Environment

HB 1002 repeals the property tax exemption for solar energy systems, meaning homeowners and businesses with solar installations will no longer be excluded from taxable property assessments. The bill removes specific tax code provisions (RSA 72:62 and related sections) that previously allowed solar systems to be valued separately for tax purposes. Starting April 1, 2027, solar energy systems will be included in standard property tax valuations, requiring owners to pay taxes on these systems as part of their property assessment. This change directly affects property owners who currently benefit from the exemption, shifting their tax obligation to align with standard property valuation practices.

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.

HR 35 is a New Hampshire House Resolution urging the prohibition of intentional releases of polluting emissions, such as cloud seeding and weather modification, within the state. It declares that activities like stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) or solar radiation modification (SRM) harm human health, the environment, agriculture, and state security. The resolution requires the state's Environmental Services Commissioner to notify 27 federal agencies - including NOAA, NASA, and the EPA - within 30 days and post the resolution online. This resolution does not create binding law but expresses the legislature's position and urges federal action to protect New Hampshire's atmosphere.

HB 392 directs the dissolution of three specific state entities: the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Equity, the Department of Environmental Services' environmental justice programs, and the Governor's Council on Diversity and Inclusion. The bill prohibits these agencies from re-establishing these offices or using any allocated funds for projects labeled "health equity" or "civil rights and environmental justice." It also removes the Office of Health Equity director position from state statute and repeals related membership requirements. This bill affects state agencies' program structures and funding allocations, with no new funding provided or positions authorized.

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.