Rep. Hope Damon

Maddy summaryHB 1087 proposes creating a temporary commission to study how public schools in New Hampshire teach information literacy and media literacy. The commission would be made up of legislators, educators, and representatives from youth media organizations to review current curriculum standards and identify barriers to effective instruction. Its main tasks include evaluating available resources for teachers, comparing the state's efforts with those of other states, and gathering input from students, parents, and experts. The group is required to submit a final report with its findings and recommendations by November 1, 2024, though the bill was not enacted during the 2024 legislative session.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require New Hampshire schools to provide at least one free meal daily to every student whose family income is at or below 350 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. To support this requirement, the state would use funds from the education trust fund to pay for the meals, ensuring that school districts do not bear the full cost. The legislation also directs the state board of education to set minimum nutritional standards and clarify the income thresholds used to determine eligibility. Although the bill was introduced to expand access to free school lunches, it ultimately did not become law as the session ended without final passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill would prevent local governments from enforcing rules that limit the number of people living in a rental unit based on whether they are related or restrict occupancy to only family members. Specifically, it bans ordinances that cap residents at fewer than two people per bedroom or that require occupants to be related by blood or marriage. The law applies to cities, towns, and counties that contain unincorporated areas or unorganized places. If passed, these restrictions would take effect 60 days after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates driveway construction rules to limit new driveways to a maximum width of 50 feet and restricts the number of driveways allowed per property unless the land frontage is over 500 feet. It also mandates that local planning boards issue driveway permits within 60 days for residential projects and grants them authority to regulate stone walls and fences near public roads. Separately, the legislation expands eligibility for the state's child care scholarship program by including children with delays in social or emotional development, even without a formal medical diagnosis. To support these changes, the bill appropriates $375,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services for rulemaking and program administration.

Maddy summaryThis law prevents local towns and cities from requiring fire sprinklers in new or existing single-family and two-family homes, as well as in buildings with four or fewer residential units. It also stops local officials from enforcing any past rules that mandated sprinklers in manufactured housing parks. While the state fire marshal can still grant exemptions for safety reasons, local governments are barred from adopting stricter fire safety rules than the state code for these specific residential properties. The changes take effect 60 days after the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a one-time $500 payment to retired state employees who received an accidental disability retirement allowance and have been collecting benefits for at least five years as of July 1, 2023, provided their annual retirement income was $50,000 or less on June 30, 2023. The funding for this payment comes from the state general fund and is explicitly not intended to become a permanent increase to the recipients' base salaries. Additionally, the legislation updates state law to ensure that future one-time cost-of-living adjustments or supplemental allowances are available to these disabled retirees regardless of how many years of service they have completed.

Maddy summaryThis law requires schools and local governments to use the official statutory names for holidays when they appear in official documents, publications, or calendars. It also mandates that civics and government classes include specific information about election laws and voting procedures. The changes apply to any educational institution or municipality that officially recognizes a holiday listed in the state code. These provisions take effect 60 days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire laws to clarify how public school curriculum frameworks should be developed and maintained. It requires the state education board to review and refine these frameworks every ten years, while explicitly stating that they serve as guides rather than a mandatory statewide curriculum. Local teachers and school boards retain the responsibility to decide specific lesson plans, teaching methods, and materials that best fit their communities. The legislation also adds new definitions for educational terms like "applied learning," "logic," and "rhetoric" to the state's education statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Matthew Brown Act, requires public schools and charter schools in New Hampshire to print the phone number for the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline on student identification cards. The law applies to cards issued for the first time or replaced after the bill takes effect, ensuring that students in grades 6 through 12 have immediate access to eating disorder support resources. Schools must also verify annually that the helpline number on these cards is accurate and up to date before each new school year. The legislation aims to integrate mental health resources directly into the daily materials students carry, rather than relying on them to find help information elsewhere.