Technology

SB 659 defines what constitutes an "adequate education" for New Hampshire public schools by listing 11 required subject areas, including English, math, science, civics, arts, health, physical education, and computer science. It establishes that the state must determine the cost of this defined education for each municipality based on student enrollment. The bill directly affects all public elementary and secondary schools in New Hampshire by setting mandatory curriculum standards for funding and accountability. It replaces previous definitions with specific, measurable learning areas that school districts must provide.

SB 657 creates an AI Analyst position within New Hampshire's Attorney General's office to monitor AI development and investigate deceptive uses, with $150,000 annually allocated for this role. It also establishes an AI Oversight Commission to study AI's impact on labor, health, education, and political campaigns, and to recommend policies. The bill adds civil penalties for businesses or entities using AI deceptively - such as generating misleading content without disclosure - allowing victims to seek damages of $1,000-$25,000 per violation. This directly affects consumers (protected from deceptive AI marketing), workers (monitored for wage or discrimination risks), and businesses (required to disclose AI use in commercial or political contexts).

HB 1102 increases two key limits on New Hampshire's research and development (R&D) tax credit program. It raises the annual cap on total credits claimed by all businesses from $7 million to $10 million per fiscal year, and increases the maximum credit an individual business can claim from $50,000 to $100,000. This bill directly affects businesses conducting qualifying R&D activities in New Hampshire, allowing them to claim larger credits against their state business taxes. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, and do not require new state funding.

HB 1302 prohibits law enforcement from publicly releasing mugshots of individuals arrested for nonviolent offenses before they are convicted. This applies to all such photographs taken during arrest, with exceptions only for immediate public safety threats (e.g., locating a dangerous suspect) or when a defendant fails to appear in court after bail. The bill also specifies that these restrictions do not apply to individuals unlawfully present in the U.S., who may have mugshots released regardless of conviction status. Law enforcement must document any permitted release, including the reason and recipient. The policy aims to reduce reputational harm for unconvicted individuals while maintaining public safety exceptions.

HB 1100 allows individuals to record phone calls or conversations if the other party has already been informed the call may be recorded. This exception directly affects people and businesses that want to document communications, such as in customer service or personal contexts. The bill amends New Hampshire law by adding a new provision (RSA 570-A:2, II(n)) to permit such recording, while maintaining existing prohibitions against unauthorized interception. The change takes effect January 1, 2027, with no estimated state or local fiscal impact.

HB 1232 requires New Hampshire health insurers to reimburse telemedicine services at the same rate as in-person services when the telemedicine code is substantially equivalent to an in-person code. Insurers that fail to comply face administrative fines of up to $2,500 per violation, and repeated violations (three or more in five years) could trigger license suspension. Affected individuals may also sue for court costs and attorney fees if an insurer violates the law repeatedly. The bill applies to all health insurers offering plans in New Hampshire and takes effect January 1, 2027.

SB 289 establishes rules for how police body-worn camera footage can be used in criminal, juvenile, and administrative court cases. It allows law enforcement and prosecutors to copy footage for discovery but prohibits further sharing without a court order, requires destruction of copies after case resolution, and mandates law enforcement to preserve original recordings until a defendant completes all sentencing terms. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, defendants, and courts by standardizing access to body camera evidence while preventing unauthorized distribution. Violations of these rules are classified as misdemeanors. The law applies to all body-worn camera recordings used in qualifying legal proceedings.

HB 1208 requires telemarketers calling New Hampshire residents to display a valid, returnable phone number that connects directly to the business or its agent. It prohibits businesses from showing caller ID numbers that are disconnected or listed in the federal Reassigned Numbers Database. The bill directly affects telemarketing companies operating in New Hampshire, ensuring recipients can verify and contact the caller. This aims to reduce scams involving fake or outdated phone numbers. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

HB 1298 requires local election officials (town clerks) to dispose of external memory devices from electronic ballot counting machines in the same manner as physical ballots. The bill amends state law to explicitly include these devices under existing disposal rules for ballots, absentee applications, and related election materials. This applies to both federal and non-federal elections, with retention periods of at least 22 months for federal elections or 60 days for others. The change ensures memory devices are destroyed rather than stored, aligning their disposal with standard ballot handling procedures.

HB 651 increases the base cost of an adequate education per student from $4,100 to $7,356.01 and raises differential aid amounts for specific student groups: free or reduced-price meal eligible students by $1,733.28 (to $4,126.20), English language learners by $602.88 (to $1,435.20), and students with special education needs by $1,582.56 (to $3,767.40). The bill also expands the definition of an adequate education to include additional resource elements like teacher benefits, technology, and facility maintenance. This change, effective July 1, 2025, will require higher state funding for school districts, charter schools, and education freedom accounts, with an estimated $576 million increase for school districts in fiscal year 2026.