You may notice that this Bulletin looks a little different from past publications. We are using new software that results in a slightly different look. We believe we have worked out all the kinks, but please let us know if you have any problems receiving, reading, or printing the Bulletin.

There will be plenty of other matters for municipal officials to contemplate in 2020. For example:

We expect that concerns about PFAS in drinking water will continue to get attention in 2020. There are several bills addressing the issue, including one supported by NHMA that would provide state funding for monitoring and treatment of public water supplies. As always, there are numerous bills—some good, some less so—seeking to amend the Right-to-Know Law, and several dealing with warrant articles and town budgets, including default budgets. There are several labor and employment bills that would impose new limits on municipal hiring discretion, and there are proposed property tax exemptions for just about everyone. There are even a few bills that we like! We will provide information on as many of these as possible in the coming weeks and months.

Please see the glossary of abbreviations that follows this list.

CACR 14 provides that the general court may authorize recall elections.  Rep. Read of Newmarket; LEGIS. ADMIN.

CACR 17 provides that a state broad-based tax may only be enacted to reduce property taxes.  Rep. Schamberg of Wilmot; W&M-H

HR 12 urges Congress to declare per-fluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) superfund chemicals and provide sufficient programming and funding for education, treatment, and remediation of the effects of PFAS.  Rep. Vail of Nashua; S-FR.

HB 1102 requires food service establishments to establish food allergy awareness procedures.  Rep. Rung of Merrimack; COM-H.

HB 1104 enables the town meeting to authorize selectmen to demolish municipal buildings and provides for review of any proposed acquisition, sale, demolition, or disposal of municipal lands or buildings by the heritage commission, if any.  Rep. Abrami of Stratham; M&CG.

HB 1105-LOCAL requires that original warrant articles be placed on the official ballot in towns that have adopted the official ballot referendum (SB 2) form of town meeting even if the articles have been amended during the first session of the meeting.  Rep. Marsh of Brookfield; M&CG.

HB 1111 establishes a required schedule for the completion of the removal and replacement of telephone and electric poles by a distribution, electric, or telephone company.  Rep. Grote of Rye; M&CG.

HB 1113-FN repeals the time limit forthe presumption that heart or lung disease for firefighters is occupationally related.  Rep. Horn of Franklin; LABOR.

HB 1115 amends the definition of the compact part of a city or town in which a firearm may not be discharged.  Rep. Doherty of Pembroke; M&CG.

HB 1116 removes municipal solid waste facilities from the eligible facilities under the provisions for fuel diversity for renewable energy generation.  Rep. Oxenham of Plainfield; ST&E.

HB 1119 allows municipal and county treasurers to deposit funds in out-of-state banks that have a physical branch and presence in this state.  Rep. Moynihan of Dummer; M&CG.

HB 1124 defines prime wetland for local protection in fill and dredge permits.  Rep. Grassie of Rochester; RR&D.

HB 1125 enables municipalities to adopt a property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical personnel.  Rep. Aron of Acworth; M&CG.

HB 1129 allows a municipality to post notice of hearings regarding adoption of zoning ordinances or amendments on the municipal website in lieu of publishing notice in a newspaper.  Rep. Coursin of Northwood; M&CG.  NHMA Policy.

HB 1131-FN-LOCAL repeals RSA 79, relative to the timber tax.  Rep. Marple of Hooksett; M&CG.

HB 1133-FN prohibits interference with a person’s constitutional rights.  Rep. Marple of Hooksett; JUD-H.

HB 1139 establishes a committee to study eligibility criteria for property tax credits, exemptions, and deferrals available to persons with limited income and the effect of such credits, exemptions, and deferrals on municipalities.  Rep. Horn of Franklin; M&CG.

HB 1144 requires employers with more than 100 employees to submit data on wage differences between male and female employees to the department of labor.  Rep. Muscatel of Hanover; LABOR.

HB 1147 prohibits a city, town, or village district from licensing or regulating a lemonade stand operated by a person under the age of 18.  Rep. True of Sandown; M&CG.

