Rep. Walt Stapleton

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $3 million to the Lead Paint Hazard Remediation Fund to help address lead paint dangers in homes. The money will come from either leftover federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act or the state's Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund, depending on what is available by September 2024. The Governor's office for emergency relief and recovery will decide which source to use, and the Housing Finance Authority will manage the spending. This act takes effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Farm Energy Systems and Infrastructure Design Advisory Program to help qualifying New Hampshire farms improve their energy efficiency and infrastructure. The program will provide unbiased, research-based educational assistance on energy systems and connect farms with available financial resources like grants and loans. To implement this, the state will hire one field specialist and sign an agreement with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension to deliver the support. The initiative is funded by a $100,000 appropriation for the 2025 fiscal year and will begin on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows local municipalities to add a specific section to their land use master plans dedicated to waste reduction. The new provision requires these plans to outline strategies for lowering solid waste disposal through methods like recycling, composting, and managing hazardous or electronic waste. Communities can implement these strategies by conducting needs analyses, organizing town waste committees, seeking grant funding, and collaborating with neighboring regions. The law takes effect 60 days after it is passed, giving towns time to update their existing planning documents.

Maddy summaryThis bill grants the commissioner of the Department of Safety the authority to create temporary safety zones on public and coastal waters during emergencies. Under these new rules, the commissioner can set maximum speed limits for vessels for up to ten days when immediate action is needed due to weather or environmental hazards. The law takes effect ninety days after its passage, allowing officials to respond quickly to dangerous conditions without waiting for additional legislative approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits courts from ordering specific family reunification therapies, camps, or programs as part of a parenting plan. It directly affects parents involved in custody cases and the counselors or organizations providing these services. The law bans programs that require no-contact orders, involve overnight stays out of state, transfer custody, or use threats, coercion, or isolation to separate children from their families. Additionally, the bill mandates that any counseling selected by the court must be recommended by the parents and covered by their health insurance. These restrictions take effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the legal definition of temporary alimony in divorce cases to clarify how these payments are calculated and limited. Under the new rules, courts will generally apply standard duration limits to temporary support, but they can exempt these payments from those limits if the support lasts an unusually long time. Additionally, a court may choose to apply a specific percentage formula for calculating payments only if it finds that doing so would cause immediate, irreparable economic harm to the spouse receiving support. These changes take effect on January 1, 2025, and directly affect judges and parties involved in family court proceedings.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits private individuals or companies from owning new landfills in New Hampshire, requiring that any future facilities be owned by the state or a local municipality. While the state or local governments would own these sites, they could still hire private companies to manage and operate the daily functions of the landfills. Existing private landfills that were fully permitted and actively accepting waste as of December 1, 2023, are allowed to remain under private ownership and may expand or modify their operations. The law is designed to shift ownership of new waste disposal sites to public entities while ensuring private expertise is utilized for operations.