Sen. Tim Lang

Maddy summarySB 524 allows restaurants with liquor licenses to deliver alcohol to customers only when the customer has ordered a meal for home delivery. It requires restaurants to obtain a $250 annual "restaurant delivery license" and mandates that all alcohol deliveries must include food ordered by the customer, be made during business hours by employees over 21, and use sealed containers labeled with the restaurant's name. Deliveries cannot occur at schools, parks, or libraries, and must include a signed receipt from the customer. This bill directly affects restaurants seeking to expand delivery services while adding specific safety and operational requirements.

Maddy summarySB 562 establishes the Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency Program to provide financial grants to New Hampshire homeowners for weather-related home improvements. The program offers grants of up to $9,500 per residence annually for projects like storm shutters, roof reinforcement, foundation repairs, or tree trimming to reduce damage from severe weather events (e.g., floods, hurricanes, heavy snow). Administered by the New Hampshire Insurance Department, the program uses a dedicated fund financed by federal grants, donations, or other sources, with funds awarded on a first-come, first-served basis while remaining subject to available funding. It specifically targets owner-occupied single-family homes (excluding mobile homes, condos, or multi-unit properties) and does not guarantee eligibility or create an entitlement to funding.

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 492 authorizes New Hampshire's Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services to lease or license property it owns, directly affecting the department and private entities renting that property. The bill requires lessees (unless tax-exempt) to pay local property taxes on the leased property, similar to private owners, and outlines penalties for nonpayment. It creates a dedicated "Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services Property Fund" to manage revenues from leases, which can be used for purchasing, maintaining, or operating department property and projects. The fund ensures these revenues are kept separate and can cover related expenses like property maintenance, administrative costs, or bond payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the state's maximum guarantee limit from $200 million to $500 million for the Business Finance Authority. It raises the total amount of state-backed financial guarantees (like loan assurances for businesses) that can be active at one time, effective March 1, 2026. The change directly affects the authority's ability to support business financing through state guarantees. This is a procedural adjustment to an existing financial limit, not a new program.

Maddy summarySB 502 updates outdated references in New Hampshire state law by removing mentions of the "Department of Business and Economic Affairs" and "Office of Planning and Development." It specifically amends statutes related to the Department of Energy, Geographic Information System committees, and regional planning commissions to reflect current department structures (replacing "Office of Planning and Development" with "Division of Planning and Community Development" under the Department of Business and Economic Affairs). This is an administrative correction to ensure legal references match the state's current organizational structure. The bill affects how state agencies and commissions are referenced in statutes but does not create new policies or funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1537 allows school bus operators to install high-resolution cameras on stop bars (the flashing arms extending from school buses) to capture drivers who run school bus stop lights. The cameras must clearly identify faces, include digital timestamps and tamper-proof video markers, and only activate when stop bars are extended during student loading/unloading. Videos must be preserved for up to 4 years if injuries occur, but deleted after 7 days if unused for investigations. School bus operators may choose to install the cameras but are not required to do so.

Maddy summaryHB 1460 prohibits companies and services that collect children's data from selling their location or other sensitive information. It directly affects businesses operating apps, websites, or platforms that gather data from minors, banning the sale regardless of parental consent. The bill amends New Hampshire's data privacy law (RSA 507-H) by adding a new requirement that covered entities cannot sell children's data, building on existing federal COPPA rules. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, without new state funding or positions.

Maddy summarySB 590 allows municipalities to use revolving funds to support energy services under approved electric aggregation plans. It specifically authorizes the use of non-tax revenues (like fees from participating customers) to supplement these programs, while prohibiting the use of local tax funds for this purpose. This bill directly affects towns and cities operating aggregation plans, which let residents and businesses collectively choose electricity providers. The key change is enabling municipalities to establish revolving funds for these services, with potential local expenditure increases estimated between $10,000 and $100,000 per municipality that adopts the provision. Participation in aggregation plans remains voluntary for residents and businesses.

Maddy summarySB 644 requires background checks for individuals seeking permits to operate solid waste and hazardous waste facilities in New Hampshire. Specifically, it mandates criminal history checks - including fingerprint-based national database searches - for owners, officers, directors, partners, and managers of these facilities during the permit application process. The law applies to all facility owners (including partners in partnerships and managers/members in LLCs) and covers both new permits and ownership transfers. These checks must be conducted through the state police and FBI databases, with applicants submitting authorization forms and fingerprints to the Department of Environmental Services.