HB 1154 enables municipalities to exclude the principal of retirement savings accounts and pension plans from the calculation of net assets when determining eligibility for certain means-tested property tax exemptions.  Rep. Flanagan of Brookline; M&CG.

HB 1155-FN-LOCAL exempts the first 10,000 board feet of logs cut from residential or other non-commercial property from the timber tax, provided that the timber cut is not made for sale purposes.  Rep. Flanagan of Brookline; M&CG.

HB 1156 establishes a committee to study minimizing the use of public roads in the OHRV trail system known as Ride the Wilds in Coos County.  Rep. Flanagan of Brookline; TRANS-H.

HB 1158 requires all municipal bylaws and ordinances to state the section of state statute that enables the bylaw or ordinance.  Rep. Yokela of Fremont; M&CG.

HB 1160-LOCAL enables a municipality to collect an occupancy fee from room rentals for the purpose of establishing a municipal capital fund, revolving fund, or tourism support fund.  Rep. Edgar of Hampton; M&CG.  NHMA Policy.

HB 1165 prohibits OHRV operation on the rail trail in the town of Gorham.  Rep. W. Thomas of Merrimack; RR&D.

HB 1169 eliminates the requirement that all votes be by roll call when a member of a public body is participating in a meeting by electronic or other remote means of communication.  Rep. J. Schmidt of Nashua; JUD-H.

HB 1170 inserts a definition of “reasonably described” for purposes of retrieval of public records under the right-to-know law.  Rep. J. Schmidt of Nashua; JUD-H.

HB 1171-FN-LOCAL requires public employers to provide employees with at least the level of protection provided under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act.  Rep. Sullivan of Grantham; LABOR.

HB 1173-LOCAL modifies the definition of “default budget” and “contracts” for the purposes of towns that have adopted the official ballot referendum (SB 2) form of town meeting.  Rep. McGhee of Hollis; M&CG.

HB 1174 requires screening for all law enforcement officers for psychological stability and substance use disorders prior to assuming their duties as certified officer.  Rep. Cushing of Hampton; CJ&PS.

HB 1176 establishes a committee to study the attorney general’s authority over certain municipal and county employees.  Rep. M. Smith of Durham; JUD-H.

HB 1181-FN allows the public employees labor relations board to award pain and suffering damages to a complainant.  Rep. Gilman of Exeter; LABOR.

HB 1182 establishes a commission to study the on-road usage of non-traditional motor vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles and golf carts.  Rep. Packard of Londonderry; TRANS-H.

HB 1192-FN limits the ability of a state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency to transfer personal property to a federal agency for federal forfeiture proceedings.  Rep. Sylvia of Belmont; JUD-H.

HB 1195 limits the use of pesticides at municipal playgrounds to cases in which an imminent threat to public health exists and requires the municipality to provide notice of an emergency pesticide application in such cases.  Rep. Balch of Wilton; E&A.

HB 1197 exempts veterans who are totally and permanently disabled from the payment of property taxes on their primary residence.  Rep. Balch of Wilton; M&CG.

HB 1201-FN permits the cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana and hashish and the sale of marijuana accessories.  Rep Cushing of Hampton; CJ&PS.

HB 1202-LOCAL clarifies the rights of an individual being discussed in a nonpublic session under the right-to-know law.  Rep. DiLorenzo of Newmarket; JUD-H.

HB 1204-FN excludes emergency response and training by retired members working for municipal fire departments from the limitations on part-time employment by retired members in the retirement system.  Rep. Danielson of Bedford; ED&A-H.

HB 1205-FN provides for the application of the reduction of a retired member of the New Hampshire Retirement System’s annuity at the member’s full retirement age under the federal Social Security system, rather than at age 65.  Rep. Schuett of Pembroke; ED&A-H.

HB 1210 mandates a property tax exemption for residential property equipped with an energy storage system.  Rep. Fowler of Seabrook; M&CG.

HB 1211 permits the governing body of a town or school district to establish a capital reserve fund which may be expended only by a 2/3 vote of the budget committee.  Rep. Abramson of Seabrook; M&CG.

