HB 1295 New Hampshire House · 2026 Regular Session

relative to eligibility requirements for charitable and nonprofit housing projects.

HB 1295 requires nonprofit housing projects seeking property tax exemptions in New Hampshire to meet stricter eligibility criteria. Key provisions include mandating that at least 20% of residents receive services free or at reduced cost based on income, requiring transparent fee policies published online, and prohibiting the use of excess funds for personal benefit. The bill directly affects charitable housing facilities serving elderly (62+) and disabled residents that rely on tax exemptions. These requirements take effect April 1, 2027, and apply to projects operated under state law or federal housing programs.

Bill status failed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Dec 1, 2025 Last action May 5, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → As Amended by the House · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to strengthen requirements for organizations seeking tax-exempt status as public charities. The changes clarify that accepted payments like Medicare do not need to cover the full cost of services and remove a specific percentage requirement for free services. Most significantly, the bill now mandates that facilities prove they relieve government burdens by making annual, publicly accessible reports showing their community contributions are at least 50% of what the municipality provides.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's requirements was expanded to include a new mandatory reporting obligation for qualifying facilities, while the specific numerical thresholds for fee schedules and service donations were adjusted.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that organizations can accept payments (like Medicare) that do not cover the full cost of services, removing the ambiguity of the original text.

Deleted a specific requirement that at least 20% of individuals receiving services must pay no fee or a reduced fee.

Removed a requirement for facilities with independent living units to reinvest costs into the upkeep of those facilities.

Added a new requirement for facilities to quantitatively demonstrate they relieve government burdens by submitting annual written reports to municipalities. These reports must show that the facility's monetary donations and voluntary services equal at least 50% of the actual value the municipality provides under the chapter.

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Full legislative history

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Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 29, 2026

Committee

Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; Vote 5-0; CC; 05/07/2026; SC 17

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced

Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Commerce; SJ 7

upper

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0931h: MA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 49

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Introduced

Amendment # 2026-0931h: AA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 49

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0931h 03/03/2026 (Vote 15-2; CC) HC 10 P. 24

lower

Dec 1, 2025

Introduced

Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Housing HJ 1 P. 14

lower

1 primary · 5 co-sponsors