Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka

Maddy summaryHB 1490 updates the Solid Waste Management Act by clarifying legal definitions and strengthening permit oversight for solid waste facilities. The bill explicitly defines "abutters" as property owners adjacent to or across from waste facilities and specifies which vehicles count as "end-of-life" for disposal purposes. It grants the state department authority to terminate permits when a facility closes and requires that all permits be continuous in duration unless revoked for cause. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the department must wait 30 days after a public hearing before issuing final permit decisions to ensure public concerns are fully considered.

Maddy summaryHB 1190 adopts the Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact, allowing licensed social workers to practice across multiple states with a single license issued by their home state. This change aims to reduce the burden of obtaining separate licenses for each state while improving public access to social work services, including through telehealth. The bill establishes a commission to oversee the agreement and ensures that social workers remain accountable to the laws of the state where their clients are located. It also includes specific provisions to support military families and facilitate the sharing of disciplinary information among member states.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special committee to study emergency mental health services for people aged 21 and under in New Hampshire. The committee, made up of five state legislators, will review current laws, insurance coverage, and claims data to identify gaps in behavioral health care for youth. It will also gather expert testimony and assess whether insurance plans are following fairness rules regarding mental health coverage. By November 1, 2024, the group must submit a report with its findings and any suggested new laws to state leaders and the governor.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance companies to cover prosthetic devices, including specialized ones for specific activities, for children under 19 living in the state. The law ensures that these devices come with necessary materials, training, and repairs without annual dollar limits, though it allows insurers to cap the number of activity-specific devices covered per year. Coverage applies to most group and individual health plans but excludes those offered through the Small Business Health Options Program. The changes are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an exemption for out-of-state doctors who treat patients in New Hampshire, allowing them to practice there without full state licensure. To qualify, the doctor must maintain an active relationship with the patient in their home state and perform in-person check-ups at least once a year, with the frequency adjusted based on the patient's specific medical needs. The law applies specifically to physicians licensed elsewhere who are providing care to New Hampshire residents under these established conditions.

Maddy summaryThis New Hampshire bill prohibits health insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and other payers from treating entities differently because they participate in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. Specifically, the law forbids these payers from imposing stricter network rules or lower reimbursement rates for drugs covered under the program compared to those offered to other providers. The measure directly affects hospitals and clinics that use the 340B program to purchase discounted medications, ensuring they face the same terms as other healthcare entities. By banning discrimination based on this specific federal participation, the bill aims to maintain equal access to reimbursement and network participation for all covered entities in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire to submit hate crime reports to the state police at least twice a year. The reports must detail the number of offenses and arrests, and the state police will publish these statistics on their website every 45 days. A hate crime is defined as any offense where an officer suspects the crime was motivated by bias against characteristics such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. The law takes effect on September 1, 2024, and applies to all police departments operating within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire's wastewater engineering laws to clarify how the state funds sewage treatment projects and regulates professional certifications. It expands state financial support to cover engineering services and allows municipalities to receive state contributions for construction costs even without federal grants. The legislation also adjusts fees for reviewing engineering plans and renewing professional certificates, while establishing new rules for prequalifying consulting engineering firms. These changes directly affect local governments, wastewater treatment facilities, and licensed engineering professionals in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification to share data for verifying the licenses of Medicaid providers. By matching provider names with their social security or taxpayer identification numbers, the two agencies can confirm that doctors and other healthcare professionals currently hold valid state licenses before they deliver services to Medicaid patients. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and establishes a formal process for these agencies to cross-reference their records to ensure provider eligibility.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies unemployment benefit rules to allow individuals working from home to remain eligible for benefits, provided they can find suitable work within their residence. Under the new provisions, a person is no longer disqualified for not being available for work outside their home unless there is a reasonable expectation of substantial employment opportunities available inside the home. The commissioner of the Department of Employment Services is tasked with creating specific rules to determine what constitutes a reasonable expectation of such work. This change directly affects unemployed workers who are currently working remotely or seeking remote positions while collecting unemployment insurance. The legislation takes effect immediately upon signing.