HB 1217 requires law enforcement officers to report misconduct by other law enforcement officers.  Rep. Burt of Goffstown; CJ&PS.

HB 1218-FN increases the electric generating capacity of customer generators who may participate in net energy metering and modifies the transition of tariffs applicable to certain customer-generators.  Rep. Moffett of Canterbury; ST&E.  NHMA Policy.

HB 1221 prohibits an employer from using personal financial and credit history in employment decisions.  Rep. Cushing of Hampton; LABOR.

HB 1223 authorizes municipalities, other governmental entities, and private entities to establish take-back programs for schedule I and unscheduled drugs.  Rep. Dolan of Londonderry; HHS&EA.

HB 1225 increases the electric generating capacity of municipal hydroelectric facilities that may participate in net energy metering to 5 megawatts.  Rep. O’Brien of Nashua; ST&E.  NHMA Policy.

HB 1226 prohibits the state and municipalities from using surveillance devices to determine the location of a motor vehicle or the identity or location of a pedestrian.  Rep. Erf of Weare; JUD-H.

HB 1235-A establishes a committee to study ensuring workforce maintenance through enhancement of the retirement system.  Rep. Cushing of Hampton; ED&A-H.

HB 1236 establishes a cause of action for violations of an individual’s expectation of privacy in personal information.  Rep. Erf of Weare; JUD-H.

HB 1237-FN revises the requirements and methodology for the reporting by utility companies of inventory and information on valuation to the department of revenue administration and the towns or cities in which utility property is located.  Rep. Merner of Lancaster; ST&E.

HB 1248-LOCAL enables municipalities to offer community revitalization tax incentives for the construction of additional housing in designated areas.  Rep. Conley of Dover; M&CG.

HB 1252-FN adds to the requirements for an application for an exemption for large groundwater withdrawals from replacement wells.  Rep. M. Pearson of Hampstead; RR&D.

HB 1266 clarifies the requirements for absentee voting and makes related modifications to the absentee ballot request forms.  Rep. Bergeron of Nashua; EL.

HB 1276 provides that ex officio members of municipal budget committees and land use boards shall be non-voting members.  Rep. Yokela of Fremont; M&CG.

HB 1277-FN-LOCAL requires town and city clerks to provide notice to owners of dogs who have failed to license their dog or renew their dog license.  Rep. Yokela of Fremont; M&CG.

HB 1279 amends the general statutory definitions of “resident or inhabitant” and “residence or residency” to include an intent to maintain a principal place of physical presence for the indefinite future.  Rep. Horrigan of Durham; EL.

HB 1288 specifies the form that a candidate’s name may take on a town election ballot.  Rep. Cushing of Hampton; M&CG.

HB 1290-FN requires the public employee labor relations board to allow an employee to vote by mail on certifying or decertifying an organization as the exclusive bargaining unit.  Rep. Read of Newmarket; LABOR.

HB 1292-FN makes changes to the employees’ contributory retirement system of the City of Manchester.  Rep. Long of Manchester; ED&A-H.

HB 1293 makes administrative changes and clarifications to the employees’ contributory retirement system of the city of Manchester.  Rep. Long of Manchester; ED&A-H.

HB 1295 prohibits the introduction of fluoride into the drinking water of the state.  Rep. Marple of Hooksett; RR&D.

HB 1296 requires candidates for municipal office to comply with laws governing political expenditures and contributions.  Rep. W. Pearson of Keene; M&CG.

HB 1299 requires at least one selectman to be present at the polling places at all times during any election.  Rep. Lang of Sanbornton; EL.

HB 1304-FN clarifies the term “critical exposure” for the purpose of the workers’ compensation law and requires that testing and treatment for exposure be determined by the medical provider.  Rep. Cahill of Newmarket; LABOR.

HB 1305-LOCAL exempts income from a home-share arrangement from the determination of net assets for purposes of determining eligibility for certain property tax exemptions and public assistance programs.  Rep. Burroughs of Bartlett; M&CG.

