Executive Departments and Administration

HB 1097 requires the joint legislature fiscal committee to approve any amendment or permanent removal of a historical marker. Currently, the placement of new markers requires approval from the state historic preservation office, but this bill adds a legislative review step for changes to existing markers. The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources must now seek this committee's approval before altering or removing a marker. The policy directly affects the state agency managing historical markers by shifting decision-making authority to the legislature.

HB 610 repeals the Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA) in New Hampshire, dissolving this office 120 days after the bill's passage and transferring all its duties, assets, and staff to the New Hampshire Department of Energy (DoE). The OCA, which represented residential utility consumers in regulatory proceedings, will no longer exist as a separate entity, with its responsibilities for consumer advocacy and ratepayer representation now handled by the DoE. This change removes all references to the OCA from state law, including its role in consumer education and participation in utility proceedings. The repeal is expected to reduce state expenditures by approximately $1.1 million annually, as the OCA's budget was funded through utility assessments. This policy change directly affects residential utility consumers who previously had a dedicated advocate in the OCA, though the DoE will now assume these responsibilities.

HB 1310 updates rules for New Hampshire real estate appraisers by changing who can supervise apprentices and how continuing education credits count. It requires that supervisors be certified for at least two years with no disciplinary actions in the past three years, directly affecting apprentice appraisers seeking supervision. The bill also limits continuing education credits earned through student participation in approved programs to no more than half of required hours. These changes apply specifically to licensed or certified appraisers and their apprentices under New Hampshire's licensing rules.

HB 1030 updates New Hampshire law to clarify the scope of practice for licensed practical nurses (LPNs). It removes the word "focused" from the description of assessments LPNs can conduct and revises the language about their role in care planning from "development" to "evolution and modification" of the registered nurse-initiated comprehensive plan. The bill does not change LPNs' actual duties or responsibilities but modernizes the legal wording. The changes take effect 60 days after the bill's passage.

HB 1109 requires state agencies to provide suspended state employees with written notice of the suspension reasons within 7 days and periodic updates on investigation status every 90 days until a final decision is made. It directly affects state employees suspended with pay, excluding those covered by collective bargaining agreements. The bill establishes clear timelines for communication during investigations to ensure transparency. This policy change applies to all state employee investigations handled under the Department of Administrative Services, effective 90 days after enactment.