Committee Summary for House Ways and Means (04/06/2026)

Member	Member	Member
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	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

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB511	General Working Session	(New Title) relative to state park fee discounts for state residents.	Murphy, Keith(R)[A]2025
SB633	General Working Session	(New Title) relative to donations received by the granite patron of the arts fund.	Watters, David(D)[D-]2025
SB511	Executive Session	(New Title) relative to state park fee discounts for state residents.	Murphy, Keith(R)[A]2025
SB633 2026-1353H	Executive Session	(New Title) relative to donations received by the granite patron of the arts fund.	Watters, David(D)[D-]2025
HB12	General Working Session	Unclear	Likely Text to Speech Error on Bill #

SB511: Information Only 00:17:00.510 - 10:15:41 AM; After reviewing the bill and considering concerns from the department, which can already set rates with Fiscal Committee approval, Representative Breyer is leaning towards recommending inexpedient to legislate (ITL).
SB511: Oppose 00:18:20.186 - 10:17:01 AM; The department opposes SB 511 due to concerns that making out-of-state access cost-prohibitive could harm park usage. They note that while other states charge differently, New Hampshire charges per person, not per car, and is the only self-sustaining state park system in the country without general fund subsidies. They can differentiate fees with Fiscal Committee approval but prefer exploring other revenue options like retail expansion and partnerships before increasing fees.
SB511: Information Only 00:19:30.569 - 10:18:11 AM; Representative Elmey asks if the department feels they are raising as much as possible without deterring visitors and inquires about the historical practice of charging per person rather than per car.
SB633: Information Only 00:26:35.396 - 10:25:16 AM; Representative Schamberg discusses concerns about the Senate amendment adding unnecessary layers of approval by including the Fiscal Committee for donations over $50,000, noting it deviates from established practice where Governor and Council handle approvals up to $100,000. He highlights potential legal risks from discretionary powers and inefficiencies in micromanaging the executive branch.
SB633: Information Only 00:28:00.196 - 10:26:41 AM; Representative Spahr questions the purpose of the $50,000 donation threshold, seeking clarification on whether it prevents one donor from claiming the entire $350,000 annual tax credit, leaving none for others.
SB633: Information Only 00:29:18.196 - 10:27:59 AM; Jennifer Ramsey clarifies that the tax credit is prorated, not first-come-first-served, and explains the $50,000 threshold raises the current $10,000 limit for Governor and Council approval specifically for this fund, allowing larger donations without approval up to just under $50,000.
SB633: Information Only 00:23:15.316 - 10:21:56 AM; Representative Almey discusses the proposed amendment to require approval by Governor and Executive Council with a report to the Fiscal Committee for donations over $50,000, and full Fiscal Committee involvement only over $100,000, comparing it to other programs like research and development grants that provide annual compendiums.
SB511: Oppose 10:46:00.000 - 8:44:41 PM; Representative Breyer moved to find SB 511 inexpedient to legislate, explaining that it is not a budget year and the issue should be addressed during budget deliberations to assess actual funding needs. He emphasized the need to remain competitive with neighboring New England states and noted that the department can already propose rate increases to the top fees, which require fiscal committee approval, providing sufficient flexibility without new legislation.
SB511: Oppose 00:48:41.886 - 10:47:22 AM; The speaker added to Representative Breyer's motion, pointing out that few people are aware that New Hampshire charges entrance fees per person rather than per car, unlike other states. This difference can significantly increase costs for groups, as the number of people per car can vary greatly, supporting the decision to ITL the bill.
SB633 2026-1353H: Support 01:11:21.208 - 11:10:02 AM; Representative Schamberg moved to recommend SB 633 ought to pass as amended by Amendment 2026-1353H. He explained that while donations to the Council on the Arts and state arts funds currently go through the governor and executive council for formal acceptance, RSA 19-A:9 does not explicitly require council approval for every donation. The amendment makes this requirement explicit for the granted patron of the arts fund and establishes clear dollar thresholds with reporting requirements to ensure proper oversight.
SB633 2026-1353H: Information Only 01:15:18.102 - 11:13:59 AM; The chair requests reports by noontime tomorrow and closes the executive session on SB 633, concluding the work for today.
HB12: Information Only 01:16:20.298 - 11:15:01 AM; The chair discusses next steps, noting one bill (HB 12) in the committee with an emailed amendment. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15th at 3 p.m. at the State House in Reps Hall. No meetings are planned for next week or possibly the week of the 20th due to deadlines, but to keep the 20th open. Representative Ellemey would run any meeting if the chair is absent. The calendar for Thursday has four bills unlikely to come to the committee.
HB12: Information Only 01:17:31.078 - 11:16:12 AM; A committee member asks about the duration of the Thursday meeting on the 15th.
HB12: Information Only 01:18:25.033 - 11:17:06 AM; The chair responds that the meeting length is uncertain, potentially long with many speakers, and plans to manage it by discouraging repetition and handling as many pink cards as submitted.