Committee Summary for Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs (04/22/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB124 00:04:20.639 - 8:18:31 AM	Public Hearing	(New Title) enabling a municipal forest committee or conservation commission to offer surplus money to the municipality for deposit in the municipal unreserved fund balance.	Davis, Arnold(R)[B]2024
HB4464 4464 00:13:04.519 - 8:27:15 AM	Executive Session	Unclear	Likely Text to Speech Error on Bill #
HB4464 4464 00:13:04.519 - 8:27:15 AM	Executive Session	Unclear	Likely Text to Speech Error on Bill #
HB138 00:19:52.960 - 8:34:03 AM	Public Hearing	relative to tax impact notation on warrant articles with multi-year tax impacts.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB168 00:48:03.240 - 9:02:14 AM	Public Hearing	relative to including municipal public works facilities as eligible capital facilities for the assessment of impact fees.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB200 01:20:25.920 - 9:34:36 AM	Public Hearing	relative to the procedure for overriding a local tax cap.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB374 01:43:26.639 - 9:57:37 AM	Public Hearing	(New Title) relative to local tax cap and budget laws.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB230 01:59:46.639 - 10:13:57 AM	Executive Session	relative to the adoption of public health ordinances by municipalities.	Harvey-Bolia, Juliet(R)[A]2024
HB340 02:00:33.400 - 10:14:44 AM	Executive Session	relative to electioneering by public employees.	Berry, Ross(R)[A-]2024
HB421 02:01:29.400 - 10:15:40 AM	Executive Session	relative to notice of tax exempt-status filing procedures by town officials or offices.	Pearson, Mark(R)[B-]2024
HB626 1590s 02:04:28.679 - 10:18:39 AM	Executive Session	directing the secretary of state to implement a vulnerability disclosure program for certain election systems.	McFarlane, Donald(R)
HB124 02:06:50.719 - 10:21:01 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) enabling a municipal forest committee or conservation commission to offer surplus money to the municipality for deposit in the municipal unreserved fund balance.	Davis, Arnold(R)[B]2024
HB138 02:09:05.360 - 10:23:16 AM	Executive Session	relative to tax impact notation on warrant articles with multi-year tax impacts.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB284 02:09:05.360 - 10:23:16 AM	Executive Session	requiring tax impact statements on municipal warrant articles.	Bernardy, JD(R)[A-]2024
HB168 02:10:48.679 - 10:24:59 AM	Executive Session	relative to including municipal public works facilities as eligible capital facilities for the assessment of impact fees.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB200 02:12:02.079 - 10:26:13 AM	Executive Session	relative to the procedure for overriding a local tax cap.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024
HB374 02:13:09.520 - 10:27:20 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) relative to local tax cap and budget laws.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2024

HB124: Representative Arie Davis, Milin, New Hampshire, Coass District 2 Support00:04:20.639 - 8:18:31 AM; Representative Davis introduced House Bill 124, which aims to amend RSA 3113 by adding a sentence to allow the surplus from community forest funds to be used for tax relief. He explained that many towns in New Hampshire have community forests that generate income from timber harvesting, which is typically used for purchasing more land, maintaining the forest, or for town benefits like purchasing a fire truck. The amendment would allow the forest committee to offer any surplus to the select board, who could then propose it as a warrant article for tax relief at a town meeting.
HB124: Bry Duchess, New Hampshire Municipal Association Information Only00:09:09.519 - 8:23:20 AM; Bry Duchess from the New Hampshire Municipal Association clarified that the 'or' in the bill between the forest committee and conservation commission is intended to be an inclusive 'or', allowing either or both to manage surplus funds. He noted that most towns have either a forest committee or a conservation commission, but rarely both. He suggested that adding 'and' could complicate matters by implying that both must agree on the use of surplus funds. Duchess also mentioned that the House Municipal, County, and Government Affairs Committee added the conservation commission to the bill at the request of some members, recognizing that conservation commissions often perform similar duties to forest committees.
HB4464 4464: Unnamed Senator Information Only00:13:04.519 - 8:27:15 AM; The senator discussed an amendment, number 4464, which involves changes to help voters prove citizenship and correct errors noted by the Secretary of State. The amendment also clarifies the language regarding assistant moderators and inspectors of election, who are not on the ballot, and proposes changes to RSA sections related to voter information verification, motor vehicle registration, and the master jury list.
