Sen. Donovan Fenton

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Hampshire's Insurance Commissioner to create and publish a report by January 1, 2028, and every five years thereafter, detailing insurance risks from extreme weather events like floods, storms, and hurricanes. The report must include information on "fortified home and commercial standards" (measures to reduce weather-related damage) and identify areas at risk of coverage loss or premium increases, using data from FEMA maps, New Hampshire coastal viewer tools, and other risk assessments. It also mandates that the Commissioner develop these fortified standards using science-based guidelines from national insurance organizations and consider them when setting insurance rates. This affects insurers, who must factor these standards into rate calculations, and consumers, who will receive accessible information about weather-related risks and mitigation options.

Maddy summarySB 560 updates New Hampshire's land surveying standards by formally adopting the National Geodetic Survey's (NGS) current coordinate system, replacing outdated terms like "New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927" and "1983." It requires all survey documents, maps, and land records to use the new "New Hampshire state plane coordinate system" (NHSPCS) defined by NGS, phasing out older systems by specific deadlines (1927 system no longer usable after 1989, 1983 system after NGS releases the new standard). This directly affects licensed land surveyors, government agencies, and anyone creating or recording land surveys or maps. The bill clarifies terminology, standardizes coordinate units (feet/meters), and mandates clear documentation of survey methods in public records.

Maddy summaryHB 1630 prohibits businesses from selling nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") and specific inhalants like butyl nitrites for recreational use, creating a class A misdemeanor for violations. Key exceptions include medical use (e.g., by hospitals or dentists), food-related applications (like whipped cream cans), and industrial/automotive purposes. The law explicitly exempts sales of flavored whipped cream and substances sold for legitimate medical, food, or industrial purposes, but presumes recreational intent if products are marketed with food-like flavors. It takes effect January 1, 2027, with no estimated state revenue or expenditure impact.

Maddy summarySB 496 exempts private residences designated by broker-dealers as supervisory locations from being classified as branch offices under securities regulations. The bill adds a definition for "residential supervisory location" as a private home used for supervising agents, provided it complies with FINRA Rule 3110.19. This directly affects broker-dealers and their associates by reducing regulatory burden for using home offices to supervise field staff. The policy change clarifies that such residences are not treated as formal branch offices for registration or supervision purposes.

Maddy summarySB 590 allows municipalities to use revolving funds to support energy services under approved electric aggregation plans. It specifically authorizes the use of non-tax revenues (like fees from participating customers) to supplement these programs, while prohibiting the use of local tax funds for this purpose. This bill directly affects towns and cities operating aggregation plans, which let residents and businesses collectively choose electricity providers. The key change is enabling municipalities to establish revolving funds for these services, with potential local expenditure increases estimated between $10,000 and $100,000 per municipality that adopts the provision. Participation in aggregation plans remains voluntary for residents and businesses.

Maddy summarySB 516 updates specific job titles within the Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Division, removing redundant terms like "council" from "general counsel." It revises titles for staff attorney, supervising lead attorney, and supervising regional attorney positions to reflect current administrative structure. The bill makes no policy changes or funding adjustments - it solely corrects internal job descriptions. It takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summarySB 500 requires certain businesses to provide restroom access to commercial drivers and drayage truck operators under specific conditions. It mandates that covered establishments (like warehouses or larger retail businesses) allow drivers access to existing restrooms when delivering goods or waiting to load cargo, without requiring businesses to build new facilities. For port and rail yard operations, terminal operators must provide sufficient restrooms with parking access for drayage truck drivers moving cargo. The bill excludes small restaurants (800 sq ft or less) with employee-only restrooms from these requirements.

Maddy summarySB 633 creates a voluntary $0.50-per-ticket surcharge for New Hampshire performing arts venues with 100-2,500 seats that choose to participate. Venues can add this to ticket prices, and all collected funds will go into a dedicated account managed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The money supports the Division of Arts and State Council on Arts through grants, administrative costs, and program funding - no other uses are allowed. The program is optional for venues, requires no taxpayer money, and has minimal fiscal impact (under $10,000 annually).

Maddy summarySB 421 amends New Hampshire's trauma medical review committee membership and adds an annual reporting requirement. The bill specifies that the committee must include representatives from all trauma hospital levels (I-IV), emergency medical services groups, trauma nurses, fire services, and a trauma survivor. It also requires the committee to annually report to the governor on trauma hospital locations and levels, committee recommendations for system improvement, and data on leading causes of injury and death from both intentional and unintentional causes. This bill directly affects trauma hospitals, medical providers, emergency services, and injury prevention stakeholders in New Hampshire.

Maddy summarySB 515 requires that children placed in specialized treatment facilities (qualified residential treatment programs) receive a qualified assessment within 30 days and have their placement reviewed by a court within 60 days. It directly affects children in juvenile court cases involving such placements, their families, and the courts handling these matters. The bill also allows court proceedings to continue if a child’s legal counsel cannot be secured after diligent efforts, while prioritizing issues not affecting the child’s expressed interests. These changes align state law with federal requirements under the Family First Prevention Services Act and aim to ensure timely oversight of children’s care. The bill has no fiscal impact on state or local government.