Sen. Dan Innis

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $450,000 from the state's General Fund to the Department of State for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The funds are designated to maintain the Statewide Voter Registration System and to develop new features, specifically an election information portal. The money is classified as nonlapsing, meaning it remains available for use until fully spent rather than reverting to the general treasury at the end of the fiscal year. This legislation directly impacts the state budget by increasing expenditures for the Department of State while aiming to improve voter registration services.

Maddy summaryThis bill redefines the term "homestead foods" to "artisan foods" and creates a new exemption from standard food service licensing and inspection for small-scale producers selling these products. It establishes specific rules for where artisan food can be sold, including farm roadside stands, residential stands, and temporary sales venues like festivals, while allowing the production and sale of items that require refrigeration. The legislation also clarifies definitions for occasional food service events and third-party vendors to ensure these smaller operations are not subject to the same regulations as large commercial restaurants.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires medical professionals certifying deaths in New Hampshire to include specific immunization details, such as vaccine names and dates, on death certificates for individuals who received shots in the current year or the two years prior. It also mandates that the state health department publish quarterly and annual reports detailing deaths occurring within various timeframes after vaccination, broken down by demographics and vaccine type. Additionally, the legislation establishes a process for independent, random audits of these reports by non-governmental experts to ensure data accuracy and privacy compliance. The bill applies to all deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2020, and would become effective 60 days after its passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill outlines rules for how the state's Public Deposit Investment Pool must manage its money, specifically requiring an investment advisor to keep at least 30 percent of funds in insured or collateralized deposits and to maintain the highest possible credit rating for the pool. It grants the state treasurer and an advisory committee the authority to select an investment advisor through a competitive process and to create detailed rules regarding disclosure, investment limits, and administrative practices. The legislation also repeals previous investment advisor obligations and sets an effective date of December 30, 2030, for the repeal provision, while other parts of the bill take effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summarySB 321 establishes a rule requiring courts to detain defendants who have failed to appear in court three or more times for serious offenses within the past three years, or twice on the current charge. Under this provision, a judge must presume that releasing such individuals would not ensure they return for their trial, though the defendant still has the right to present evidence to try to overcome this presumption. The law applies specifically to cases involving felonies, class A misdemeanors, and driving under the influence charges, both in New Hampshire and equivalent out-of-state crimes. If a defendant successfully rebuts the presumption during a bail hearing, the court may then decide whether to release them pending trial. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire insurance laws to ensure coverage for autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome under the state's mental health and developmental disability mandates. It achieves this by renaming the existing category for autism from "pervasive developmental disorder" to "autism spectrum disorder" and adding Down syndrome as a distinct condition requiring coverage. Additionally, the legislation removes previous limits on the amount of insurance coverage available for these conditions. These changes directly affect insurance companies and policyholders by expanding the scope of covered services and eliminating financial caps on treatment costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Hampshire state laws to clarify how schools should handle bullying and cyberbullying that occurs between different school districts. It defines "cross-district" incidents as those happening across multiple districts and expands the scope of bullying to include actions off school property if they disrupt a student's education or school operations. The legislation requires schools to investigate reported incidents within five school days, with a possible seven-day extension, and specifically assigns the responsibility for investigating cross-district cases to the district where the bullying originated. These rules apply to all students and schools in the state and will become effective 60 days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summarySB 425 increases the fee for bail commissioners from $40 to $60. This change applies to individuals who act as bail commissioners in criminal cases, though those who are already full-time, salaried law enforcement officers or court staff will not receive the fee unless they are working outside their regular duties. The bill also specifies that the collected fees should be sent to the local town or city if the commissioner is a government employee, and it maintains the existing rule that fees must be waived for indigent defendants.

Maddy summarySB 522 establishes a new Early Childhood Education Account program in New Hampshire designed to help families cover pre-kindergarten costs for eligible children aged 3 to 5. The bill creates a dedicated fund financed by transfers from the education trust, general appropriations, and voluntary contributions from individuals and businesses, with unused funds rolling over annually. Eligible families can use these grant funds to pay for licensed childcare, public or private pre-kindergarten programs, educational materials, and specialized therapies, provided the services meet specific quality standards. The legislation also outlines a process for selecting a third-party organization to manage the distribution of grants and requires staff training on the new reimbursement rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $600,000 in state general funds to the Department of Transportation for the town of Warner. The money is designated as matching funds to support a federal grant that will help build a section of a rail trail connecting Contoocook Village with downtown Warner. The legislation authorizes the governor to issue a warrant for these funds, which will be spent during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.