Rep. Hope Damon

Maddy summaryThis bill protects volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians from being fired or disciplined if they miss work to respond to an emergency they witness or encounter while driving to their job. It requires employers to accept a signed statement from the fire or ambulance department chief confirming the employee's response time and return time, though no pay is owed for the missed hours. If an employer violates these rules by terminating or punishing an employee, the law mandates immediate reinstatement with full pay, seniority, and benefits restored. The protection applies to all volunteer, reserve, and intermittent personnel who have not worked more than 975 hours in the previous six months.

Maddy summaryThis bill implements the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which facilitates school transfers and enrollment for families of active-duty military personnel moving between states. It clarifies that "active duty" includes members of the National Guard and Reserve serving under specific federal orders, ensuring these families are covered under the agreement. By adopting this compact, the state creates a legal framework to help military children maintain educational continuity when their parents relocate due to military assignments. The law takes effect 60 days after passage to allow time for implementation by relevant school districts and agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 1215 updates state laws to provide greater stability for land developers and clarifies how building code appeals are handled. The bill extends the time period during which approved land subdivisions are protected from new zoning or fee changes from five to ten years, provided the project begins construction within five years and stays compliant with health standards. It also establishes a higher-level review board to hear appeals against local building code decisions, ensuring consistency across the state. Additionally, the law requires the Register of Deeds to record land plats even if they do not meet regulations adopted after the project was approved. These changes aim to reduce uncertainty for property owners and streamline the approval process for construction projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Hampshire municipalities to allow homeowners to build one accessory dwelling unit, such as a garage conversion or an addition, on their single-family property without needing special approval. It defines these units as separate living spaces with their own kitchen and bathroom and sets minimum size limits of 1,000 square feet for at least one unit. While towns can still require owner occupancy and enforce parking or aesthetic rules, they cannot mandate familial relationships between residents or restrict units to a single bedroom. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that municipalities must permit the conversion of existing structures like detached garages into these units even if they do not currently meet setback or lot coverage standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires municipalities to provide reasonable opportunities for placing manufactured housing and subdivisions, prohibiting them from completely banning these structures through zoning or other regulations. It mandates that if a town allows residential development, it must permit manufactured homes on individual lots in most residential zones, subject to the same lot size and spacing rules as conventional single-family homes. The law also ensures that manufactured housing parks can expand and that their lot sizes and density requirements remain reasonable, while eliminating the need for special permits that are not also required for traditional single-family housing.