Committee Summary for House Public Works and Highways (04/29/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB153 00:05:29.360 - 9:04:15 AM	Public Hearing	(New Title) relative to expedited driveway permitting of major entrances for residential use of 20 units or greater.	McConkey, Mark(R)
SB153 01:09:28.080 - 10:08:14 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) relative to expedited driveway permitting of major entrances for residential use of 20 units or greater.	McConkey, Mark(R)

SB153: Senator Mark McConi, representing Senate District 3 Support00:05:29.360 - 9:04:15 AM; Senator McConi introduced Senate Bill 153FN, aimed at expediting the permitting process for housing developments in New Hampshire. He highlighted the delays in the current permitting system, which can take up to two years, causing developers to lose financing opportunities. The proposed bill introduces a second lane for permit processing where developers can pay a fee per door to expedite their applications. This fee would fund the hiring of additional personnel and consultants to manage the expedited process. The senator emphasized the collaborative effort with the Department of Transportation and the New Hampshire Homebuilders Association, noting the removal of the fiscal note due to software funding. He stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in solving housing issues and welcomed questions from the committee.
SB153: Matt Mayberry, CEO of New Hampshire Homebuilders Association Support00:18:18.360 - 9:17:04 AM; Matt Mayberry expressed strong support for Senate Bill 153FN, emphasizing its importance to the housing industry. He highlighted the urgency of the bill, which would allow developers to expedite their projects by paying a fee, thus saving on interest and financing costs. Mayberry stressed the collaborative effort with the Department of Transportation and the willingness to adjust the process as needed. He addressed concerns about safety and the bill's role as a crucial piece in addressing the housing challenge, capable of standing alone if needed.
SB153: Joshua Reeb, President and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors Support00:27:48.000 - 9:26:34 AM; Joshua Reeb supported Senate Bill 153FN, noting its necessity due to the Department of Transportation's current bandwidth issues. He discussed the challenges developers face with financing when waiting for permits, which can take up to a year, and praised the bill for providing a solution through an expedited lane funded by the private sector. Reeb emphasized that this would not burden taxpayers and would help move forward developments that have been approved at the local level.
SB153: Alan Hanscom, State Maintenance Engineer for the Department of Transportation Information Only00:34:01.080 - 9:32:47 AM; Alan Hanscom provided detailed information about the Department of Transportation's involvement in Senate Bill 153FN. He explained the process of revising documentation and the online portal to facilitate the expedited permitting process for major residential entrances. The bill includes a fee structure of $120 per unit to fund a specialist position and cover software costs. Hanscom also mentioned the use of third-party consultants for reviews under DOT oversight and the department's commitment to improving the permitting process for all types of applications.
SB153: Consultant Engineer from the Department of Transportation Information Only00:39:20.599 - 9:38:06 AM; The consultant engineer discussed the application review process, explaining the involvement of various bureaus within the Department of Transportation. They highlighted efforts to streamline the process by compacting timelines and reducing dead time, which could help expedite the permitting process without negatively impacting other developers.
SB153: Representative Rockmore Information Only00:40:35.040 - 9:39:21 AM; Representative Rockmore expressed concern about the potential risks of an expedited process, worrying that it might disadvantage developers who do not opt for the expedited route, potentially extending their wait time. The consultant engineer reassured that the expedited process would remove qualifying applications from the pipeline, thus freeing up time for other applications.
SB153: Representative Newman Information Only00:41:54.880 - 9:40:40 AM; Representative Newman sought clarification on how applications would be processed with the new expedited lane. The consultant engineer explained that applications would still be processed chronologically, but the expedited lane would offload some work to third-party consultants, thereby speeding up the overall process.
SB153: Representative Faulner Information Only00:43:08.319 - 9:41:54 AM; Representative Faulner questioned the appropriateness of setting the threshold at 20 units for expedited review, suggesting it might be too low. The consultant engineer acknowledged the need to draw a line and mentioned that 20 units were chosen after discussions with relevant parties, noting that the impact of this threshold would vary by location.
SB153: Representative Edgar Information Only00:45:48.800 - 9:44:34 AM; Representative Edgar inquired about how the retainer estimate for the expedited process would be set. The consultant engineer responded that the DOT, in collaboration with third-party engineers, would establish these costs based on estimated review times for different parts of the application process.
SB153: Representative Bow Information Only00:46:56.880 - 9:45:42 AM; Representative Bow raised a concern about the appearance of graft in offering an expedited process for payment. The consultant engineer clarified that the expedited process would be an additional expense known to applicants in advance, aimed at reducing dissatisfaction with current wait times.
SB153: Representative Brown Information Only00:48:10.240 - 9:46:56 AM; Representative Brown confirmed that the expedited process discussed applies only to residential units, not commercial or single-family projects, and is intended to address current housing issues.
SB153: Representative Brown Vote01:09:28.080 - 10:08:14 AM; Representative Brown made a motion to pass Senate Bill 153 FN as 'ought to pass'.
SB153: Representative Edgar Vote01:09:28.080 - 10:08:14 AM; Representative Edgar seconded the motion to pass Senate Bill 153 FN.
SB153: Committee Clerk Information Only01:10:17.920 - 10:09:03 AM; The committee clerk conducted a roll call vote on the motion to pass Senate Bill 153 FN. The bill passed with 14 votes in the affirmative, 2 in the negative, and 2 not voting.
SB153: Chairman Information Only01:12:32.760 - 10:11:18 AM; The Chairman announced that the bill would go to the floor due to an objection to it going on consent. He also mentioned an upcoming floor amendment from the DOT related to a 60-day confirmation or denial requirement for applications.

Milz, David(Chairman)(R)[B-]2024	Boyd, Bill(Clerk)(R)[B]2024	Melvin, Charles(V Chairman)(R)[B+]2024
Cloutier, John(D)[CT]2024	Boehm, Ralph(R)[B+]2024	Jack, Martin(D)[F]2024
Kaczynski, Thomas(R)[A]2024	Newman, Sue(D)[CT]2024	Edgar, Michael(D)[CT]2024
Faulkner, Barry(D)[CT]2024	Fedolfi, Jim(R)[B]2024	Brown, Richard(R)[A]2024
Bogert, Steven(R)[B+]2024	Juris, Louis(D)[CT]2024	Suiter, John(R)
Vallone, Mark(D)[F]2024	Rockmore, Ellen(D)	Louis, Darrell(R)