Sen. James Gray

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 407 appropriates $300 per full-time, in-state eligible student enrolled in New Hampshire's university system starting in fiscal year 2027, to reduce in-state tuition costs. It applies to students who qualify for in-state tuition rates and requires annual calculation of eligible students on October 1. The total annual appropriation is capped at $5.4 million, with funds drawn from the General Fund and non-lapsing (carrying over if unused). This bill directly affects in-state undergraduate students at the University System of New Hampshire by providing state funding to lower their tuition expenses.

Maddy summarySB 101 would allow parents to enroll their children in any public school within the state, regardless of their residential address. This directly affects families seeking school options beyond their neighborhood district. The bill’s key provision removes current enrollment restrictions based on geographic boundaries for public schools. The bill is currently pending, having been referred to committee but not yet passed.

Maddy summarySB 34 requires written parental consent for each new medical service (defined by a new ICD code) provided to Medicaid-enrolled students through the Medicaid to Schools program. It mandates an annual report to state lawmakers detailing the program's costs and enrollment. The bill also states the program terminates statewide if federal or state policy opposes parental control over children's medical services, or in a single school district if local policy changes. This directly affects Medicaid-enrolled students and their parents in schools participating in the program.

Maddy summarySB 15 proposes a sentencing option called "hard labor" for individuals convicted of capital murder or severe sexual assault on children under 13, correcting a mismatched title referencing drug distribution. The bill requires a separate jury sentencing hearing where 9 of 12 jurors must unanimously agree the crime was "especially heinous" or involved deliberate cruelty, before imposing life imprisonment at hard labor. Hard labor would involve 8+ hours daily of physically demanding tasks like construction or farming, with strict medical exemptions for documented health conditions requiring independent review. The bill also mandates prison staff training on constitutional standards and annual reporting on exemption requests, but remains pending committee approval.

Maddy summarySB 71 allows New Hampshire counties to hold individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for up to 48 additional hours (excluding weekends and holidays) after resolving local state charges, provided the county and ICE have a written agreement. This bill directly affects county correctional facilities and ICE, establishing clear limits on how long local jails can detain immigration enforcement detainees. The key provision requires counties to have a formal written agreement with ICE to use this 48-hour extension, and it specifies that counties cannot hold individuals solely for immigration enforcement without addressing state charges first. The bill aims to clarify cooperation protocols between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Maddy summaryHB 365 provides $50,000 in state funding to reimburse local municipalities for costs incurred when indigent voters need to obtain birth certificates or equivalent proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. The bill directly affects low-income voters who face financial barriers to proving citizenship and local election offices that process these requests. Key provision: the state will cover voucher costs under RSA 654:12, II-a(b), ensuring municipalities aren't burdened by these expenses. This is a funding mechanism, not a new voting requirement, and takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summarySB 152 creates a new fund to design and build noise barriers near highways by authorizing the sale of toll credits. The fund would be financed through these sales, directly supporting communities affected by highway noise pollution. Key provisions include establishing the fund specifically for noise barrier projects and using toll credit sales as the primary revenue source. This policy change shifts funding for noise barrier construction from general appropriations to a dedicated, credit-based mechanism.

Maddy summarySB 213 would have restricted public employees from campaigning during work hours and modified absentee voting procedures. It directly affected government workers (like teachers and police officers) by limiting election activities while on duty and changed how absentee ballots could be handled. The bill passed the legislature but was vetoed by the governor in August 2025. The veto was sustained when the legislature failed to override it with the required two-thirds vote in October 2025, preventing the bill from becoming law.

Maddy summarySB 103 requires New Hampshire towns and cities to provide at least one polling place for every 15,000 registered voters in presidential elections, unless they submit and get approval for a detailed plan addressing potential voter delays. The plan must cover traffic flow, parking, staffing levels, equipment availability (like electronic poll books), and other operational factors specified by the Secretary of State and Attorney General. Approval of such plans is conditional on meeting specific measures to prevent delays, and the officials may request additional information before granting approval. This bill directly affects local election planning for all towns and cities holding presidential elections.