Sen. Howard Pearl

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 updates New Hampshire laws to standardize how hospitals and institutions collect and record information for birth worksheets. It requires facilities to gather specific details about the child, parents, and the birth event, including names, dates, addresses, and consent for sharing data with the Social Security Administration or immunization registry. The legislation also clarifies who must sign the documents, such as physicians or nurse midwives, and establishes rules for handling situations where parents refuse to provide certain information or when births occur in moving vehicles. Additionally, it mandates that a separate form be used to report health and statistical data about the mother, father, and baby to state divisions.

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 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.

Maddy summarySB 307 allows New Hampshire electric distribution utilities to recover the costs of long-term transmission service agreements through retail rates. These agreements would cover projects in New England that have received funding or capacity contracts from the U.S. Department of Energy, with limits set at a total of 120 megawatts and a maximum duration of 30 years. The bill requires utilities to review proposals within three months and mandates that the Public Utilities Commission approve the agreements based on factors like benefits to ratepayers, price stability, and system reliability. If approved, utilities would pass any associated costs or savings directly to their customers through annual adjustments in retail rates.

Maddy summarySB 342 establishes a dedicated School Construction Fund to provide annual funding for new school building projects starting in fiscal year 2025. The bill creates a tiered funding schedule that begins at $30 million and increases by $5 million each year until reaching a cap of $80 million, which is then maintained annually. This money is restricted to new construction projects authorized on or after July 1, 2025, and must be used for facilities that serve as instructional spaces for at least 20 years. Additionally, the legislation requires the Department of Education to develop a 10-year plan to prioritize and manage future school facility needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules governing how the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification manages licenses and administrative regulations. It extends the validity of professional licenses to two years and ensures that timely renewal applications keep a license active until the office makes a final decision. The legislation also requires agencies to publish proposed rules online, file interim rules within specific timeframes, and provide detailed reports explaining how public comments were addressed. Additionally, it clarifies the legal process for challenging expired rules in court and mandates that agencies refund any fines or fees collected under invalid regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows registered voters to examine digital images of ballots created by electronic counting devices to verify the accuracy and integrity of election equipment. Under the new rules, the Secretary of State would manage a supervised viewing process where observers can inspect stored images on state computers without downloading or copying the data. Access to these images would be permitted only after all recounts and appeals are finished, and any discrepancies found by observers could trigger an investigation by the Attorney General. The legislation also gives the Secretary of State authority to disqualify specific voting machines or vendors if issues are discovered during these reviews.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the New Hampshire Department of Energy to conduct a study on the benefits and risks of supporting clean or non-carbon emitting power generation. The investigation must examine topics such as customer costs, grid reliability, cybersecurity, and how other states handle clean energy standards. After consulting with utilities and other stakeholders, the department is required to submit a report to the legislature within one year offering recommendations on financial and regulatory support. The bill aims to balance economic growth, energy security, and electricity rates for existing customers.