Committee Summary for Senate Finance (04/15/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB1 00:06:31.360 - 12:05:18 PM	Public Hearing	making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2026 and June 30, 2027.	Weyler, Kenneth(R)[B+]2024
Unclear 01:51:55.040 - 1:50:42 PM	General Working Session	Unclear

HB1: Eric Wind, Board of Tax and Land Appeals Information Only00:06:31.360 - 12:05:18 PM; Eric Wind, a member of the Board of Tax and Land Appeals, along with Anne Stelmack, the board's executive director, presented an overview of the board's budget request for the next biennium. They acknowledged the budgetary constraints and the fact that House Bill one came over from the House without a meaningful appropriation and with all agency staff abolished. They provided three efficiency options: the board's budget request as presented by Governor Aayot, a slimmed down budget request with a 9% reduction in spending and increased fees, and a willingness to discuss structural changes to the board's jurisdiction and mandate. Option one maintains funding for one vacant position, while option two involves the elimination of this position and discussion of fees.
HB1: Anne Stelmack, Board of Tax and Land Appeals Information Only00:08:39.120 - 12:07:26 PM; Anne Stelmack, the executive director of the Board of Tax and Land Appeals, presented a comparison of the 24 and 25 budgets to what the House approved. She explained that the board's budget is 90% generally funded and 10% from the highway fund for eminent domain reimbursement work. The budget is 80% salary and benefits, with 11% non-discretionary and 9% discretionary spending. She discussed the adjustments made to the budget due to a position reclassification and step increases, and the challenges of hiring an appraiser at market rates. She also mentioned the board's request to restore funding for current positions and the potential to contract for services if the tax review appraiser position cannot be filled.
HB1: Anne Stelmack, Board of Tax and Land Appeals Information Only00:08:39.120 - 12:07:26 PM; Anne Stelmack provided information regarding eminent domain appeals in New Hampshire. She explained that the cases the Board sees are those where the state cannot negotiate with the landowner. When the Division of Right-of-Way at the Department of Transportation (DOT) decides to acquire property and negotiations fail, the title transfers upon filing with the Board, which then determines the damages. She highlighted that landowners can contest the necessity of the taking, questioning whether there is a public purpose benefit. Such objections are typically transferred to Superior Court, where they can linger for years before returning to the Board for damage determination. She also mentioned upcoming legislation on fee changes.
HB1: Chuck Seya, Executive Director, New Hampshire Governor's Commission on Disability Information Only00:31:56.159 - 12:30:43 PM; Chuck Seya, along with Stacy Dubia, presented an overview of the Governor's Commission on Disability (GCD). The GCD is an executive branch agency within the governor's office, tasked with educating and assisting with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agency has 14 commission members appointed by the governor and a staff of seven, soon to be eight. The majority of their funds are general funds, with one federally funded program. They highlighted their statutory committee, the Architecture Barrier-Free Design Committee, and various programs including New Hampshire's ABLE plan, which helps individuals with disabilities save without affecting needs-based benefits. Seya discussed the budgetary figures, particularly the part-time employee funding and the implications of potential funding cuts.
HB1: Isidora Rodriguez Leandre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities Information Only00:40:48.320 - 12:39:35 PM; Isidora Rodriguez Leandre introduced the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, noting that it is 100% federally funded. The council identifies needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, developing a five-year state plan to reduce barriers and promote community integration. They collaborate with other organizations, support educational opportunities, and provide technical assistance, including plain language and easy read formats. She provided handouts including their five-year plan, mission statement, and a recent federal notice of award, indicating level funding for the current year with hopes of maintaining it in the future.
HB1: Isidora Rodriguez Leandre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities Information Only00:40:48.320 - 12:39:35 PM; Isidora Rodriguez Leandre discussed the budget of the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, noting that the House adopted the governor's budget which includes zero general funds. They mentioned the elimination of a full-time position, which was offset by creating another full-time position during the biennium. The council maintains three full-time and three part-time staff members. She answered a question from Senator OS about the council's ability to accept and expend federal grant awards, explaining that they have done so in the past during the pandemic with additional federal funding not typical to their usual funding streams. They generally do not apply for federal grants directly due to administrative capacity and cost limitations.
HB1: Isidora Rodriguez Leandre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities Information Only00:44:45.520 - 12:43:32 PM; Continuing her testimony, Isidora Rodriguez Leandre explained the council's approach to securing federal grants. They typically act as a subrecipient on larger grants applied for by the Institute on Disability at UNH, where they are named as a required partner and receive a subaward. Alternatively, when grants are specifically available for DD councils, they issue an RFP to contract out the work required by the grant, acting as a pass-through entity to manage and report on the funding.
HB1: Megan Rose, Executive Assistant to the Executive Council Information Only00:48:13.040 - 12:47:00 PM; Megan Rose, the executive assistant to the executive council, introduced herself and distributed an overview of the office's activities and budget from the previous year. She highlighted that the budget primarily covers personnel costs, despite the office having a small staff consisting of herself, a part-time assistant, and the five elected executive councilors. She emphasized the importance of the part-time assistant for office coverage, especially when taking time off. The office's operational budget, including IT and other expenses, is provided by the Department of Information Technology (DOIT). The council meets biweekly and travels around the state during the summer months.
HB1: Monica Misappelli, State Treasurer Information Only00:51:44.800 - 12:50:31 PM; Monica Misappelli, the State Treasurer, provided an overview of the state treasury's role and budget. She highlighted the treasury's responsibilities, including processing deposits and disbursements, managing state liquidity, issuing bonds, overseeing debt service, and managing various programs such as unclaimed property, college savings, and scholarship programs. She discussed the budget's consistency year to year, with the only significant change being the addition of an entry-level accounting position. Misappelli also detailed changes made by the House budget, including capping the distribution of meals and rooms tax to municipalities at the fiscal year 25 level and suspending revenue sharing. She explained the debt service assumptions for upcoming years and the adjustments made to accommodate the spread of expenditures over two years. Additionally, she mentioned the oversight of various scholarship programs and the potential changes to the Ben Thompson Trust Fund, which might be transferred to the University of New Hampshire Foundation.
