Environment

HB 1477 regulates seasonal floating platforms on New Hampshire's public waters by requiring permits for most users. It limits installation to adjacent shorefront property owners (with exceptions for government agencies and conservation groups conducting non-recreational work), mandates a $50 permit fee ($25 to the Navigation Safety Fund and $25 to the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Fund), and imposes a $100 fine plus 20% penalty for noncompliance. The bill directly affects recreational users of public waterways who currently place such platforms without permits. Key provisions include standardized identification requirements for platforms and exemptions for permitted conservation and government activities.

HB 97 appropriates $15 million annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Services. This funding supports approved wastewater infrastructure projects under state law, directly benefiting local wastewater systems and communities requiring upgrades. The money is nonlapsing, meaning unused funds carry over to future years, and must be used for projects approved by June 30, 2026. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with no new state positions created.