Rep. Jim Creighton

Maddy summaryHB 1753 establishes the New Hampshire First for Veterans Program and Authority to support veterans, service members, and their families across the state. The program will provide funding to address key priorities like ending veteran homelessness, matching veterans with veteran-friendly jobs, improving access to mental and physical healthcare (including suicide prevention and substance use treatment), and supporting military skills transfer and education opportunities. The New Hampshire First for Veterans Authority, governed by a 22-member board appointed by state leaders, will coordinate these efforts through public-private partnerships. This program directly affects veterans and their families by creating structured support systems for housing, employment, healthcare, and career transition.

Maddy summaryHB 1072 requires New Hampshire's Department of Labor to provide employers with at least 30 days' written notice before conducting inspections or requesting documents/interviews. The notice must specify the inspection's purpose, whether it relates to a complaint, and any alleged labor law violations. Employers would then have 30 days to respond to such requests, regardless of whether a complaint was filed. Exceptions allowing shorter notice require attorney general approval only for recent violations (within 36 months), imminent health/safety risks, or evidence destruction concerns.

Maddy summaryHB 1252 requires New Hampshire's Department of Motor Vehicles to administer commercial driver's license (CDL) skills tests only in English, prohibiting the use of interpreters during these practical driving tests. It directly affects individuals applying for CDLs in New Hampshire who must understand and respond to examiner instructions in English. The bill codifies existing federal requirements (49 C.F.R. part 383) into state law, specifying that neither applicants nor examiners may communicate in any language other than English during the skills test. This applies specifically to the driving test portion, not the written knowledge exam.

Maddy summaryHB 1444 requires New Hampshire state agencies and local governments (counties, cities, towns) to stop purchasing or acquiring drones not on an official "cleared list" after January 1, 2028. The bill mandates the Department of Safety to create and maintain a public list of security-compliant drones by that date, including models cleared by the Defense Department, meeting federal security standards, or proven incapable of unauthorized data transmission. All state and local procurement must prioritize drones on this list, with contracts for non-listed drones deemed void. The bill has no new funding impact, as noted in its fiscal analysis.

Maddy summaryHB 1172 expands New Hampshire's definition of "sexual assault counselor" to explicitly include National Guard sexual assault prevention and response personnel, such as coordinators and victim advocates. This change grants these military and civilian staff the same confidentiality protections already provided to other sexual assault counselors under state law, based on military rules of evidence. The bill, requested by the Department of Military Affairs and Veteran Services, amends RSA 173-C:1 to include these personnel in the existing legal framework for confidential communications. It takes effect on July 1, 2026, directly affecting National Guard staff who support sexual assault victims.

Maddy summaryHB 1494 increases the maximum allowable amounts for three optional local tax credits in New Hampshire: the veterans' credit ($750 → $1,000), combat service credit ($500 → $750), and surviving spouse credit ($2,000 → $2,500). These credits directly affect eligible veterans, active-duty service members in combat roles, and surviving spouses of service members killed in action. Municipalities must adopt the updated credit amounts (replacing the standard credits), and the surviving spouse credit now covers all property types (real and personal) in the resident's municipality. The changes take effect April 1, 2027, with no requirement for local re-adoption.

Maddy summarySB 400 requires New Hampshire's Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board to review medical and scientific evidence about qualifying conditions for medical cannabis every two years. The board must also submit an annual report by January 1st, including specific citations to the evidence reviewed. This directly affects the oversight board, mandating structured updates to their review process and reporting transparency. The bill focuses on ensuring the board's decisions are consistently supported by current medical research.

Maddy summaryHB 1043 allows employers to create their own pay policies for employees who report to work at the employer's request, making the existing statutory minimum pay requirement (2 hours' pay at regular rate) apply only if the employer has no alternative policy. It directly affects most private-sector employees who report to work, excluding county/municipal employees and ski resort instructors who receive equivalent alternative compensation. The bill does not change the minimum pay standard but gives employers flexibility to set higher or different policies that meet or exceed the baseline. Employers who make a good-faith effort to notify employees not to report to work are not liable for pay under this section. The bill amends RSA 275:43-a and takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1602 creates a statewide program requiring battery manufacturers and brands (producers) to fund and manage the safe collection and recycling of covered batteries. It applies to portable batteries (under 4.4 lbs primary or 11 lbs rechargeable) and medium-format batteries (11-25 lbs), excluding medical device batteries, vehicle batteries, and lead-acid batteries over 11 pounds. Producers must join a "battery stewardship organization" that meets annual collection targets and follows environmental safety rules, with the Department of Environmental Services overseeing compliance. The program shifts recycling responsibility from consumers to producers, ensuring covered batteries are handled safely through a structured, industry-funded system.

Maddy summaryHB 1125 allows New Hampshire school districts to choose whether to hold partisan elections for school board seats, meaning candidates would run under political party labels (like "Democratic" or "Republican"). Currently, most school elections are non-partisan; this bill gives districts the option to adopt a partisan system through a vote at a school meeting. If adopted, the system would require candidates to be nominated by political parties, combine votes across towns in cooperative districts, and elect winners by plurality (simple majority of votes cast). The bill directly affects school districts deciding to switch election systems, with the change taking effect after the next election following the adoption vote.