Committee Summary for House Ways and Means (02/11/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB1648 00:05:27.440 - 9:04:13 AM	General Working Session	providing property tax exemptions for qualifying residences.	Luneau, David(D)[CT]2025

HB1648: Madam Chair Information Only00:05:27.440 - 9:04:13 AM; The chair opens the subcommittee work session on HB1648, suggests starting with Representative Brier and going around the table to discuss important aspects, or beginning with the DRA representative to address concerns about the bill's scope.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only00:06:28.560 - 9:05:14 AM; Suggests starting with Representative Luno, the prime sponsor, to address original DRA concerns, as the prime sponsor Representative Ames is not present. Clarifies that the bill does not apply to the entire local property tax but only to SWAT (swept).
HB1648: Ms. Ramsey (DRA) Information Only00:07:30.800 - 9:06:16 AM; Confirms after rereading the bill that it only applies to SWAT, not all local property tax exemptions in RSA 72:91 and 72, resolving previous confusion from the last hearing.
HB1648: Representative Dave Luno (Prime Sponsor) Support00:07:30.800 - 9:06:16 AM; Introduces himself as prime sponsor of HB1648. Notes co-sponsors including Representatives Opel and Ames. Prepared a draft amendment addressing DRA concerns but appreciates the work session for collaborative input. Emphasizes clarifying the bill applies only to statewide education property tax (swept). Interested in outcomes that could move the bill forward or identify needed information. Highlights need for uniform definition of owner-occupied primary residence. Open to tightening language without necessarily passing the bill, to gather data on feasibility.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only00:11:14.320 - 9:10:00 AM; Provides information that bill titles cannot be changed by the committee; must be referred to the head of drafting if misleading.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only00:12:30.639 - 9:11:16 AM; Asks about the effective date of January 1, 2027, and whether it applies to 2027 property tax bills. Seeks clarification from Representative Luno and Ms. Ramsey on applicability.
HB1648: Representative Luno Support00:12:30.639 - 9:11:16 AM; Explains the effective date was not intended to dictate implementation; recognizes tax policy complexities and defers to DRA on factors. Open to adjustments based on DRA needs.
HB1648: Ms. Ramsey (DRA) Information Only00:13:38.480 - 9:12:24 AM; Outlines implementation steps: towns provide exemption data, equalization study, rate setting, warrants by December 15. Recommends applicability to property tax year 2028, with effective date of January 1, 2027, allowing preparation for 2028.
HB1648: Representative Turney Oppose00:15:28.079 - 9:14:14 AM; Expresses concern that non-residents already pay school and property taxes without full benefits like education. Argues the bill unfairly taxes residents and non-residents at different rates, especially if residents own vacation or investment properties that wouldn't qualify for the exemption.
HB1648: Representative Luno Support00:15:28.079 - 9:14:14 AM; Acknowledges concerns but emphasizes priority for New Hampshire residents facing high property taxes. Notes varying local tax rates across jurisdictions already create inequities. Aims to provide relief to primary residents, including families, retirees, and those in condos with rising valuations. Uses examples from Hopkinson revaluation showing disproportionate impacts on entry-level and manufactured homes. Defends as policy to help those living in NH, even if second homes exist.
HB1648: Representative Turney Oppose00:21:45.919 - 9:20:31 AM; Agrees non-residents can pay more but worries residents with vacation homes (e.g., in Winnipesaukee) would get relief on primary but not secondary, shifting burden to remaining properties via DRA balancing.
HB1648: Representative Luno Support00:21:45.919 - 9:20:31 AM; Notes case-by-case impacts; some may net benefit if primary relief offsets secondary increases. Suggests exploring integration with low/moderate income relief programs for fixed-income owners. Reiterates policy focus on NH residents.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Oppose00:25:00.480 - 9:23:46 AM; Suggests adding income and asset components to target low/moderate incomes, similar to elderly exemptions, to avoid benefiting high-income owners (e.g., lakefront homes).
HB1648: Representative Luno Support00:25:00.480 - 9:23:46 AM; Views income thresholds as policy choice; current bill exempts $300,000 valuation for all primary residences regardless of value. Open to permanent applications but notes income would require annual updates. Aims for broad relief, not substitute for existing programs.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Oppose00:27:24.080 - 9:26:10 AM; References elderly exemption's income/asset caps to target true need. Shares anecdote of struggling seniors vs. well-off owners. Would need such provisions to support, focusing on fixed incomes like Social Security.
