Rep. Rich Lascelles

Maddy summaryHB 127 extends the closing date for off-highway vehicle (OHRV) trails on the Connecticut Lakes headwaters working forest property. The bill changes the specific date when these trails must close each year, directly affecting OHRV users and operators on that property. It does not create new rules or restrictions but simply adjusts the existing seasonal closure deadline. The bill was signed into law by Governor Ayotte on July 31, 2025, effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHB 374 modifies voting procedures for local tax cap adjustments in New Hampshire. It requires a 3/5 majority vote (not a simple majority) for tax cap changes to take effect in towns, cities, and school districts. The bill mandates that voting occurs via ballot after discussion, with ballots accepted for at least one hour post-discussion. These changes apply starting the next fiscal year and remain in effect until amended or rescinded. The bill directly affects local governments and school districts seeking to adjust their tax levy limits.

Maddy summaryHB 92 requires members serving on both a zoning board of adjustment and a planning board to recuse themselves from voting on zoning matters that were previously decided or are pending before the planning board in a quasi-judicial role. This directly affects individuals holding dual roles on these local boards, ensuring they do not participate in decisions where they previously had a direct role on the planning board. The bill mandates this recusal for all such pending or previously decided matters involving the member’s prior planning board participation. It takes effect on August 22, 2025, after being signed into law on June 23, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 168 expands the types of public infrastructure projects eligible for impact fee assessments. It allows cities and towns to include municipal public works facilities - such as water treatment plants, fire stations, or public transportation hubs - in the calculation of fees charged to new development projects. This change requires developers to pay impact fees for these specific municipal facilities, directly affecting local governments and new construction projects. The law takes effect on August 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 159, titled "The Chief Bradley Haas Mental Health Firearms Reporting Act," requires courts to report specific mental health disqualifications to the federal background check system (NICS) for firearm purchases. It directly affects individuals found by court order to be: (1) not guilty by reason of insanity, (2) incompetent to stand trial with a danger finding, or (3) involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. The bill establishes a process for these individuals to voluntarily surrender firearms to a trusted third party or dealer without law enforcement confiscation, while clarifying that only court-reported disqualifications trigger the background check restriction. It also protects privacy by excluding voluntary treatment records from reporting and specifies that NICS data cannot be considered public records.

Maddy summaryHB 1415 establishes strict liability for owners or operators of facilities where per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been released into groundwater or surface water at concentrations of 100 parts per trillion or higher. The bill defines specific chemical terms and designates any site where PFAS are used, stored, or disposed of as a PFAS facility. Under this law, responsible parties would be required to follow federal regulations for the closure, removal, or decommissioning of tanks, pipes, equipment, and building surfaces associated with PFAS management. Although the bill was vetoed by the governor, the legislature overrode the veto to make it effective law.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the deadline for a special commission to investigate the environmental and health effects of perfluorinated chemicals in five towns to November 1, 2029. The commission, which studies pollution in the air, soil, and groundwater of Merrimack, Bedford, Londonderry, Hudson, and Litchfield, will now submit its final report and any legislative recommendations by that new date. Additionally, the bill delays the official end of the commission's work until November 1, 2029, allowing more time for analysis. These changes apply directly to the commission members and the officials who receive their reports.