Rep. Dale Girard

Maddy summaryHB 1823 requires all schools, school districts, and school administrative units receiving state funding to conduct annual independent audits and publicly post the reports on their websites. The audits must be submitted to the Department of Education and Department of Revenue Administration within 180 days after the fiscal year ends. If audits reveal significant financial issues, schools must submit quarterly financial reports to the Department of Education until resolved, and non-compliance may result in withheld state funding. This bill directly affects all 179 school districts and 35 charter schools in New Hampshire, mandating greater financial transparency and accountability.

Maddy summaryHB 1397 requires municipalities to send written notice by verified mail to adjacent property owners (called "abutters") when a cutting operation (such as tree removal) may impact their property. It gives these owners a 30-day period to comment before the project can be approved. The applicant requesting the cutting must cover the cost of sending these notices. This bill applies to any municipal cutting project affecting neighboring properties and adds a definition for "abutter" to property tax law.

Maddy summaryHB 1518 requires county commissions and delegations in New Hampshire to permit members to participate remotely in public meetings when in-person attendance is not reasonably practical. The bill directly affects county-level government bodies by mandating that remote participation must be allowed, with reasons for remote attendance recorded in meeting minutes. Key provisions include requiring physical presence of a quorum (except in emergencies), ensuring public access to all meeting discussions via audio, and treating remote participants as physically present for voting purposes. The bill does not change voting procedures but specifies that all remote meetings must maintain real-time public accessibility and comply with existing public meeting laws.