Sen. Donovan Fenton

Maddy summaryHB 1563 restructures how the state calculates education grants for municipalities by defining a specific "local property tax contribution" based on warrants issued for the tax year beginning April 1, 2024. Under the new formula, the state will determine a municipality's total education grant by adding the per-pupil cost of an adequate education and extraordinary need funds, then subtracting this defined local property tax contribution. The bill repeals several existing statutes related to the education tax and low and moderate income homeowners property tax relief, with most changes taking effect on July 1, 2025. This legislation directly affects local governments and school districts by altering the method used to distribute state education funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies an existing law to clarify that primary care physicians are not required to use a specific behavioral health care model. Instead, it mandates that insurance companies must cover services provided when a primary care provider voluntarily chooses to implement this model. The changes apply immediately to insurance coverage rules and take effect 60 days after the bill is passed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens protections for tenants facing eviction because their landlord plans to renovate their home. It requires landlords to give tenants at least 60 days' notice and provide a detailed description of the planned work and its timeline. To successfully evict a tenant under these circumstances, landlords must prove that the repairs cannot be done safely while the unit is occupied, will take more than 30 days, and that the tenant was offered a comparable unit at the same rent price. Additionally, the bill gives judges the authority to pause the eviction process for up to six months if they choose to do so. These changes apply specifically to properties classified as restricted rental housing.

Maddy summarySB 328 aims to protect consumers from deceptive practices in the secondary ticket market by requiring online sellers and resellers to clearly display the total price of tickets, including all fees, before a purchase is made. The bill also prohibits resellers from selling "speculative tickets," which are tickets the seller does not actually possess or own at the time of sale, while allowing them to offer services to help consumers find tickets if those services are clearly distinguished from direct ticket sales. Additionally, the law forbids websites from using a ticket issuer's trademarks or logos in a way that could mislead buyers into thinking they are on the official site. These rules take effect on January 1, 2025, and apply to anyone selling or reselling tickets for entertainment events.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire laws to standardize how hospitals and institutions collect and record information for birth worksheets. It requires facilities to gather specific details about the child, parents, and the birth event, including names, dates, addresses, and consent for sharing data with the Social Security Administration or immunization registry. The legislation also clarifies who must sign the documents, such as physicians or nurse midwives, and establishes rules for handling situations where parents refuse to provide certain information or when births occur in moving vehicles. Additionally, it mandates that a separate form be used to report health and statistical data about the mother, father, and baby to state divisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits discrimination in New Hampshire public schools and workplaces based on hairstyles historically associated with race, such as braids, locs, and twists. It expands the legal definition of race to include hair texture and protective hairstyles, allowing individuals to file complaints with the state's human rights commission or in court if they face unfair treatment. The law explicitly excludes employees of the Department of Corrections from its protections and is set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $500,000 in state funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to support community and transitional housing for individuals served by state-designated community mental health centers. The money can be used to create new housing units or retain existing ones, with grants capped at $25,000 per bed, and the department must begin accepting applications by December 1, 2024. Recipients are required to prioritize assistance for veterans in need while being prohibited from using the funds to provide aid to individuals not legally present in the United States. The funding is intended to cover non-billable services for supported housing programs and remains available for future use if not spent in the current fiscal year.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to include a plan for safety improvements on Route 101 within the state's 10-year transportation improvement plan. The legislation specifically targets the stretch of road from Bedford to Milford, requiring the implementation of physical barriers to separate opposing traffic lanes and the adoption of limited access design principles to reduce severe crashes. While the bill mandates these planning steps, it does not provide direct funding, instead requesting that the department seek approximately $7 million annually from federal sources to cover the estimated costs of construction and environmental permitting.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the use of dogs to hunt coyotes in New Hampshire. It directly affects hunters by adding a new rule that makes hounding coyotes with dogs illegal. The law takes effect immediately upon passage and requires no significant funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state to allocate $1 to the Department of Safety to fund infrastructure repairs in Hampton, North Hampton, Rye, Newcastle, Portsmouth, and Seabrook following flooding from January 2024 storms. The legislation allows the governor to issue a warrant to draw this sum from unappropriated treasury funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. The act takes effect immediately upon passage and designates the money for grants to help these specific coastal towns address storm-related damage.