Rep. Ralph Boehm

Maddy summaryHB 1575 requires local governing bodies in New Hampshire to explain the default budget to the budget committee, ensuring the committee understands how it complies with law. This applies to towns and cities using the default budget process under RSA 32:5. The key provision mandates that the budget committee receive this explanation so they can make necessary corrections to the default budget. The bill does not change the budget content itself but clarifies the procedural step for committee review. (Procedural bill; summary adheres to 2-sentence requirement for such bills.)

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as "Kitana's law," allows municipal governments, county attorneys, or county sheriffs to request an independent review of local police investigations. When such a request is made, the state's Office of the Solicitor General must direct the state police to conduct a separate investigation using all evidence available to the local authorities. The resulting report from the state police will be independent of the original local investigation. This law takes effect 60 days after it is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to align the rules for filing for office and conducting school district elections with the existing systems used in town elections. It allows school districts to choose between a non-partisan ballot system, which currently applies to most districts, or a new partisan ballot system where candidates run with party labels and a plurality vote wins. Under the new partisan option, school districts would vote to adopt the system at a meeting, and the rules for preparing ballots and managing candidates would mirror those used for partisan town elections. The legislation clarifies that references to town clerks in current laws should instead refer to school district clerks when applying these election procedures.

Maddy summaryThis law prohibits individuals, corporations, and political committees from distributing artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes of candidates within 90 days of an election unless they include a clear disclosure stating the media was manipulated. The required label must specify whether the content is an image, video, or audio and must be displayed prominently for the entire duration of the media or read aloud at regular intervals. Exceptions exist for bona fide news reports that acknowledge the material's questionable authenticity, interactive computer service providers, and satire or parody that does not rely on AI. Candidates whose images are used in deceptive deepfakes can seek legal relief, including injunctions to stop publication and financial damages against the creator. The bill took effect on August 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 1624 allows individuals over the age of 21 to distill liquor at home for personal or family use, provided the product is not sold. The law sets specific production limits, permitting households with two or more producers to make up to 200 gallons of beer or wine annually, while single-person households are limited to 100 gallons. Any liquor distilled from these amounts must remain for personal consumption and cannot be offered for sale. This change takes effect on January 1, 2025.