Sen. Sue Prentiss

Maddy summaryHB 602 requires certain convicted offenders to participate in a victim impact program as part of their sentence. The program connects offenders with victims or their families to help them understand the personal harm caused by their actions. This law takes effect on January 1, 2026, after passing unanimously through the legislature and being signed by Governor Ayotte. It directly affects individuals convicted of specific offenses who receive court-ordered participation.

Maddy summaryHB 76 requires the Department of Education to establish a centralized system for tracking all special education complaints filed by parents or students. This directly affects schools, parents, and students in special education programs by creating a standardized way to monitor complaint types, timelines, and resolutions. The key provision mandates that the system collect specific data points (like complaint category and resolution status) to improve transparency and accountability. The bill became law on June 2, 2025, and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 753 creates a faster timeline for due process hearings related to special education disputes. It requires school districts to schedule these hearings within 30 days of a request, instead of the previous longer process. This directly affects students with disabilities and their parents or guardians who are seeking to enforce educational rights under federal law. The bill became law on June 2, 2025, and takes effect August 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 170, if passed, would strengthen housing nondiscrimination protections in New Hampshire by adding gender identity, sexual orientation, and school enrollment status to the list of protected classes under state law. It also limits municipal authority over development by prohibiting cities and towns from imposing stricter septic system, well-siting, or utility placement rules than state standards allow, and requires municipalities to provide written feedback on development plans within 7 days. The bill directly affects housing applicants, developers, and local governments by ensuring equal access to housing and streamlining approval processes for utilities in subdivision buffers (excluding wetlands). The bill would take effect January 1, 2026, pending final legislative approval.

Maddy summaryHB 363 establishes six specific criteria that New Hampshire legislators must follow when redrawing state legislative districts. The bill requires districts to comply with federal and state constitutions, be based on total population, maintain geographic integrity of communities, and consider "communities of interest" (like shared cultural or economic ties) without favoring political parties or racial groups. It explicitly prohibits plans that intentionally favor or disfavor any political party, incumbent, or racial/ethnic group. This bill directly affects how New Hampshire's state senate and house districts are drawn, ensuring the process prioritizes fairness and legal compliance over partisan or demographic manipulation.