HB4464 4464: Unnamed Senator Information Only00:13:04.519 - 8:27:15 AM; The senator discussed the compilation of a list from DMV and voting records to identify non-citizens or individuals who have moved. The senator also mentioned issues with political committee registration, particularly the requirement for a financial report at the time of filing, which they felt should be adjusted to be due at the next reporting period. Additionally, the senator talked about clarifying citizenship under section 65412 and the use of official records for voter eligibility, suggesting amendments to improve access to data from a centralized database for future elections.
HB138: Representative Diane Power, Brooklyn, Mason, Greenville, Hillsboro County District 36 Support00:19:52.960 - 8:34:03 AM; Representative Power introduced HB138, emphasizing its bipartisan nature and its purpose to expand the enabling statute to include multi-year tax impact notations on municipal warrants. The bill aims to provide voters with more transparency about future tax implications, particularly for multi-year expenditures like bonds and leases. Power highlighted that this information would help voters make more informed decisions at town meetings or SB2 elections.
HB138: Representative Elena Colby, Bow and Hopkinton, Merrimack District 9 Oppose00:27:28.640 - 8:41:39 AM; Representative Colby opposed HB138, arguing that it imposes unrealistic expectations on municipalities by requiring them to forecast financial implications for a 5-year period. She pointed out the unpredictability of variables like bond rates and property assessments, suggesting that such forecasts could mislead voters and undermine local governance integrity. Colby stressed the potential inaccuracies in these projections and their impact on voter decision-making.
HB138: Duchess, New Hampshire Municipal Association Oppose00:36:27.359 - 8:50:38 AM; Duchess from the New Hampshire Municipal Association opposed HB138, citing the difficulty of accurately projecting tax impacts over 5 years due to fluctuating variables like bond rates, tax credits, and reassessments. She argued that the bill would change existing voter-adopted provisions without further consent, potentially leading to misleading information and undermining local governance. Duchess suggested that municipalities should have the flexibility to provide such information if they choose.
HB138: Eric Power, Brookline Support00:40:06.720 - 8:54:17 AM; Eric Power supported HB138, emphasizing the importance of transparency in informing voters about the multi-year tax impacts of warrant articles. He provided examples from his experience in Brookline, where voters were unaware of future cost increases due to bonds and leases. Power argued that even if estimates are not perfectly accurate, they are better than no information, and they help voters understand the financial implications of their votes.
HB168: Representative Diane Power, Brooklyn, Mason, Greenville, Hillsboro County District 36 Support00:48:03.240 - 9:02:14 AM; Representative Power introduced HB168, which adds public works facilities to the list of eligible capital facilities for impact fee assessment. She noted that this simple three-word addition addresses an oversight in current law, allowing municipalities to assess impact fees for public works facilities impacted by new development. Power highlighted that several municipalities had recently built or expanded such facilities without the ability to collect impact fees.
HB168: Eric Power, Brookline Support00:51:20.079 - 9:05:31 AM; Eric Power supported HB168, sharing that Brookline and neighboring towns had built public works facilities but were unable to collect impact fees due to the current law. He emphasized the fairness and reasonableness of adding public works facilities to the list, as it would allow planning boards to assess fees based on growth-driven needs. Power hoped the committee would find the bill ought to pass.
HB168: Representative JD Bernardi, Rockingham 36, Hampton Falls, Kensington, South Hampton, Newton, Plaistow Support00:53:12.640 - 9:07:23 AM; Representative Bernardi introduced HB168, which aims to increase transparency on town ballots by requiring budgetary votes to be disclosed and mandating tax impact statements for warrant articles. The bill also requires multi-year tax impact statements for multi-year expenditures and a summary of the net tax impact at the end of the warrant articles. Bernardi stressed that the bill responds to constituent demands for clearer information about the financial implications of their votes.
HB168: Representative Colby, representing Bow, Hopkinton, and Warner, District 9 Oppose00:59:01.599 - 9:13:12 AM; Representative Colby expressed concerns over HB168, noting that it requires multi-town districts to list tax impacts for each town under warrant articles. He argued this would be overburdensome and expensive, leading to potentially misleading information due to inaccurate forecasts. He used examples of Timberlane, Governor Wentworth, and Pemigewasset Valley School Districts to illustrate how this would result in excessively long ballots. He emphasized the importance of transparency but felt that inaccurate information defeats the purpose of transparency.
