Sen. Victoria Sullivan

Maddy summarySB 514 prevents local legislative bodies (like town councils) from changing the wording of ballot questions that ask voters to approve raising municipal tax caps. The bill requires that when a budget would exceed the tax cap, the question must be put to a vote by ballot (not decided by the council), and the question cannot be altered by the council. A 3/5 majority vote is required for the tax cap override to take effect, with polls open for at least one hour after discussion. This applies to all existing municipal tax caps without needing new local action and takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1493 requires all New Hampshire public school districts to incorporate a specific, scientifically accurate video into health education curricula. The video must demonstrate the gestational development of the heart, brain, and other vital organs during embryonic and fetal stages. This applies to all students in the health curriculum, with the requirement effective September 1, 2026. The bill mandates that the video be age-appropriate and medically verified, but does not specify which video or impose direct costs on schools.

Maddy summarySB 579 modifies New Hampshire's school transfer rules to allow parents to request transfers to any school within their school administrative unit (SAU), not just within their immediate district. It directly affects parents or guardians seeking to move their children to another public school within the same SAU or to schools outside the SAU. Key provisions include giving superintendents or service providers authority to approve transfers based on student needs (e.g., academic or social factors) and requiring them to consider school capacity for within-SAU requests. The bill also clarifies tuition arrangements for out-of-SAU transfers and specifies that parents are responsible for transportation. This change streamlines intra-SAU transfers while maintaining existing processes for district-wide moves.

Maddy summaryHB 1104 changes how New Hampshire school districts and chartered public schools are ranked for building aid grants. It removes the previous rule that automatically prioritized applications from the prior year that didn't receive funding due to budget limits, as well as applications with "critical needs" (like unsafe conditions). Instead, all applications will now be ranked solely based on the standard scoring criteria outlined in the law, including factors like unsafe facilities, overcrowding, ADA compliance, and school district fiscal capacity. This change affects every school district applying for building aid grants by altering the ranking process used to determine funding order.

Maddy summaryHB 1324 exempts the land and buildings of incorporated Masonic lodges and associations in New Hampshire from state property taxes, effective April 1, 2027. It requires these organizations to annually file exemption applications with local assessors by April 15, or risk losing the exemption. The exemption does not apply if the property is rented for business purposes. This bill directly affects Masonic lodges and associations incorporated under New Hampshire law.

Maddy summarySB 436 updates rules for zoning board members in New Hampshire by requiring recusal whenever a member’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned. This replaces the previous standard with a broader conflict of interest rule, specifically including cases where a member previously participated in similar decisions as a voting member of another board. The bill directly affects local zoning board members who may face conflicts of interest in specific land-use cases. The key change ensures boards avoid decisions where a member’s prior involvement could undermine public trust in the process.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 24) urges New Hampshire's congressional delegation to sponsor federal legislation renaming Little Haystack Mountain in the White Mountains to "Mt. Kościuszko." It specifically requests support for honoring Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish patriot who fought for American independence during the Revolutionary War. The resolution also encourages the governor to consider state-level actions to support the renaming. This is a symbolic gesture to recognize Kościuszko's historical contributions and celebrate Polish-American heritage, not a law that changes any existing policy or naming.

Maddy summaryHB 1586 allows the state education commissioner to stop all public funding to any public school that fails to provide special education services meeting state and federal law requirements. This directly affects schools not complying with special education mandates, such as those not delivering individualized education plans (IEPs) for qualifying students. The bill requires the commissioner to notify the state treasurer to halt all state and federal school funding until the school comes into compliance, with the commissioner certifying resolution before funding resumes. The legislation does not create new funding but may require monitoring staff to track compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 1191 requires New Hampshire public school districts to email parents copies of all non-academic surveys at least 10 days before administration and obtain written parental consent for student participation. It specifically removes the previous exception that allowed the CDC's youth risk behavior survey to bypass parental consent, now requiring opt-in consent for all such surveys. Non-academic surveys include those about social behavior, family life, religion, politics, sexual orientation, drug use, or other non-academic topics. The bill directly affects parents of public school students and school districts, mandating new notification and consent procedures starting July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 301 proposes creating a new joint legislative oversight committee. This bill is procedural in nature, focusing solely on establishing the committee structure rather than implementing policy changes. The bill was recently referred to an interim study (scheduled for January 7, 2026), indicating it is still in the early stages of the legislative process. It does not specify which agencies or programs the committee would oversee or directly affect any particular group.