Sen. Tim McGough

Maddy summarySB 526 creates a New Hampshire-Greece trade council to strengthen economic ties between the state and Greece. The council, composed of state officials, business representatives, and academic leaders, will promote trade, investment, and cultural exchanges. It can raise funds through donations and grants, with a dedicated non-lapsing fund in the state treasury to cover administrative costs. The council aims to build on New Hampshire's historic Greek-American connections and its status as a top U.S. trade partner for Greece.

Maddy summaryHB 1541 requires New Hampshire's Secretary of State to provide all voting precincts with secure, lockable, tamper-evident containers for storing ballots before each election. These containers must be reusable, stackable, transportable, numbered, and designed to accommodate different ballot sizes. The bill mandates annual progress reports tracking container replacements and locations, using existing Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds without new state appropriations. It directly affects all local election offices statewide by standardizing ballot storage equipment.

Maddy summaryHB 1772 creates a New Hampshire grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services to fund state participation in a multistate clinical trial consortium studying ibogaine as a potential treatment for substance use disorder and other neurological or mental health conditions. The bill appropriates $1 (likely a typo for $1 million) to support this effort, requiring grant recipients to be New Hampshire-based entities with proven expertise in neurological/mental health research, matching funds from non-state sources, and FDA-approved trial protocols (including an IND application and breakthrough therapy designation request). Entities must submit quarterly progress and financial reports, and the state must verify matching funds before disbursing grant money. This bill directly affects eligible research institutions participating in the consortium, not the general public.

Maddy summarySB 429 requires all public schools in New Hampshire to install trauma kits containing specific emergency supplies (tourniquets, bleeding control bandages, gloves, scissors, and official training materials) by July 2026. The bill establishes a dedicated "trauma kit fund" in the state treasury, appropriating $25,000 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to cover kit procurement and distribution. It applies specifically to public schools (excluding vacant or under-construction buildings) and mandates the Department of Administrative Services to determine kit placement priorities. The law does not require school staff to use the kits during emergencies and specifies exact contents based on national emergency response standards.

Maddy summarySB 667 amends New Hampshire assault laws to specifically address violence against emergency room personnel. It adds new provisions making it a first-degree assault (RSA 631:1, I(e)) to knowingly cause serious bodily injury to ER staff acting in their duties, and a second-degree assault (RSA 631:2, I(g)) to knowingly cause bodily injury to them. The bill defines "emergency room personnel" broadly to include all hospital ER staff and volunteers providing public services, such as doctors, nurses, clerks, technicians, students, and volunteers. This law directly affects individuals who assault ER workers and increases penalties for such acts by classifying them as specific assault offenses. The bill is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySB 670 establishes a Developmental Services Oversight Commission to monitor health and safety for individuals receiving home and community-based developmental services in New Hampshire. The commission, composed of 15 members including legislative representatives, agency staff, service providers, parents, and people receiving services, will review data from the Department of Health and Human Services and make recommendations to improve outcomes. Key duties include analyzing satisfaction surveys, training requirements, licensing data, and waiver performance measures, with annual reports due starting November 2026. The bill also creates a new $52,000 position to support the commission and amends related reporting requirements for vulnerable adult fatality reviews and child deaths in residential care.

Maddy summarySB 663 creates a working group within New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services to study Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes. The group, including state officials and healthcare associations, will examine issues like access to care, staffing needs, infrastructure costs, and fair rate adjustments during ownership changes. It also allocates $5 million for a one-time payment to licensed nursing facilities serving Medicaid patients that saw their daily reimbursement rates drop below 95% of 2025 rates as of January 1, 2026. The working group must submit recommendations by December 2026, with the department having sole discretion over distributing the funds.

Maddy summarySB 453 allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician associates to certify two specific medical needs currently only permitted for physicians. It extends vehicle equipment waivers for people with disabilities from 2 to 4 years when such nurses or associates certify "lasting medical necessity." It also permits these professionals to exempt children from certain immunizations if they certify that a specific vaccine could harm the child’s health. These changes update existing laws (RSA 266:61-a and RSA 141-C:20-c) to expand who can make these certifications, directly affecting disabled drivers seeking vehicle modifications and parents navigating school immunization requirements.

Maddy summarySB 408 requires health insurance policies in New Hampshire to cover prosthetic devices for adults over 19, expanding existing coverage that previously applied only to children under 19. The bill mandates coverage for activity-specific prosthetics (like those for sports) but limits this to one device every five years. It also requires insurers to cover necessary materials, instruction, and repairs for medically needed prosthetics, without annual limits. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and applies to most group health insurance plans, excluding Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) plans.

Maddy summarySB 491 allows New Hampshire students receiving Education Freedom Account (EFA) funds to use those funds for career and technical education (CTE) programs. It amends state education laws to require the Department of Education to establish separate funding formulas for CTE tuition and transportation costs, and clarifies that EFA grant recipients in grades 9-12 can enroll in CTE programs using their EFA funds. The bill also mandates scholarship organizations to provide students with information about CTE enrollment opportunities. This change takes effect July 1, 2027, and does not require new state revenue or appropriations.