Sen. Victoria Sullivan

Maddy summarySB 509 prevents municipalities from restricting the length of dead-end roads or cul-de-sacs in new subdivisions or building permits, provided the road design meets state fire code requirements. It directly affects developers seeking approval for new residential areas and local governments reviewing subdivision plans or building permits. The bill amends state laws to explicitly prohibit length-based denials when fire access compliance is certified, removing existing municipal restrictions. This creates a clear standard: if a dead-end road passes fire code checks, local governments cannot block development solely due to its length. The policy change applies immediately upon passage, with no additional cost or process for developers.

Maddy summarySB 654 creates two new tax credits for businesses in New Hampshire. First, it offers a 20% credit on costs for on-site or nearby childcare services, up to $100,000 per year, for businesses housing childcare in their main building, shared facility, or adjacent buildings in the same park. Second, it provides a 20% credit on health insurance costs up to $10,000 per year per employee for workers with dependents whose work hours fall entirely between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. Businesses must maintain childcare facilities for three years to keep the credit, with repayment required if they close the facility early, and credits can roll over for up to four years. The bill takes effect July 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1292 expands New Hampshire's Right to Try Act to allow patients with "qualifying severe illness" access to unapproved treatments. The bill adds new rules for regenerative stem cell therapies, requiring patient consent, facility accreditation, and clear advertising disclosures. It specifically prohibits the use of stem cells derived from fetal or embryonic sources after an abortion. This policy change directly affects New Hampshire residents with severe illnesses who seek experimental treatments not yet approved by the FDA.

Maddy summarySB 561 allows applicants for a gaming facility license in New Hampshire to update the proposed location of their facility while their application is pending. To change addresses, applicants must ensure the new location is within the state and in a municipality that hasn't banned gambling under existing law. They must notify the lottery commission in writing with required documentation, and the commission has 90 days to review the new address before finalizing the application decision. This change eliminates the need to submit a completely new application when updating a proposed facility location.

Maddy summarySB 621 establishes a cold case commission to serve as a middle person between New Hampshire's Department of Justice Cold Case Unit and families of homicide victims in unresolved cases. The commission, made up of two Department of Justice staff, two family members of victims (appointed by the governor), and one representative from a missing/murdered persons coalition, handles communications about case status to families and the public. It cannot investigate cases or access information protected by law, but requires the Department of Justice to share sufficient details to fulfill its communication role. The bill does not create new investigations but aims to improve transparency and support for families in long-unresolved homicide cases.

Maddy summaryHB 1804 consolidates school administrative units (merging smaller school districts) and makes the position of chief school administrator an elected role rather than an appointed one. It defines specific education roles for school administrators and requires school boards to develop and evaluate curricula. The bill amends several state laws to update compensation structures, reporting requirements, and duties for county-level school officials. These changes directly affect school districts, county school conventions, and chief administrators across New Hampshire. The policy focuses on restructuring school governance and increasing local community input through elections.

Maddy summarySB 506 directs New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services to implement federal work and community engagement requirements for Medicaid eligibility under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025." It requires the state to submit a plan to CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) by December 2026, after legislative review, and mandates quarterly reports to lawmakers on implementation progress. The bill suspends existing state law provisions related to these requirements while federal rules are in effect, with automatic reinstatement if federal rules end. It does not provide new state funding or create positions, aligning state Medicaid operations with federal guidelines.

Maddy summarySB 581 modifies New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program by removing two key restrictions: (1) priority guidelines that previously favored certain student groups, and (2) an enrollment cap limiting EFA participation to 10,000 students. This change means all eligible parents can apply for EFAs without being subject to priority rankings or enrollment limits. The bill repeals related legal definitions and provisions that enforced these restrictions, effective July 2026. It directly affects families seeking EFA funding for K-12 education options by expanding access to the program.

Maddy summaryHB 1474 changes how New Hampshire distributes revenue from its meals and rooms tax to local governments. It creates a new "meals and rooms municipal revenue fund" and establishes a formula that prioritizes towns, cities, and unincorporated areas with an average property value per adjusted resident of $500,000 or less. The formula adjusts population by excluding residents in exempt housing (like colleges, prisons, and nursing homes), then calculates distributions based on how far each community’s property value per person falls below $500,000. This replaces the previous distribution method without changing the total tax revenue amount. The new system takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1547 requires defendants charged with specific misdemeanors - including misdemeanor sexual assault involving minors, class A misdemeanor assault, and misdemeanor stalking - to choose within 30 days of arraignment: either appeal to superior court for a jury trial or proceed in circuit court with a waived right to a jury trial. Circuit courts cannot move forward with a trial under the waiver option without confirming the defendant knowingly and voluntarily gave up their jury trial right through a court discussion. The bill applies only to these three offense types and modifies existing appeal rules to clarify that superior courts handle jury trial appeals for these cases. It does not change sentencing or create new costs, as noted in the fiscal impact statement.