Sen. David Rochefort

Maddy summaryThis bill requires insurance companies in New Hampshire to cover specific diabetes supplies and services for both individual and group health plans. It mandates that insurers provide coverage for glucose monitoring devices, such as continuous and traditional blood glucose monitors, along with necessary supplies like sensors and test strips, without requiring prior authorization or an endocrinology referral. The legislation also sets a maximum $30 copayment for insulin prescriptions and limits the out-of-pocket cost for diabetes equipment to $30 per 30-day supply, ensuring these items are not subject to deductibles. While the bill includes requirements for patients to attend follow-up care with their doctors every six months for the first 18 months and annually thereafter, it guarantees coverage for new FDA-approved devices without imposing restrictions based on insulin usage or testing frequency.

Maddy summaryThis bill outlines rules for how the state's Public Deposit Investment Pool must manage its money, specifically requiring an investment advisor to keep at least 30 percent of funds in insured or collateralized deposits and to maintain the highest possible credit rating for the pool. It grants the state treasurer and an advisory committee the authority to select an investment advisor through a competitive process and to create detailed rules regarding disclosure, investment limits, and administrative practices. The legislation also repeals previous investment advisor obligations and sets an effective date of December 30, 2030, for the repeal provision, while other parts of the bill take effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Consumer Tax Relief Act, proposes reducing several state taxes on businesses and communications services over a multi-year period. It lowers the business profits tax rate from 7.4 percent to 7.0 percent by 2029 and reduces the business enterprise tax rate from 0.45 percent to 0.25 percent by 2027. Additionally, the legislation phases down the communications services tax from 7 percent to 1.75 percent starting in 2024 and completely repeals the tax by 2027. The bill also updates administrative rules regarding tax understatements, tax expenditure reporting, and property taxation for public utilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state agencies to respond to all citizen inquiries, complaints, and requests for assistance within three business days. It mandates that these responses come directly from a human employee rather than an automated system and must be delivered via email, phone, or in person. The law applies to all divisions, bureaus, and sections within state agencies to ensure prompt communication with the public. Although the bill was referred for an interim study, the committee ultimately did not recommend it for future legislation.

Maddy summaryHB 1597 proposes to change how a person's weekly unemployment benefit is calculated by adjusting the amount of earned wages that are subtracted from the maximum benefit. Under the bill, the reduction applied to a claimant's benefit would increase from 30 percent to 40 percent of their weekly earnings, meaning they would receive a smaller portion of their previous wages while unemployed. The legislation also clarifies which types of payments count as wages for this calculation and sets a 60-day period after passage for the law to take effect. This change directly affects individuals filing for unemployment benefits in the state by altering the formula used to determine their weekly payment.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $2,000,000 from the state's General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. The funds are designated to repair off-highway vehicle and snowmobile trails that were damaged by weather events in 2023. The money will be distributed through an existing grant-in-aid process and is classified as nonlapsing, meaning the funds remain available until fully spent. The legislation also authorizes the governor to issue a warrant to access these funds from the treasury.

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 prohibits the disposal of wet-cell batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and electronic devices in New Hampshire's solid waste landfills, incinerators, and composting facilities. To help facilities comply, the law requires them to post informational signs or notify customers about the ban, while also mandating that local governments and waste operators provide educational materials and recycling opportunities. The legislation further clarifies legal definitions for terms like "computer" and "electronic device" to specify which items are covered and which are excluded, such as those built into household appliances. These changes are designed to reduce hazardous waste and promote recycling, with the rules taking effect on July 1, 2025.