Sen. Carrie Gendreau

Maddy summaryHB 1059 updates the New Hampshire state building code by officially adopting the 2021 editions of seven major international codes, such as those for plumbing and energy conservation, along with the 2020 National Electrical Code. This change directly affects construction professionals, building owners, and inspectors who must now follow these new standards for new and existing structures. The bill also establishes that any future updates to these codes will only become part of the state law if they are reviewed by the state board and approved by the legislature before taking effect. These updated rules will officially go into force on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes that unpaid meals and rooms taxes, along with associated penalties and interest, become a legal lien against all property owned by the business operator responsible for collecting them. The lien attaches to both real and personal property once the tax authority makes a formal demand for payment and remains in effect until the debt is fully satisfied or the claim becomes unenforceable. To ensure clarity, the law defines "operator" to include individuals with managerial or custodial control over tax collection, while explicitly excluding mere owners without such responsibility, and requires any lien on real estate to be recorded at the county registry to be valid.

Maddy summaryThis bill officially renames a specific stretch of Route 127 in Franklin, New Hampshire, from Central Street to the Sanbornton town line as the Chief Bradley Haas Memorial Highway. The legislation requires the state Department of Transportation to create and install appropriate signs along the designated route, with the design subject to departmental approval. While the City of Franklin is responsible for maintaining these signs, the state covers all costs associated with their design, manufacturing, and installation through general funds. The changes become effective 60 days after the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes three new requirements for hunters and fishermen in New Hampshire. It mandates the creation of registration stations to tag bears killed in the state and requires all hunters aged 16 and older to carry a valid federal duck stamp when hunting migratory waterfowl. Additionally, the law introduces a landing license for individuals who transport lobsters and crabs taken outside New Hampshire waters into the state for sale or personal use. These measures aim to improve wildlife tracking, ensure compliance with federal conservation laws, and regulate the importation of shellfish.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new advisory group to explore funding options for building and renovating career and technical education facilities in New Hampshire. The group will be made up of education officials, community college leaders, school administrators, and business representatives who will meet to study how to better support these programs. Their main task is to investigate whether high school and community college CTE programs can share resources or locations to save money. The group must submit its findings and any suggestions for new laws to state leaders by May 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates laws regarding how real estate brokers handle drivers' licenses during property transactions. It allows brokers to scan and keep digital copies of licenses to verify ownership but requires them to delete these files by the closing date or immediately upon request from the license holder. The legislation also clarifies rules for pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, permitting them to scan licenses with consent to check stolen goods databases while restricting how long they can keep those records. Effective January 1, 2025, the law aims to balance the need for identity verification in real estate sales with the protection of personal information.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires pharmacy benefit managers and health insurers in New Hampshire to report detailed information about pharmaceutical rebates they receive and how those funds are used. The legislation mandates that these entities submit annual reports breaking down the total value of rebates collected, the amounts distributed to insurers, and the specific reductions applied to patient costs such as deductibles and copayments. Additionally, insurers must provide actuarial certifications explaining how rebates are remitted to policyholders and detail the methods used to estimate rebate amounts for plan design purposes. These reporting requirements apply to private health plans but explicitly exclude Medicaid, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and self-funded plans like the state employee health benefit plan. The law takes effect on June 30, 2024, and repeals a previous provision that had sought to remove these rebate reporting rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows existing school administrative units to merge their administrative offices to reduce costs, provided the combined unit has only one superintendent. To support these mergers, the state will offer a grant of $200 per student annually for two years, with funding coming from the education trust fund and requiring the merger to be completed by July 1, 2030. The planning committee will evaluate merger proposals using the same process used for reorganizations, and the grant amount will be calculated based on the number of students residing in the district as of October 1st. This law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and applies to all school districts served by the newly merged administrative unit.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire's state building code by establishing new certification requirements for public building contractors and adjusting the structure of the State Building Code Review Board. Key changes include setting the board member terms to three years, requiring the board to review code updates for cost impacts and public safety, and creating a simplified electronic form to verify residential energy compliance. The legislation also expands the board's authority to hear appeals from specific professional licensing boards while repealing older provisions related to local code amendments and specific building types. These measures are designed to streamline code enforcement, improve consistency in building standards, and clarify the roles of various state agencies and professionals.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for transporting marijuana and alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles and off-highway recreational vehicles within the state. It requires that these items be kept in their original, sealed containers and stored in the trunk or the least accessible area of the vehicle, with an exception for the glove compartment if a trunk is unavailable. Drivers and passengers who violate these storage requirements face a $150 fine and potential suspension of their driving privileges. The law also specifically restricts drivers under the age of 21 from transporting these substances unless they are accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other specified adult relative. These regulations take effect on January 1, 2025.