HB1: Paula Belmore, Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) Information Only01:13:09.520 - 1:11:56 PM; Paula Belmore from LCHIP discussed the program's role in preserving and conserving resources across the state since its establishment in 2000. She explained that LCHIP has been funded by a surcharge on document recordings at the registry of deeds since 2008, generating about $4 million annually. The budget was raised to $5 million to accommodate fluctuations in grant cycles, and she requested to maintain this level, which is supported by both the governor and the House budget.
HB1: Katie Easterly Marte, Executive Director of the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) Information Only01:15:58.760 - 1:14:45 PM; Katie Easterly Marte from CDFA requested continued match funding of $280,000 for the administration of community development block grants, which is included in both the governor and House budgets. She highlighted the program's role in investing $19 million annually into communities across New Hampshire, focusing on housing, public facilities, and economic development. She provided examples of projects funded by the program, such as affordable housing in Conway, a shelter in Keene, and a childcare facility in Plymouth.
HB1: David Scandlin, Secretary of State Information Only01:18:40.679 - 1:17:27 PM; David Scandlin, the Secretary of State, discussed the House's amendments to their budget, which included abolishing some positions. He requested to keep an assistant secretary position in the Securities Bureau, even if unfunded, and to abolish a vacant deputy secretary position. He also requested to retain a business administrator position in the corporations division, anticipating its future importance for software changes. He mentioned the House's request to cut funds on the back end of the budget, which they are willing to accommodate.
HB1: Thomas Fcare, Right to Know Ombudsman Information Only01:22:00.719 - 1:20:47 PM; Thomas Fcare, the Right to Know Ombudsman, discussed the office's role in processing complaints under RSA 91A and the potential expiration of the office on June 30th unless renewed. He highlighted the office's budget and the House's proposals to restructure the office and attach it to the Public Employee Labor Relations Board. He expressed concerns about the proposed budget's sufficiency and the potential difficulties in continuing the office's work under the new structure.
HB1: Lindseay Steppp, Commissioner at the Department of Revenue Information Only01:31:39.440 - 1:30:26 PM; Lindseay Steppp, the Commissioner at the Department of Revenue, provided an overview of the department's mission and budget. She discussed the department's structure, including administration, audit, collections, taxpayer services, and municipal property divisions. She highlighted the budget's composition, primarily funded by general funds, and the operationalization of the Revenue Information Management System (RIMS). She mentioned the unfunding of 18 positions, the sufficiency of the budget for the low and moderate income hardship grants, and the agency income related to flood control and RIMS debt service. She also discussed the potential flexibility provided by House Bill 2 to fill unfunded positions and the ease of implementing changes to tax allocations.
HB1: Lindseay Steppp, Commissioner at the Department of Revenue Information Only01:31:39.440 - 1:30:26 PM; Commissioner Steppp discussed the financial implications and staffing challenges related to HB1. She mentioned that multi-entity and multi-state auditors could generate significant revenue, ranging from $1.5 to $3 million or more per case. However, she noted difficulties in recruiting for these positions due to salary constraints. She suggested that recent layoffs at the federal level might provide an opportunity to attract candidates. She also mentioned that if House Bill Two's provision remains, it could help in recruiting for unfunded positions within the budget. She has asked the Legislative Budget Assistant to explore options like a revenue account to fund new positions.
HB1: Senator Bzel Information Only01:49:32.000 - 1:48:19 PM; Senator Bzel inquired about the status of payments from Massachusetts for fiscal years 22 and 23, and whether there were plans to pursue payments for fiscal years 24 and 25, which amount to nearly a million dollars. The response indicated that while conversations with Massachusetts had not yet occurred, there is hope due to the reactivation of the Merrimack River Valley Compact, which might facilitate these payments.
Unclear: Senator Rosen Information Only01:51:55.040 - 1:50:42 PM; Senator Rosen advocated for the committee to hold hearings outside of Concord to increase public access, particularly for those unable to attend during weekdays due to work or childcare. He mentioned that such outreach had been done in the past, referencing hearings in various locations including Amherst and Manchester.
Unclear: Senator Dellesandro Information Only01:54:11.679 - 1:52:58 PM; Senator Dellesandro recalled that the Senate had conducted a hearing in Concord and another in Manchester when he was chair, suggesting that such outreach is possible but requires careful scheduling.
Unclear: Unnamed Senator Information Only01:55:42.719 - 1:54:29 PM; An unnamed senator expressed concerns about the feasibility of fitting additional hearings into the committee's schedule, given the workload of other major committees like Edna and Judiciary. They mentioned the logistical challenges faced by the redistricting committee when they traveled to different counties and used schools and courts as venues.
Unclear: Senator Waters Information Only01:56:29.920 - 1:55:16 PM; Senator Waters supported the idea of increasing public access by suggesting a possible evening session in Concord, specifically mentioning Reps Hall as a potential venue. He noted that a public hearing scheduled for May 6th from 1 to 5 PM, with a break and resumption at 6 PM, could serve this purpose.

Gray, James(Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Innis, Daniel(V Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Carson, Sharon(R)[C]2024
Watters, David(D)[CT]2024	Birdsell, Regina(R)[C+]2024	Lang, Timothy(R)[C+]2024
Rosenwald, Cindy(D)[CT]2024	Pearl, Howard (R)[C+]2024