HB1648: Representative Luno Support00:28:36.880 - 9:27:22 AM; Acknowledges assumptions but notes cases like inherited homes on fixed incomes. Advocates multiple 'circuit breakers' for different needs. Defends broad approach while open to refinements.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (Brier) Oppose00:29:41.679 - 9:28:27 AM; Shares inheritance example; argues owners should manage unaffordable second properties. Warns lost swept revenue would increase local property taxes to compensate.
HB1648: Representative Luno Information Only00:30:55.520 - 9:29:41 AM; Explains swept mechanics using Hopkinson example: adequacy cost covered by swept plus state education trust fund payments. Exemptions reduce swept obligation, increasing state contribution without raising local taxes.
HB1648: Ms. Ramsey (DRA) Information Only00:34:28.399 - 9:33:14 AM; Clarifies towns must still raise the same swept target; exemptions shift burden within town to non-exempt properties (internal redistribution). Statewide, exemptions alter equalized values, potentially shifting proportions across towns (external redistribution). Equalization study would account for exemptions in warrants and internal tax application.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only00:40:16.240 - 9:39:02 AM; Notes this creates redistribution effects both within and across towns, using Northumberland example where many homes under $300,000 would reduce local swept obligation significantly.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Support00:41:16.960 - 9:40:02 AM; Highlights inherent unfairness of property tax unrelated to ability to pay. Discusses inheritance, second homes not indicating wealth, and risks of losing primary homes due to rising taxes/valuations. Notes 38 states have homestead exemptions. In Canaan, low median income and high taxes (swept ~5% of bill) necessitate relief, especially for manufactured homes vs. luxury properties. Willing to support with income provision if needed. Emphasizes property taxes as top constituent issue.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only00:45:00.079 - 9:43:46 AM; Points to assessing issues: few sales inflate town valuations radically (e.g., Lebanon). Wealthy buyers skew market; healthy market with more sales would better reflect values. Decreases business revenue if residents leave.
HB1648: Unidentified Speaker (Small City Representative) Information Only00:45:52.960 - 9:44:38 AM; The speaker discusses challenges in small cities where residential properties are valued at a minimum of $500,000, while commercial and industrial properties lag behind due to age and financial issues, not meeting the same building standards as homes. This decreases the valuation of businesses and the commercial sector in town.
HB1648: Representative Tom Shambert Information Only00:46:52.319 - 9:45:38 AM; Representative Shambert asks about how businesses that are rarely sold are valued in the statewide evaluation process, noting that homes' values rise with sales, but businesses aged 50-60 years pose a challenge.
HB1648: Jennifer (DRA Representative) Information Only00:46:52.319 - 9:45:38 AM; Jennifer explains that businesses are valued based on commercial real estate, not as going concerns, using the same process as residential properties: first local sales, then neighboring towns, and other indicators of value. She offers to share materials from the DRA website detailing the complex equalization study process under RSA 21-J:9-A.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (Past Bill Attempt) Information Only00:48:05.599 - 9:46:51 AM; The representative recalls attempting a bill 15 years ago to value businesses based on profits, but it was rejected as an income tax under Republican control.
HB1648: Representative Shambert (Follow-up) Information Only00:48:05.599 - 9:46:51 AM; Follows up on RSA 21-J:9-A criteria and how local assessments apply statewide, noting challenges in rural areas like Canaan with few sales.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only00:49:17.040 - 9:48:03 AM; Asks about the DRA's capacity to handle an income provision in the bill, suggesting it might require annual applications managed by local assessors, potentially increasing workload and opposition from municipalities.
HB1648: Jennifer (DRA Response) Information Only00:49:17.040 - 9:48:03 AM; Recommends shifting to permanent applications for exemptions. Income and asset criteria would likely need annual processing by local assessors, not DRA, similar to other exemptions, adding lift to municipalities but not DRA.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (Income Correlation) Information Only00:50:28.960 - 9:49:14 AM; Discusses assumptions about income correlating with home values for most New Hampshire residents, with exceptions like fixed-income owners of high-value inherited properties. For a $300,000 homestead exemption, it likely targets fixed-income, early-career, or retired individuals, based on news stories.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (KMA Database) Information Only00:51:29.920 - 9:50:15 AM; Shares experience from chairing the 2020 school funding commission, highlighting the KMA database (statewide assessing data with 800,000+ lines) for informing property tax policy. It includes property values, exemptions, and can model exemption impacts by town, county, or district, using assumptions like zip code differences for owner-occupancy.
