Sen. Sharon Carson

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for state school building aid to explicitly include chartered public schools alongside traditional school districts. It establishes that these independent schools must own any buildings they construct with state funds and outlines how the aid is disbursed, providing an initial 30 percent of the eligible cost followed by annual payments over 20 years. The legislation also sets a requirement that facilities built with this assistance must be used for K-12 instruction for at least two decades or the school must repay the full grant amount. Additionally, the bill clarifies eligibility criteria, such as excluding office space and temporary structures from funding, and sets a new deadline for submitting construction applications starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the rules and funding for the Youth Development Center settlement fund, which provides compensation to former residents who experienced abuse while in state care. It updates legal definitions to clearly specify what counts as sexual, physical, or other abuse and introduces a new category for "egregious sexual abuse" that may qualify for additional compensation. The legislation establishes an independent, neutral attorney as the administrator to oversee the claims process, while ensuring the fund remains separate and is continually funded until 2032.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the New Hampshire Department of Energy to report annually by November on how the renewable energy fund is used, including details on net metering capacity and group host registrations. It expands the department's authority to create new incentive and rebate programs for renewable energy projects located in political subdivisions, such as towns and cities, without being subject to the same funding limits as other projects. Additionally, the legislation updates how funds are distributed between residential and nonresidential sectors, requiring a specific portion of money to support low- and moderate-income households and public housing residents. The bill also repeals previous rules regarding small residential renewable generation incentives to align with these new funding priorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for how public agencies charge fees when individuals request government records under the Right-to-Know law. It clarifies that agencies can only charge for copying costs or for employee time spent beyond ten hours, setting a maximum hourly rate of $25 for those additional hours. The legislation also requires agencies to provide clearer explanations when denying requests and mandates that multiple requests made within a 30-day period be treated as a single request to prevent fee stacking. Additionally, it establishes a requirement for agencies to create transparent policies for calculating these costs and allows requesters to file complaints if they believe the estimated fees are unreasonable.

Maddy summarySB 354 requires health insurance companies to apply money from independent charity patient assistance programs toward an enrollee's cost-sharing obligations, such as copayments and deductibles. This rule applies to group accident and health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs, but it excludes drugs that have generic or other covered alternatives available. The law also mandates that insurers receive specific details about assistance payments made on behalf of patients, while exempting high-deductible and catastrophic health plans from these requirements until the enrollee's annual deductible is met. Taking effect on January 1, 2026, the bill aims to streamline how charitable funds interact with insurance billing processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts the ability of incarcerated individuals, parolees, and those convicted of violent felonies or crimes against children to change their legal names. To obtain a name change, these individuals must now prove to a probate court that the change is necessary, and they must notify relevant government agencies and the original prosecuting authority. The law also requires the prosecutor to attempt to inform the victim or the victim's family, allowing them to share their views with the judge before a decision is made. These rules apply specifically to serious offenses such as murder, assault, kidnapping, and sexual crimes, while the changes take effect on July 30, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the definition of "child" in child sexual abuse image laws to include images that portray a person as under 18 years old and are indistinguishable from a real child. It clarifies that these protections apply to digital images, computer-generated pictures, and modified photos where the subject appears to be a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The legislation also specifies that these rules cover various forms of visual media, such as photographs and videos, while excluding drawings, cartoons, sculptures, or paintings. The changes take effect on January 1, 2025, and aim to close legal gaps regarding how such imagery is identified and prosecuted.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends state law to ensure that government agencies retain the right to install and run software on their own chosen IT infrastructure. It specifically prohibits contract terms from restricting an agency's ability to use approved systems, including those dedicated solely to that agency. The Department of Information Technology must approve the infrastructure before the agency can utilize it under these new rules. This change directly affects state agencies entering into software contracts and aims to maintain flexibility in how they manage their digital tools.

Maddy summaryThis bill grants local governments in New Hampshire the authority to create their own building and fire safety rules, provided these local standards are not less strict than the state's current codes. Municipalities can adopt additional regulations or choose to use nationally recognized codes that are not already part of the state code, as long as they receive approval from the state Building Code Review Board or the State Fire Marshal. To ensure consistency and safety, any new local rules must be submitted for review within 60 days of taking effect, and they cannot be enforced until the state agency confirms they do not conflict with or weaken state requirements. The law also clarifies that all buildings must comply with both state and local codes, while allowing cities to file copies of their adopted codes for public inspection.