Rep. Mary Murphy

Maddy summaryHB 1813 requires health insurance carriers to provide participating healthcare providers and facilities with 60 days' notice before making changes to their contracts, limiting such changes to four times per year on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. The bill mandates that carriers include redlined copies showing changes (with additions underlined/bolded and deletions struck through) and, for changes affecting over $500,000 in total annual reimbursement, provide a financial impact estimate to both providers and the Insurance Department. This directly affects health carriers and their contracted providers by increasing transparency and giving providers more time to review significant contract modifications. Exceptions include mutual agreements between carriers and providers, changes required by government rules, or updates to standard medical coding. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1572 modifies licensing requirements for three professions in New Hampshire: master licensed alcohol and drug counselors, recreational therapists, and speech-language assistants. It adds a new education path requiring 60 hours of graduate coursework (in fields like clinical psychology or social work) plus five years of existing New Hampshire licensure for alcohol/drug counselors. For recreational therapists, it specifies that a baccalaureate degree must include "therapeutic recreation" as a major. Speech-language assistants can now qualify with an accredited associate's degree program equivalent to a speech-language pathology program. These changes directly affect individuals seeking or renewing licenses in these occupations.

Maddy summaryHB 1554 requires health insurance companies to offer peer-to-peer reviews at any stage of the prior authorization process, allowing doctors to discuss medical necessity directly with a qualified medical expert. Insurers must disclose the reviewer’s full name, license details, issuing state, and National Provider Identifier (NPI) to the doctor before the review begins. The bill mandates that reviews be scheduled within 2 business days for initial requests or 5 business days after a denial, with written decisions provided promptly. This applies to all health insurance plans and aims to increase transparency and timely decision-making for doctors and patients seeking coverage.

Maddy summaryHB 1374 modifies the procedure for school districts withdrawing from cooperative school districts. It requires only a 3/5 supermajority of voters in the withdrawing district to approve withdrawal, replacing the prior requirement that also needed majority support from the entire cooperative district. This simplifies the process by focusing approval solely on the district seeking to leave. The bill directly affects school districts considering separation from cooperative arrangements.

Maddy summaryHB 1723 requires all electric utilities and grid operators in New Hampshire to assess and report vulnerabilities of high-voltage transformers (100 kV+ and 25 MVA+) to geomagnetic disturbances (like solar storms) and electromagnetic pulses. By January 2027, covered entities must conduct technical assessments using specific international standards, evaluating risks like transformer saturation and insulation damage. They must then submit detailed reports to state agencies by 180 days after enactment, including transformer specifications, manufacturing origins, and recommended protection measures. This aims to safeguard critical grid infrastructure from potential widespread power outages caused by natural or man-made electromagnetic events.

Maddy summaryHB 1603 requires state agencies to provide current, verifiable proof of an endangered or threatened species' presence - such as GPS coordinates, timestamped photos, and official credentials - before restricting land use for that species' habitat. It directly affects landowners whose property may face restrictions and state agencies like Fish and Game. The bill mandates that any evidence used must include written landowner permission or an administrative warrant for data collection. It also prohibits agencies from requiring new biodiversity surveys as a condition for land use applications. This policy change aims to ensure land use decisions are based on recent, documented evidence rather than outdated data.

Maddy summaryHB 1433 creates a tax credit for New Hampshire businesses that create or expand child care programs. Businesses can claim a credit equal to 50% of qualifying expenses for building new facilities or expanding existing ones by at least 12 child care seats not available before January 1, 2027. The credit applies against business profits or enterprise taxes and can be carried forward for up to four years if not fully used in a given year. To qualify, businesses must create or expand licensed child care seats (either directly or through third parties) and submit an application to the Department of Revenue Administration.

Maddy summaryHB 1247 requires New Hampshire's Secretary of State to create and distribute clear notices about proposed constitutional amendments. The bill mandates that town and city clerks prominently display these notices (including specific header wording and vote dates) for at least 60 days before a statewide vote, and the Secretary of State must maintain a dedicated webpage with the same information. This directly affects voters who need to understand amendment proposals before voting, as well as local clerks responsible for posting the notices. The key mechanism is standardizing and centralizing information about constitutional amendments to improve voter access to details. The bill focuses on procedural transparency without changing amendment content or voting rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1419 establishes a 14-member commission to study whether New Hampshire should create a specialized court for business-related legal matters, such as corporate disputes, commercial contracts, and equity cases. The commission, including legislators, judges, business leaders, law school representatives, and legal experts, will assess the feasibility, costs, benefits, and necessary legal reforms - like modernizing corporate laws and creating judicial recruitment pathways - and evaluate fiscal impacts on state revenue. The commission must submit annual reports starting November 2026, with recommendations aimed at positioning New Hampshire as a competitive hub for business law, similar to Delaware’s court system. This bill does not create a court or change laws directly but sets up a study to inform future legislative decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1447 requires New Hampshire public facilities (including restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping quarters) and private entities to separate access based on biological sex as defined by birth certificate. The bill defines "biological sex" as male or female based on sex listed on an individual's birth certificate issued at or near birth, and specifies that "woman," "girl," "man," and "boy" refer to these categories for facility access. It explicitly states that such sex-based separation policies do not constitute discrimination under state law. The law applies to all state political subdivisions and private businesses operating in New Hampshire.