HB1648: Ms. Ramsey (DRA) Information Only00:55:00.240 - 9:53:46 AM; Describes KMA as a statewide database where assessors submit annual data on properties, codes, exemptions, and values. Used for analyses like second homes bills by applying census data.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (Appeals Process) Information Only00:56:05.040 - 9:54:51 AM; Inquires about how assessment appeals and adjustments (e.g., incorrect lakefront classification) update in the KMA database, noting it's not real-time but based on April 1 valuations with annual submissions. Homeowners must appeal and provide evidence like sales data.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (KMA Modeling) Information Only00:57:00.640 - 9:55:46 AM; Explains using KMA data to model exemption impacts, calculating percentages of homes in value bands ($300k or less, etc.) statewide or by area. Estimates several hundred thousand properties would qualify for a $300k exemption, allowing 'what-if' scenarios on tax policy without income/asset data, using proxies like mailing addresses.
HB1648: Ms. Ramsey (Data Limitations) Information Only01:00:40.319 - 9:59:26 AM; Notes KMA data quality depends on assessors' code usage and interpretation, providing approximations but not perfection for policy analysis. DRA uses it for fiscal analyses when possible.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (Assessor Shortages) Information Only01:00:40.319 - 9:59:26 AM; Raises concerns about assessor shortages, asking about select boards or city councils acting as assessors in cities and larger towns like Salem, given statutory responsibilities and licensing requirements.
HB1648: DRA Representative (Responsibilities) Information Only01:01:56.960 - 10:00:42 AM; Confirms select boards have statutory responsibility to assess if needed, but face challenges with licensed professionals. They can hire firms; DRA can intervene under cost recovery if towns fail, but DRA has limited staff (one overseer).
HB1648: Unidentified Speaker (Zillow Suggestion) Information Only01:02:45.119 - 10:01:31 AM; Suggests select boards could use tools like Zillow for assessments if no firm is available, though most avoid it due to lack of qualification. References Brook's court-ordered assessment.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative (Canaan Example) Information Only01:05:27.520 - 10:04:13 AM; Recalls Canaan's past refusal to assess, leading to DRA intervention. An untrained volunteer attempted it but was rejected; eventually, select board complied minimally. Notes five-year revaluation cycles are outdated with market changes, leaving some towns at 70% valuation like Lebanon after three years.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only01:07:08.640 - 10:05:54 AM; The speaker discusses the complexity of property tax sweeps, estimating that about 10% of property tax bills are swept, varying by community. They reference Tom mentioning around 6-8%, and note that New Hampshire raises about 4.5 billion in property taxes, with 363 million swept, equating to 7-8%. They emphasize the significance of this amount and the need to address how to handle it properly.
HB1648: Unidentified Participant (Tom?) Information Only01:07:56.880 - 10:06:42 AM; The participant provides data on statewide property valuation, excluding utilities, at $312 billion. After applying the homestead exemption, it drops to $206 billion. They model the impact, noting that properties valued at $300,000 or less would not pay swept taxes, with the shortfall made up by higher rates on remaining properties, including businesses. The swept rate would increase from 363 million divided by 312 billion to divided by 206 billion, affecting properties over $300,000 more significantly, with a breakpoint around $1 million.
HB1648: Committee Member Information Only01:11:39.440 - 10:10:25 AM; The member raises ethical concerns about representatives voting on the bill if their homes are valued at $300,000 or less, as they would benefit unfairly. They question quorum and ethics rules, suggesting it might prevent voting.
HB1648: Unidentified Representative Information Only01:13:44.159 - 10:12:30 AM; The representative counters that the bill affects legislators the same as other homeowners, exempting the first $300,000 regardless of total value. They suggest consulting Mr. Lambert on ethics and reference past tobacco tax examples where 25% of legislators had conflicts but could still vote as representatives of the population.
HB1648: Madam Chairwoman Information Only01:15:11.840 - 10:13:57 AM; The chairwoman shifts discussion to technical concerns from the DRA, mentions a list of issues, and inquires about a chart from Mr. Royce showing property tax payments for a $299,000 house in Concord (mistranscribed as Concrete or conquered), noting quarterly payments and suggesting it could help limited-income folks. She asks about city council responsibilities for hiring assessors if their assessor retires, and seeks any remaining problems under the conditions.
