Rep. Margaret Drye

Maddy summaryHB 1635 modifies New Hampshire school suicide prevention training requirements by requiring all school faculty, staff, and contracted personnel to complete suicide awareness training within 30 days of hire and every two years thereafter (replacing the prior annual requirement). The training must cover youth suicide risk factors, warning signs, response procedures, referrals, and community resources, and may use existing professional development programs or self-training materials. School districts determine how to administer the training, including whether it applies to volunteers per district policy. The bill takes effect September 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1373 expands background checks for individuals seeking teaching credentials in New Hampshire by adding specific crimes to the list that would disqualify applicants. It disqualifies applicants convicted of certain drug trafficking offenses (like RSA 318-B:2), sex offenses involving children (including RSA 650:2), or other serious violations listed in the bill within the last 10 years. This directly affects people applying for educator credentials who have these specific criminal histories. The bill modifies existing law (RSA 189:13-c) to include these additional disqualifying offenses, effective upon passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1379 changes the annual deadline for publishing special education complaint data reports from July 1st to September 1st, starting in 2026. This bill directly affects the New Hampshire Department of Education, which is required to publish the annual report on its website and share it with the Office of Special Education Advocate, the State Advisory Council, and education committee chairs. The key change modifies the reporting date in RSA 186-C:5-a, III without altering the report's content or scope. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1395 requires the New Hampshire governor to annually issue a proclamation designating the third Friday after Labor Day as "New Hampshire Day at The Big E." This bill directly affects the governor's office by mandating this ceremonial recognition each year. The proclamation aims to honor the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) for its over 100-year support of agriculture and regional cooperation in New England. The bill creates no new legal obligations for citizens or businesses, solely establishing a formal annual observance.

Maddy summaryHB 1288 allows New Hampshire school administrative units to set annual budget caps for their operations. The cap is calculated using the previous year's overhead cost per student (adjusted for inflation via a standard index) multiplied by average daily student enrollment across all member districts. If a school district's proposed budget exceeds this cap, voters must approve an override with a 3/5 majority vote; otherwise, the cap amount automatically becomes the adopted budget. This applies to any school administrative unit that chooses to adopt the cap, directly affecting how school budgets are set and approved within those units.

Maddy summaryHB 1490 requires scholarship organizations (which manage education freedom accounts) to provide parents with a written explanation of their obligation to notify school districts in writing when ending a home education program. This applies specifically to parents using scholarship programs for home education under New Hampshire law. The bill adds a new requirement for scholarship organizations to ensure parents understand this termination notice duty, which is currently mandated by law but not clearly explained to families. The change aims to clarify parental responsibilities without altering the underlying notice requirement.

Maddy summaryHB 1521 clarifies that students using education freedom accounts (voucher programs) are not considered "home educated" under New Hampshire law. It amends the definition in RSA 193-A:4 to explicitly exclude children receiving funding from such accounts from the home education category. This change directly affects families utilizing education freedom accounts, separating their status from traditional home education. The bill makes a specific statutory adjustment to prevent overlap in how these educational options are classified. It does not alter home education requirements for other families.

Maddy summaryHB 1658 requires app stores operating in New Hampshire to verify users' age categories (e.g., child, teenager) and obtain parental consent for minors under 18. It mandates that app stores create "minor accounts" (for users under 18) linked to "parent accounts" (for adults), and disclose key information like an app's age rating, content description, data collection practices, and data protection methods to parents before consent. The bill also requires re-obtaining parental consent for significant app changes, such as new in-app purchases or altered data collection. This law directly affects app store providers (e.g., Apple App Store, Google Play), app developers, and parents of minors in New Hampshire.

Maddy summaryHB 1183 changes New Hampshire's high school graduation requirements by mandating that students complete four mathematics courses to meet the state's math competency standard for career and college readiness. This replaces the current option allowing students to fulfill the requirement with three math courses plus one non-math course that applied math skills (e.g., in career-technical education). The bill applies to all public high school students graduating after July 1, 2027, and requires school boards to approve the specific math courses. The change eliminates the flexibility of combining math with other subjects to meet the graduation standard.

Maddy summaryHB 1147 reinstates requirements for local governments (counties, towns, districts, and water departments) using capital reserve funds to make multiple payments under lease/purchase agreements. It requires such agreements to contain no "escape clause" or "non-appropriation clause" and mandates approval by a 2/3 vote of the legislative body at a public meeting. The bill directly affects how these entities finance capital projects through lease/purchase arrangements. This amendment restores prior rules governing the use of capital reserve funds for these specific financing agreements.