HB168: Representative Stephanie Grund, representing Amherst, Hillsboro County 34 Oppose01:04:03.760 - 9:18:14 AM; Representative Grund opposed HB168, citing concerns over the bill's requirement for specific wording and five-year tax impact notations on multi-town warrant articles. She argued this would be excessive, questioning the usefulness of such detailed information and pointing out that voters in one town would not be concerned with tax rates of other towns in the same district.
HB168: Representative Brody, representing unknown town Oppose01:06:10.480 - 9:20:21 AM; Representative Brody opposed HB168, highlighting the bill's mandate for legislative bodies to require governing bodies to add numerically tallied recommendations to each warrant article. He expressed uncertainty about the state's ability to compel such a vote and criticized the removal of existing RSA language that allowed governing bodies to provide these tallies voluntarily. He also discussed different municipal methods of presenting tax impacts and stressed the importance of local control over these decisions.
HB168: Jan Archal, concerned citizen from an unspecified small town Support01:12:51.280 - 9:27:02 AM; Jan Archal supported HB168 as a concerned citizen, emphasizing the confusion and lack of understanding among community members about warrant articles and their tax implications. She argued that clearer, more accessible information on tax impacts would help voters make informed decisions, especially important for younger voters and those who do not directly handle their tax bills.
HB168: Eric Power, from Brookline, formerly a school board member in the Hollis Brookline Cooperative School District Support01:16:21.440 - 9:30:32 AM; Eric Power supported HB168, stating it would be beneficial for school districts and towns by mandating tax impact information on warrant articles. He argued this would increase transparency and help voters understand the cost implications of their decisions. He suggested an amendment to clarify the language in the bill and highlighted the importance of standardized information for both traditional and SB2 meetings.
HB200: Representative Diane Power, representing Brookline, Mason, and Greenville, Hillsboro County District 36 Support01:20:25.920 - 9:34:36 AM; Representative Diane Power introduced HB200, which aims to modify the vote threshold required to override a local tax cap from a simple majority to a three-fifths majority. She argued that since a tax cap is adopted by a three-fifths majority, it should require the same to be overridden, aligning it with other financial commitments like bonds and multi-year lease agreements. She clarified that the bill does not limit the ability to increase or decrease appropriations and addressed concerns about emergency situations and the bill's application to traditional and SB2 town meetings.
HB200: Stephanie Grund, Amherst, Hillsboro 34 Oppose01:30:31.199 - 9:44:42 AM; Stephanie Grund expressed opposition to HB200, focusing on the lack of an enablement clause in the bill, which mandates a change in law without voter consent. She highlighted the requirement for a 3/5 majority to override a tax cap and the mandate to place the SAU budget at the beginning of the ballot, which she views as a loss of local control. She also questioned the use of 'shall' instead of 'may' in the legislation, indicating a concern over the implications of this language without the passage of related bills.
HB200: Representative Ros Information Only01:32:22.080 - 9:46:33 AM; Representative Ros questioned Stephanie Grund about the minority report she wrote, which suggested that the bill was deceptively separating RSA language changes. Grund clarified that she felt misled due to lack of transparency about a related bill in another committee, which she discovered through conversations with other representatives.
HB200: Representative Rudy Oppose01:33:22.880 - 9:47:33 AM; Representative Rudy opposed HB200, emphasizing that the legislative body should determine tax efforts through majority rule at town meetings. He criticized the bill for mandating a secret ballot and a 3/5 majority to override a tax cap, which he felt removed local control and contradicted New Hampshire's tradition of seeking legislative body consent for new provisions.
HB200: Eric Power, Brookline Support01:38:37.360 - 9:52:48 AM; Eric Power supported HB200, arguing for a 3/5 majority to override a tax cap, consistent with the adoption of tax caps. He explained the process of voting on tax caps at town meetings and shared local experiences where residents felt a simple majority to override a tax cap was unfair. He believed that requiring a supermajority would make tax caps more effective and popular.
HB374: Representative Diane Power, Brookline, Mason, and Greenville, Hillsboro County District 36 Support01:43:26.639 - 9:57:37 AM; Representative Diane Power introduced HB374 as a housekeeping bill to make corrections and clarifications to the local tax cap and school district budget cap laws established by Senate Bill 383. She emphasized that the bill aims to ensure clear understanding and application of these laws, making adjustments to references, adding missing statutory language, and changing the date for the inflation index to October 1st.
