Sen. Bill Gannon

Maddy summaryHB 1219 prevents foster family homes from imposing immunization requirements on children or foster parents that are stricter than those in RSA 141-C:20-a. Specifically, it prohibits requirements exceeding the standard for vaccine type, number of doses, or exemption policies already established for the general population. This bill directly affects foster children and foster parents by aligning their immunization standards with statewide requirements. The law amends RSA 170-E:27-b to ensure foster homes cannot mandate additional or more stringent vaccinations than what is required for children in public schools or the general community.

Maddy summarySB 667 amends New Hampshire assault laws to specifically address violence against emergency room personnel. It adds new provisions making it a first-degree assault (RSA 631:1, I(e)) to knowingly cause serious bodily injury to ER staff acting in their duties, and a second-degree assault (RSA 631:2, I(g)) to knowingly cause bodily injury to them. The bill defines "emergency room personnel" broadly to include all hospital ER staff and volunteers providing public services, such as doctors, nurses, clerks, technicians, students, and volunteers. This law directly affects individuals who assault ER workers and increases penalties for such acts by classifying them as specific assault offenses. The bill is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySB 670 establishes a Developmental Services Oversight Commission to monitor health and safety for individuals receiving home and community-based developmental services in New Hampshire. The commission, composed of 15 members including legislative representatives, agency staff, service providers, parents, and people receiving services, will review data from the Department of Health and Human Services and make recommendations to improve outcomes. Key duties include analyzing satisfaction surveys, training requirements, licensing data, and waiver performance measures, with annual reports due starting November 2026. The bill also creates a new $52,000 position to support the commission and amends related reporting requirements for vulnerable adult fatality reviews and child deaths in residential care.

Maddy summarySB 486 clarifies key definitions in New Hampshire's rulemaking process under the Administrative Procedure Act. It updates terms like "form" (requiring blank spaces for public use, not just agency-labeled documents) and "final legislative action" (defining when rulemaking fails). These changes affect state agencies creating rules and the public interacting with them during rulemaking. The bill makes procedural language clearer without altering substantive rulemaking requirements. It is a technical clarification to the existing Administrative Procedure Act.

Maddy summarySB 453 allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician associates to certify two specific medical needs currently only permitted for physicians. It extends vehicle equipment waivers for people with disabilities from 2 to 4 years when such nurses or associates certify "lasting medical necessity." It also permits these professionals to exempt children from certain immunizations if they certify that a specific vaccine could harm the child’s health. These changes update existing laws (RSA 266:61-a and RSA 141-C:20-c) to expand who can make these certifications, directly affecting disabled drivers seeking vehicle modifications and parents navigating school immunization requirements.

Maddy summarySB 408 requires health insurance policies in New Hampshire to cover prosthetic devices for adults over 19, expanding existing coverage that previously applied only to children under 19. The bill mandates coverage for activity-specific prosthetics (like those for sports) but limits this to one device every five years. It also requires insurers to cover necessary materials, instruction, and repairs for medically needed prosthetics, without annual limits. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and applies to most group health insurance plans, excluding Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) plans.

Maddy summarySB 448 modifies New Hampshire's definition of "veteran" to include individuals discharged under honorable conditions (including those with a general discharge under honorable conditions), ensuring they qualify for state benefits. It establishes a lifetime combination hunting and fishing license for state-resident veterans meeting this definition, with a one-time fee adjusted based on the veteran's service-connected disability rating. This replaces annual license fees with a single payment, directly benefiting disabled veterans who previously faced eligibility barriers. The bill also updates multiple state statutes to align with the revised veteran definition, ensuring consistency across programs like employment preferences and tax exemptions.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement that ferrets must have health certificates for transfer. Animal shelters must now maintain microchip scanners and contact owners within 72 hours if an animal is unclaimed or abandoned. Shelters must scan for microchips upon intake, attempt to reunite animals with registered owners, and contact secondary owners via microchip registries if primary owners cannot be reached. These changes apply to all animal shelters transferring dogs, cats, or ferrets in New Hampshire.

Maddy summarySB 574 establishes a commission to study how New Hampshire school districts (called school administrative units or SAUs) operate, focusing on efficiency and potential consolidation. The commission, made up of 2 senators, 3 representatives, education officials, and school association representatives, will analyze enrollment trends, costs per student, and barriers to merging districts. It will also review how other states restructured school systems and gather input from stakeholders. The commission must submit findings and recommendations to the legislature by November 1, 2026, but the bill itself does not change current school funding or operations.

Maddy summarySB 617 requires the New Hampshire State Police to use a rotating list of qualified tow companies for removing abandoned, stolen, disabled, or illegally parked vehicles. The bill mandates that the State Police maintain this list by geographic area (e.g., troop or county) and vehicle type (such as heavy or light-duty tow trucks) to ensure appropriate service for each removal. The list can be adjusted to manage workload and travel distances, and it will specify which tow companies are equipped for specific vehicle classes. This change applies to all vehicle removals conducted under state law, including those obstructing roads, abandoned on private property, or involved in accidents.