HB1648: Jennifer (DRA) Information Only01:18:50.880 - 10:17:36 AM; Jennifer from the Department of Revenue Administration provides detailed line-by-line comments on HB1648. She notes discrepancies in the definition of owner-occupied primary residence compared to other exemptions, suggesting alignment with existing residency standards in RSA 72 to avoid excluding legitimate residents like those traveling for work or in trusts. She recommends adding the new exemption to RSA 72:29(6) for estate planning trusts, changing the determination date to April 1 for consistency with property inventory, considering permanent applications if no income requirements are added to reduce assessor workload, addressing exclusions for LLC-owned properties used for liability protection, clarifying that the exemption can be claimed with other property tax exemptions (not just homestead), and refining rulemaking authority language. She offers to review any amendments.
HB1648: Committee Member (Unnamed) Information Only01:32:28.719 - 10:31:14 AM; A committee member discusses the fiscal impacts of HB1648, noting the absence of a fiscal note and suggesting it should be FNAL due to local and state effects on taxes and education funding. They propose studying the bill over the fall to model costs, clarify definitions like owner-occupied primary residence, handle edge cases such as rented properties, LLCs, and trusts, and assess the number of qualifying homes. They emphasize the need for data to inform decisions and suggest integrating this with other property tax relief bills like the low and moderate income program.
HB1648: Madam Chair Information Only01:36:06.560 - 10:34:52 AM; The Madam Chair engages in discussion on prioritizing the study among other property tax relief bills, questions the feasibility of a fall study starting in August, and suggests including cross-committee input. She supports studying multiple exemptions together for comprehensive relief.
HB1648: Committee Member (Unnamed) Information Only01:41:05.679 - 10:39:51 AM; This member proposes a smaller initial step for the exemption, such as $100,000 for homeowners with income below $25,000 and assets under $75,000 (excluding the home), to test implementation without major disruptions to education funding or assessors. They suggest scaling up if successful and note similarities to the low and moderate program.
HB1648: Sponsor Support01:50:53.600 - 10:49:39 AM; The sponsor explains the bill's intent to provide easy, meaningful relief for owner-occupied primary residences without complex qualifications, making it cumulative with other programs. They address underutilization of existing programs like low and moderate due to effort versus benefit, advocate for simplicity to encourage participation, and support a study to model impacts and refine definitions. They propose working with Jennifer to draft a study committee amendment covering homestead, low and moderate, and other exemptions for comprehensive relief, emphasizing voter concerns about property taxes.
HB1648: Committee Members (Group Discussion) Information Only01:53:02.560 - 10:51:48 AM; The committee discusses forming a one-year study committee starting January 1, 2027, with reports in June and September to inform legislation. They debate committee composition, including big city representatives, senators for buy-in, and ensuring consensus over party lines. They agree to include legislators from diverse areas like Manchester and Nashua, and confirm DRA's willingness to assist.
HB1648: Committee Members (Group Discussion) Information Only02:04:42.000 - 11:03:28 AM; The committee discusses scheduling constraints in March due to crossover dates, school vacation, town election day on March 10th, and town meeting days. They plan to draft language for a study committee on property tax exemptions, including homestead exemption, low and moderate income program, and other exemptions like veterans and disabled veterans exemptions, focusing on coordination and construction. They confirm that certain exemptions are mutually exclusive. The group decides on recommending 'ought to pass as amended' for HB1648, with the amendment to establish a one-year study committee starting January 1, 2027, composed of five plus two members based on recommendations from the prime sponsor and Department of Revenue. The study will cover responsibilities like midterm and final reports on how exemptions can work cumulatively. They discuss procedural details for submitting the amendment through committee members, ensuring bipartisan names (Republican and Democrat) on it, and vote to proceed with this recommendation.

Janigian, John(Chairman)(R)[B+]2025	Ohm, Bill(Clerk)(R)[B+]2025	Ulery, Jordan(V Chairman)(R)[A-]2025
Almy, Susan(D)[F]2025	Oppel, Thomas(D)[F]2025	Smith, Steven(R)[B]2025
Malloy, Dennis(D)[CT]2025	Schamberg, Thomas(D)[CT]2025	Southworth, Thomas(D)[F]2025
Tierney, James(R)[B]2025	Cole, Brian(R)[A-]2025	Aures, Cyril(R)[B+]2025
Bolton, Bill(D)[F]2025	Elberger, Susan(D)[F]2025	Smith, Geoffrey(D)[D-]2025
Soti, Julius(R)[A+]2025	Spahr, Terry(D)[D-]2025	Bryer, Scott(R)[B]2025
Murphy, Mary(R)[B+]2025	Ford, Mary(R)[B+]2025