HB374: Stephanie Grund, Amherst, Hillsboro 34 Oppose01:48:03.760 - 10:02:14 AM; Stephanie Grund opposed HB374, citing concerns over the effects of bonds on tax caps using CPI or municipal cost index, and the mandated order of warrant articles. She questioned the prohibition on amending the tax cap question by the legislative body and the change to a 3/5 majority requirement for overriding a tax cap.
HB374: Representative Colby, Bow and Hopkinton, Merrimack 9 Oppose01:50:45.280 - 10:04:56 AM; Representative Colby opposed HB374, focusing on the prohibition of amending the tax cap question, which he felt infringed on the democratic process and local sovereignty. He criticized the lack of the Northeast CPI as an option and the requirement of a 3/5 supermajority to change an inflation index, which could have significant financial impacts on communities.
HB374: Brody Deayes, New Hampshire Municipal Association Oppose01:54:29.199 - 10:08:40 AM; Brody Deayes, representing the New Hampshire Municipal Association, opposed HB374 due to the addition of a sentence prohibiting amendments to the tax cap question by the legislative body. He argued for maintaining local control and allowing legislative bodies to amend warrant articles.
HB374: Eric Power, Brookline Support01:55:56.800 - 10:10:07 AM; Eric Power supported HB374, describing it as a housekeeping bill to clarify and correct issues with Senate Bill 383. He highlighted the need for consistency in applying tax caps and budget caps across the state and supported the prohibition on amending the tax cap question to prevent inappropriate changes.
HB230: Senator Lang Vote01:59:46.639 - 10:13:57 AM; Senator Lang moved ought to pass on HB230, which was seconded by Senator Roberford. There was no additional discussion and the motion passed with no objections, placing it on the regular calendar.
HB340: Unnamed Speaker Information Only02:00:33.400 - 10:14:44 AM; The speaker indicated that HB340 needs to be held for another week as no action was taken on it.
HB421: Unnamed Speaker Information Only02:01:29.400 - 10:15:40 AM; The speaker expressed discomfort with requiring clerks to send out notices for tax exemptions and suggested instead that notices be posted and that clerks contact individuals from the previous year's list who did not file this year, during a grace period. They proposed drafting an amendment to include these changes.
HB626 1590s: Unnamed Speaker Vote02:04:28.679 - 10:18:39 AM; The speaker moved ought to pass on HB626, which was seconded. They also moved and seconded amendment 1590s, drafted by the Secretary of State's office. Both the amendment and the bill as amended passed without further discussion and were moved to consent.
HB124: Unnamed Speaker Vote02:06:50.719 - 10:21:01 AM; The speaker moved ought to pass on HB124, which was seconded. They proposed a committee amendment to change the wording on line seven to specify the expending authority's role in determining if funds are excessive. The amendment and the bill as amended passed and were moved to consent.
HB138: Unnamed Speaker Information Only02:09:05.360 - 10:23:16 AM; The speaker expressed a preference for HB138 over HB284 because it requires public notification for multi-year contracts similar to teacher union contracts. They suggested holding both bills for a week to allow time for an amendment to combine them.
HB284: Unnamed Speaker Information Only02:09:05.360 - 10:23:16 AM; The speaker mentioned that HB138 and HB284 conflict as they amend the same chapter of law. They expressed a preference for HB138 and suggested holding both for a week to allow time for an amendment to combine them.
HB168: Unnamed Speaker Vote02:10:48.679 - 10:24:59 AM; The speaker moved ought to pass on HB168, which was seconded. The bill passed without additional comments and was moved to consent.
HB200: Unnamed Speaker Information Only02:12:02.079 - 10:26:13 AM; The speaker criticized HB200 for replacing a local procedure for overriding a tax cap with a state-imposed method and for changing how school district budgets are placed on the warrant. They suggested watching the video before taking any action. Another speaker supported the principle of the bill but wanted to read more into it.
HB374: Unnamed Speaker Information Only02:13:09.520 - 10:27:20 AM; The speaker suggested taking no action on HB374 due to its content, particularly the clause that it shall not be subject to amendment in two places. No one disagreed with this decision.

Gray, James(Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Lang, Timothy(V Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[D-]2024
Rochefort, David(R)	Long, Pat(D)