowing individuals or groups to sue schools for violations, with a monetary cap on damages adjusted annually for inflation.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows liquor store owners to fill their own-brand refillable beer bottles with any beer they choose, regardless of the bottle's original label. Previously, stores were required to match the beer inside the bottle with the brand printed on the container. The change gives retailers the freedom to decide which beer to pour into these reusable bottles without being restricted by the bottle's branding. This policy applies specifically to businesses that hold a license to sell beer in refillable containers.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the right to appeal zoning decisions in New Hampshire by allowing property owners who directly border or are directly across a street or stream from a proposed development to file appeals, rather than limiting this right only to the original applicant. It clarifies the definition of an "abutter" to include specific distances and scenarios, such as condominiums and manufactured housing parks, while also permitting these neighbors to request a rehearing of decisions made by zoning boards or town meetings within 30 days. The legislation also mandates that officials immediately forward all relevant documents to the board when an appeal is filed and sets a 60-day period after passage before the changes take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire law to clarify how vehicles owned by two or more people as joint tenants with rights of survivorship are handled after one owner dies. It allows the surviving owner to keep the vehicle and transfer or renew its registration without needing to get a new title or go through a full transfer process. The law specifies that using "and" between owners' names on a title application establishes this ownership type, while using "or" does not require any extra designation. Additionally, the bill permits a nonresident to be one of the joint owners for this specific purpose, and it sets the effective date for these changes to September 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens privacy protections for student data by requiring schools to obtain written parental consent before sharing personally identifiable information with third parties. It mandates that parents be notified at least 14 days in advance whenever their child's data is released, specifying who received the data, what information was shared, and the educational purpose for its use. The law explicitly excludes internal transfers between state departments and local schools from these notification requirements while ensuring that third parties cannot further share the data without additional parental permission.

Maddy summaryHB 1052 updates the requirements for submitting excavating and dredging permit applications to include both a paper version and a digital copy in PDF or an approved format. Local town or city clerks must receive these copies and distribute the digital version to local governing bodies, planning boards, and conservation commissions while keeping a paper record. The bill also allows state agencies to file their applications directly with the department, streamlining the process for government projects. These changes take effect 60 days after the law is passed.