This bill modifies New Hampshire law to streamline the process for individuals to retrieve firearms and ammunition seized due to restraining orders or other court orders. It establishes that courts are not required to conduct background checks before returning property, though they may choose to do so if they wish. If a court does order a check, the law sets strict deadlines for the state to complete the review and outlines specific procedures for denying returns, including the requirement for a hearing and the burden of proof to be on the state. The legislation also provides a clear path for individuals to appeal unfavorable decisions directly to the state supreme court without paying fees.
This bill appropriates $1 million from the state's general fund to the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The legislation specifically directs up to $350,000 of this money to reimburse organizations for expenses related to treating cyanobacteria in Lake Kanasatka. The fund supports municipalities, water systems, and non-profit groups by providing loans and grants for water quality projects. The act takes effect on July 1, 2024.
This 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.
This bill allocates $500,000 in state funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to support community and transitional housing for individuals served by state-designated community mental health centers. The money can be used to create new housing units or retain existing ones, with grants capped at $25,000 per bed, and the department must begin accepting applications by December 1, 2024. Recipients are required to prioritize assistance for veterans in need while being prohibited from using the funds to provide aid to individuals not legally present in the United States. The funding is intended to cover non-billable services for supported housing programs and remains available for future use if not spent in the current fiscal year.
This bill creates a new Office of Regulatory Efficiency and Oversight within the Department of Business and Economic Affairs to represent private industry interests in state rulemaking. The office will be led by an executive director appointed by the governor, alongside advisors focused on private industry navigation and government efficiency, who will work to reduce regulatory duplication and barriers. Key provisions require all proposed agency rules to be submitted to the office 30 days before public hearings and mandate the completion of a public cost-benefit analysis within six months of the office's start. Additionally, the office will accept complaints from businesses regarding existing or proposed regulations and annually review professional licensing boards to recommend improvements. The legislation appropriates $1.5 million for the office's operations in the 2025 fiscal year and sets its effective date for January 1, 2025.
This bill allows New Hampshire school districts to partner with external healthcare providers to create on-site health centers that offer medical services to students beyond what school nurses currently provide. To establish these centers, districts must contract with a separate legal entity while ensuring that school nurses continue to handle first aid and emergency care, and that student participation remains entirely voluntary without any incentives. The legislation also mandates that parents or guardians must give written informed consent for unemancipated minors to receive care, and it requires that parents be present during appointments for these students. Additionally, the bill restricts schools from accessing student health records unless required by law and mandates that all health records be kept in compliance with federal privacy standards.
This bill adjusts the timing for when a specific section of the Right to Know Law applies to public records requests. It establishes that the new rules regarding attorney's fees will only begin to apply to requests made 60 days after the law takes effect. The legislation is set to become active on January 1, 2025, giving individuals and organizations time to adjust to the updated fee provisions.
This 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.
This bill expands eligibility for free school meals in New Hampshire to include students from households earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Under the new rules, school districts must provide at least one free meal daily to every student whose family income falls below this threshold, with the state funding the additional costs through the education trust fund. The legislation also updates the definition of the education trust fund to explicitly include money for these expanded meal programs. These changes take effect on September 1, 2023, and aim to ensure more children have access to nutritious food during school hours.
This bill defines biological sex as male or female and clarifies that separating people by this classification is not considered unlawful discrimination. It specifically allows organizations to maintain single-sex spaces for bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic competitions where physical strength provides an advantage. The law also permits the use of biological sex distinctions in the operation of prisons, mental health facilities, and other secure institutions. While the bill establishes these definitions, it explicitly states that no entity is required to separate individuals based on biological sex.
This bill prohibits the state's Medicaid program from covering gender reassignment surgery for individuals under the age of 18. By adding a new provision to the state's Medicaid laws, it explicitly excludes this specific medical procedure from coverage for minors. The change would take effect 60 days after the bill is passed, ensuring that public funds are not used for these surgeries for people in that age group.
SB 307 allows New Hampshire electric distribution utilities to recover the costs of long-term transmission service agreements through retail rates. These agreements would cover projects in New England that have received funding or capacity contracts from the U.S. Department of Energy, with limits set at a total of 120 megawatts and a maximum duration of 30 years. The bill requires utilities to review proposals within three months and mandates that the Public Utilities Commission approve the agreements based on factors like benefits to ratepayers, price stability, and system reliability. If approved, utilities would pass any associated costs or savings directly to their customers through annual adjustments in retail rates.
