Rep. Diane Pauer

Maddy summaryHB 1184 establishes clear rules for issuing no trespass orders (NTOs) on municipal and school properties in New Hampshire. It requires most NTOs to be approved by a unanimous vote of the governing body (e.g., city council or school board) at a public meeting, and mandates written orders including the reason, property location, duration (max 90 days), and the right to request a hearing. Individuals affected can challenge an NTO through a hearing and appeal to court within 30 days, while existing NTOs over 90 days automatically expire. The bill also limits extensions beyond 90 days to court-issued restraining orders, ensuring procedural safeguards for those subject to NTOs.

Maddy summaryHB 1267 requires school districts to create a policy that prevents school attorneys, law enforcement, and other non-school staff from questioning minor students (under 18) without written permission from a parent or guardian. For students aged 18 or older, the policy must ask if they want their parents notified before questioning, and if they consent, parents can be present. The policy also ensures parents or guardians can attend questioning and bring their own attorney, with exceptions only for child welfare investigations by designated social services. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1610 would allow New Hampshire school districts to retain unused general funds at the end of each fiscal year for the next year, instead of returning them to taxpayers. The bill limits retained funds to 2.5% of the district's annual property tax revenue and requires school boards to hold a public hearing before using the funds. Districts must also provide an annual public report detailing how the retained funds were spent. This change modifies existing law to give school districts ongoing flexibility for managing unanticipated expenses.

Maddy summaryHB 1807 requires school districts to include specific financial information in voting materials for school budget decisions. It mandates that warrant articles and ballots display the previous year's per-pupil cost (calculated using updated formulas), 10-year cost-per-pupil and teacher salary trends in graphs, and the estimated tax impact if all budget articles pass. This affects all New Hampshire school districts and voters participating in school budget votes. The bill repeals the old per-pupil cost calculation method and requires standardized, inflation-adjusted data presentation to improve transparency for voters.

Maddy summaryHB 1234 prohibits individuals from holding or filing for multiple incompatible school district offices simultaneously. It specifically bars school board members from also serving as district moderator, treasurer, auditor, or elected school budget committee member. The bill also prevents salaried employees (including teachers, administrators, custodians, and bus drivers) from serving on school boards. Additionally, it requires candidates to avoid filing for any office incompatible with their current position or other elected roles. This applies to all New Hampshire school district elections.

Maddy summarySB 534 requires campaign committees supporting constitutional amendments or local ballot questions to certify under penalty of perjury that no foreign national funded their activities or influenced decisions. It mandates that committees return foreign contributions within 10 business days and disgorge funds if violations are found, with committee leaders held personally liable. The bill also prohibits foreign nationals from directing or soliciting contributions for these campaigns. These rules apply to all committees and independent spenders involved in covered ballot measures, with records maintained for four years and certifications published online.

Maddy summaryHB 1115 adds a clear legal definition to New Hampshire state law: "citizen of New Hampshire" means a U.S. citizen who lives in New Hampshire. This definition will apply consistently across all state statutes where the term is used. The bill does not change voting rights, residency requirements, or other policies - it only standardizes the meaning of the term for legal clarity. The definition takes effect January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1003 prohibits Grafton County Attorney from engaging in private legal practice for compensation, except when providing free legal services to family members without conflicts of interest. The bill adds a new section (7:34-h) to New Hampshire law, explicitly banning the county attorney from accepting fees for private legal work beyond their official salary. This directly affects the Grafton County Attorney position, requiring them to focus solely on public duties without outside legal engagements. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

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 summaryHB 1131 updates New Hampshire town meeting procedures for referendums by requiring that referendum questions be placed on the official ballot used for electing town officers, rather than on a separate ballot. The bill removes a previous restriction that kept referendum questions off this ballot and integrates them into the standard voting process governed by state election laws. It also establishes a 3/5 majority vote requirement for towns to rescind their use of this ballot system, with specific wording for the rescission question. This change directly affects all New Hampshire towns that have adopted the official ballot system for referendums, which is the current standard practice in many communities.