Sen. Ruth Ward

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Protection of Women's Sports Act, establishes rules for interscholastic and intercollegiate athletic teams in New Hampshire by categorizing them based on the biological sex listed on athletes' birth certificates. It mandates that teams designated for females be open only to students identified as female at birth, while teams for males may include students of any sex, and requires separate locker room facilities for each group. The legislation also creates a legal pathway for athletes to sue schools or organizations if they experience harm or retaliation related to these sex-based designations, though it explicitly excludes K-5 schools and intramural or club sports from its requirements.

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 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 directs the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to include a plan for safety improvements on Route 101 within the state's 10-year transportation improvement plan. The legislation specifically targets the stretch of road from Bedford to Milford, requiring the implementation of physical barriers to separate opposing traffic lanes and the adoption of limited access design principles to reduce severe crashes. While the bill mandates these planning steps, it does not provide direct funding, instead requesting that the department seek approximately $7 million annually from federal sources to cover the estimated costs of construction and environmental permitting.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the use of dogs to hunt coyotes in New Hampshire. It directly affects hunters by adding a new rule that makes hounding coyotes with dogs illegal. The law takes effect immediately upon passage and requires no significant funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a right-to-work law in New Hampshire that prohibits employers and labor unions from requiring employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. It directly affects all workers in the state, including those employed by government agencies and private companies, by making any collective bargaining agreement that mandates union membership or financial support null and void. The legislation ensures that employees can freely choose whether to participate in a union without fear of penalty, while also protecting voluntary deductions only if employees provide written authorization that can be revoked with 30 days' notice. Additionally, the bill bans strikes or other actions taken solely to force an employer to agree to these prohibited requirements and mandates that employers post notices informing workers of their new freedom of choice.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $250,000 from the state's general fund to the Department of Business and Economic Affairs to hire and train small business development counselors specifically for rural areas of New Hampshire. The funds are designated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and are authorized to remain available until June 30, 2026, allowing the department to draw on the money over that period. The department will use these resources to support existing small business development centers by expanding their staff with counselors trained to assist rural entrepreneurs.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to double the annual amount of money taken from the real estate transfer tax and sent to the affordable housing fund, increasing the contribution from $5 million to $10 million. The change would directly affect the state's budget by shifting $5 million less from the general fund and education trust fund to the affordable housing fund each year starting July 1, 2025. The legislation does not alter who pays the tax or how the fund is used, but rather changes the specific portion of tax revenue that must be allocated to housing projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years to life for anyone convicted of distributing specific controlled drugs, such as methamphetamine or PCP, when the recipient dies as a result. Under the new law, prosecutors must prove that the drug distribution directly caused the death, but the accused cannot use the victim's own reckless behavior or consent as a defense. The legislation applies strictly to the sale, manufacture, or dispensing of these substances and does not prevent separate charges for homicide or drug enterprise leadership. If passed, the changes would take effect on January 1, 2025, and could increase costs for the state and local governments related to the judicial and correctional systems.