Sen. James Gray

Maddy summaryThis bill requires municipalities in New Hampshire to obtain criminal background checks for anyone nominated as a health officer or deputy health officer. Under the new law, each town must request these records from the Department of Safety before nominating a candidate to ensure no prior convictions would disqualify them or interfere with their duties. While towns retain the discretion to review these reports according to their own hiring practices, the appointments remain subject to oversight by the Department of Health and Human Services commissioner. The changes take effect on September 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates that the Secretary of State conduct random audits of ballot-counting machines after primary and general elections to verify their accuracy. The process involves selecting at least eight machines from various locations, keeping their identities secret until election day, and comparing the digital results against a physical sample of paper ballots. An audit team, including trained staff and elected officials, must oversee the open comparison, with results reported to the public and legislative leaders within a week of the election. Additionally, the law clarifies that no one, including auditors, may mark ballots except in specific, authorized circumstances, and it requires the Secretary of State to publish all recount and audit procedures in advance.

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 establishes a legislative committee to examine how New Hampshire laws handle consent and confidentiality for adolescents and young adults seeking healthcare. The committee, composed of five legislators appointed by Senate and House leaders, will review existing rules regarding parental consent, assess current privacy protections for minors, and identify any gaps in medical care coverage. After gathering testimony from relevant experts and organizations, the group must submit its findings and any proposed legal changes to state officials by November 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires dogs, cats, and ferrets entering the state to be held for at least 48 hours at a licensed facility or a veterinarian's separate area before they can be transferred. The law allows the state veterinarian to create rules permitting littermates of certain ages to share enclosures during this holding period. Additionally, it sets limits on the daily boarding and care costs for animals that are confiscated by animal control officers. These measures aim to standardize how animals are quarantined and cared for after crossing state lines.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the rules and funding for the Youth Development Center settlement fund, which provides compensation to former residents who experienced abuse while in state care. It updates legal definitions to clearly specify what counts as sexual, physical, or other abuse and introduces a new category for "egregious sexual abuse" that may qualify for additional compensation. The legislation establishes an independent, neutral attorney as the administrator to oversee the claims process, while ensuring the fund remains separate and is continually funded until 2032.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the definitions used in New Hampshire's campaign finance laws to clarify who and what counts as a candidate, political committee, and political advertisement. It expands the scope of "expenditures" to include various activities like research, data analytics, and childcare costs, while explicitly excluding non-campaign travel and certain non-partisan voter registration efforts. The legislation also formally defines "push-polling" as communications that ask questions about a candidate's character or record in a way that looks like a survey, aiming to provide clearer rules for election spending and communication.

Maddy summarySB 354 requires health insurance companies to apply money from independent charity patient assistance programs toward an enrollee's cost-sharing obligations, such as copayments and deductibles. This rule applies to group accident and health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs, but it excludes drugs that have generic or other covered alternatives available. The law also mandates that insurers receive specific details about assistance payments made on behalf of patients, while exempting high-deductible and catastrophic health plans from these requirements until the enrollee's annual deductible is met. Taking effect on January 1, 2026, the bill aims to streamline how charitable funds interact with insurance billing processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the Cost of Care Fund to pay third parties directly for expenses related to caring for animals involved in cruelty cases. It authorizes arresting officers to apply for grants to cover costs incurred while animals are in pretrial care, between seizure and the final resolution of the case. The Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food will review these applications within 15 days and limit payments to $500,000 per application. The changes take effect on July 30, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill has two main parts: it allocates $40 million in state funds to design and construct a replacement for the New Hampshire State Prison for Men, and it establishes a system to share mental health court records with federal firearms background check databases. The prison funding is intended for architectural planning, engineering, and construction documents to build a new correctional facility. The second part, known as "Bradley's Law," allows courts and the Department of Safety to report specific mental health adjudications to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which can lead to a person being prohibited from buying or possessing firearms. Additionally, the bill creates a process for individuals to petition the court for relief from these firearm disabilities if their mental health status has improved.