Sen. Kevin Avard

Maddy summaryThis bill requires therapeutic cannabis oversight boards to develop and update product labels and educational materials regarding cannabis risks for qualifying patients. It also prohibits the sale of hemp-derived products that contain more than 0.03% THC, including specific variants like delta-8 and delta-9. The changes apply to alternative treatment centers and certifying medical providers, with the law taking effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1595 updates the state's child support guidelines to more accurately reflect parenting time, medical expenses, and child care costs. The bill defines "parenting time" as the total number of days a child spends with each parent and introduces a calculation factor that adjusts support amounts based on how much time each parent has, capping the adjustment at a maximum value. It also modifies how income is calculated by allowing parents to deduct actual child care and medical support payments from their gross income before determining their share of the support obligation. These changes apply to new child support orders issued on or after January 1, 2025, while existing orders remain unchanged until their next scheduled review.

Maddy summarySB 458 would allow licensed health care professionals to dispense up to a 60-day supply of noncontrolled oral anti-cancer medications under a provider's supervision. This change expands the current rules that generally limit pharmacy dispensing to 30-day supplies for such drugs. The bill specifically targets patients requiring long-term cancer treatment by permitting authorized professionals to provide these medications directly. Although the legislation was recently reviewed by committees, it was ultimately not recommended for further action in the 2024 session.

Maddy summarySB 425 increases the fee for bail commissioners from $40 to $60. This change applies to individuals who act as bail commissioners in criminal cases, though those who are already full-time, salaried law enforcement officers or court staff will not receive the fee unless they are working outside their regular duties. The bill also specifies that the collected fees should be sent to the local town or city if the commissioner is a government employee, and it maintains the existing rule that fees must be waived for indigent defendants.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows cigarette wholesalers in New Hampshire to keep one cent of the tax revenue collected for each package of cigarettes they sell with an affixed tax stamp. The retained funds serve as compensation for the administrative work involved in applying the stamps and processing the tax payments to the state. This change takes effect on July 1, 2024, and applies only to stamps affixed on or after that date. As a result, the state expects a decrease in tax revenue for the General Fund and Education Trust Fund, though the exact amount cannot be calculated.

Maddy summarySB 522 establishes a new Early Childhood Education Account program in New Hampshire designed to help families cover pre-kindergarten costs for eligible children aged 3 to 5. The bill creates a dedicated fund financed by transfers from the education trust, general appropriations, and voluntary contributions from individuals and businesses, with unused funds rolling over annually. Eligible families can use these grant funds to pay for licensed childcare, public or private pre-kindergarten programs, educational materials, and specialized therapies, provided the services meet specific quality standards. The legislation also outlines a process for selecting a third-party organization to manage the distribution of grants and requires staff training on the new reimbursement rules.

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 creates a new Office of Regulatory Efficiency and Oversight within the Department of Business and Economic Affairs to represent private industry interests in state rulemaking. The office will be led by an executive director appointed by the governor, alongside advisors focused on private industry navigation and government efficiency, who will work to reduce regulatory duplication and barriers. Key provisions require all proposed agency rules to be submitted to the office 30 days before public hearings and mandate the completion of a public cost-benefit analysis within six months of the office's start. Additionally, the office will accept complaints from businesses regarding existing or proposed regulations and annually review professional licensing boards to recommend improvements. The legislation appropriates $1.5 million for the office's operations in the 2025 fiscal year and sets its effective date for January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill defines biological sex as male or female and clarifies that separating people by this classification is not considered unlawful discrimination. It specifically allows organizations to maintain single-sex spaces for bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic competitions where physical strength provides an advantage. The law also permits the use of biological sex distinctions in the operation of prisons, mental health facilities, and other secure institutions. While the bill establishes these definitions, it explicitly states that no entity is required to separate individuals based on biological sex.