Sen. Tara Reardon

Maddy summaryHB 1195 requires New Hampshire municipalities to allow child care centers (such as group centers, preschools, and school-age programs) to operate on commercially zoned land without special permits, provided they meet state licensing standards set by the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill defines "child care center" to exclude family day care homes (run from residences) and specifies that municipalities cannot impose additional zoning rules beyond state requirements. It also exempts centers from certain building restrictions when converting existing structures (without altering size) and permits local restrictions in industrial zones if child care conflicts with existing uses. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1433 creates a tax credit for New Hampshire businesses that create or expand child care programs. Businesses can claim a credit equal to 50% of qualifying expenses for building new facilities or expanding existing ones by at least 12 child care seats not available before January 1, 2027. The credit applies against business profits or enterprise taxes and can be carried forward for up to four years if not fully used in a given year. To qualify, businesses must create or expand licensed child care seats (either directly or through third parties) and submit an application to the Department of Revenue Administration.

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 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 summaryHB 1031 allows candidates for state office and current state officeholders to use up to $3,000 of campaign funds for security measures. It directly affects state-level political candidates and officeholders, covering security for themselves, their family, and campaign or office staff. The bill permits spending on reasonable security costs like alarms, locks, gates (if purely for security), professional personnel, and cybersecurity, but only if the threat exists due to their political role and costs match standard market rates. It explicitly states such spending does not count as personal use of campaign funds. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summarySB 490 establishes a task force to study the feasibility of building housing on vacant property at Great Bay Community College within the Pease development area. The task force will examine military/student housing models, funding sources, operational plans, and resident needs, specifically for students, faculty, staff, and New Hampshire National Guard personnel. The bill authorizes the college to develop housing on this property, subject to coordination with state agencies. The task force must submit recommendations by December 30, 2026, to the governor and legislature.

Maddy summarySB 470 allows licensed professionals (like doctors, lawyers, or contractors) who faced minor disciplinary actions - such as reprimands, fines, or administrative penalties - to petition to have those records removed from public view. To qualify, they must have completed the disciplinary action over 3 years ago, have no further violations, no pending investigations, and maintain a good license standing. For cases involving only reprimands or fines, approval is automatic if requirements are met; for other cases, petitioners must show expungement aids rehabilitation without harming public safety. The bill does not cover cases involving permanent license revocation.

Maddy summarySB 461 updates New Hampshire's legal definition of "hemp" to require that the total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration - including tetrahydrocannabolic acid (THCA) - must not exceed 0.3% on a dry weight basis. This change directly affects hemp farmers, product manufacturers, and state regulators by establishing a clear standard for legal hemp under state law. The bill modifies existing law to align with the federal definition of hemp, which includes THCA in THC calculations, ensuring consistency for businesses selling hemp-derived products. The law will take effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1175 updates New Hampshire's law against fraud using scanning devices or reencoders to specifically cover payment card chips (like those in modern credit cards), not just magnetic strips. It makes it illegal to scan or reencode chip data without permission to defraud cardholders, card issuers, or merchants. The bill expands existing criminal penalties to address current fraud methods targeting chip-based payment technology. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySB 503 amends New Hampshire's building code to allow New Hampshire-grown spruce-pine-fir-south (SPFS) lumber - currently graded as a separate, slightly weaker classification - to be used interchangeably with Canadian-sourced spruce-pine-fir (SPF) lumber in construction. This directly affects local sawmills, loggers, and builders who previously faced higher costs and logistical hurdles when using New Hampshire wood, as it was often exported, regraded as SPF in Canada, and reimported. The key provision requires building codes to accept SPFS lumber (harvested and milled in New Hampshire) wherever SPF is specified, using published SPFS design values for structural calculations. This removes an artificial barrier based on political borders, recognizing that New Hampshire's climate and wood quality are comparable to Canadian SPF. The bill does not change grading standards but ensures local wood meets code requirements without requiring re-importation.