HB 1307-FN requires public bodies or agencies to charge personnel costs for retrieval of records under the right-to-know law for certain requesters.  Rep. J. Schmidt of Nashua; JUD-H.

HB 1309 requires towns and school districts to be bound by votes on petitioned warrant articles.  Rep. Notter of Merrimack; M&CG.

HB 1310 authorizes the state to set higher environmental standards than those established in federal law.  Rep. Backus of Manchester; ST&E.

HB 1311 permits municipalities with semi-annual or quarterly billing to submit an adjusted rate application to the department of revenue administration in the event of a change of 15 percent or more in the amount of property taxes to be raised for the current year as compared to the previous year.  Rep. Gilman of Exeter; M&CG.

HB 1316 provides that the network of OHRV trails in Coos county known as “Ride the Wilds” shall be used as OHRV trails.  Rep. Flanagan of Brookline; RR&D.

HB 1317-FN modifies the distribution of auction proceeds under the regional greenhouse gas initiative program and allocates the funds among residential, commercial, and industrial energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.  Rep. Balch of Wilton; ST&E.

HB 1319 prohibits the siting of new landfills or expansions of existing landfills near state parks, national parks, or United States Department of Agriculture forest land.  Rep. French of Littleton; E&A.

HB 1325-FN-LOCAL requires that for meetings in nonpublic session where the minutes or decisions were determined to not be subject to public disclosure, a list containing certain information shall be kept and shall be made available for public disclosure.  Rep. DiLorenzo of Newmarket; JUD-H.

HB 1326-FN requires the quarterly report of the New Hampshire retirement system’s independent investment committee to include a description of investment fees and requires investment committee reports to be available on the system’s Internet website.  Rep. Schuett of Pembroke; ED&A-H.

HB 1341-FN-A extends the benefits for group II members of the New Hampshire retirement system who were vested before 2012 to those who are in vested status prior to July 1, 2021.  Rep. S. Pearson of Derry; ED&A-H.  NHMA Policy to Oppose.

HB 1347 requires the department of environmental services to adopt rules concerning small groundwater withdrawals from new sources of water.  Rep. M. Pearson of Hampstead; RR&D.

HB 1352 provides that if the governing body in a town with the official ballot referendum (SB 2) form of town meeting calls a special meeting to take up the issue of a revised operating budget, the meeting will consist of one session governed by the provisions of RSA 39 and RSA 40.  Rep. Carson of Warner; M&CG.

HB 1357 clarifies the prohibition on electioneering in the polling place.  Rep. T. Smith of Manchester; EL.

HB 1373 establishes a committee to study the use of Styrofoam in schools, hospitals, and government buildings.  Rep. Stack of Merrimack; E&A.

HB 1390 establishes a procedure for public review of cast ballots after an election and allows citizens to request a verification count of machine-counted ballots.  Rep. Read of Newmarket; EL.

HB 1392 prohibits a municipal tax collector or register of deeds from accepting or recording a federal tax lien or other encumbrance unless accompanied by an order for distraint.  Rep. Marple of Hooksett; M&CG.

HB 1395 establishes a committee to study ballot access and ways to improve civic engagement in New Hampshire.  Rep. Muscatel of Hanover; EL.

HB 1399 allows a bargaining unit to request certification of its representative through a petition accompanied by the signatures of a majority of the bargaining unit members.  Rep. W. Pearson of Keene; LABOR.

HB 1402 establishes an exemption under net energy metering for group net metered facilities that are owned or operated by a municipality to offset municipal electricity requirements.  Rep. Lang of Sanbornton; ST&E.

HB 1406 provides that to be eligible for a solar energy property tax exemption, the solar energy system must be used to heat or cool an on-site building.  Rep. Panasiti of Amherst; M&CG.

HB 1414 requires a person who files a notice of intent to cut timber with assessing officials to file the notice with abutters as well.  Rep. Wells of Andover; RR&D.

HB 1421-LOCAL requires that the weighted mean equalization rate for the preceding tax year be used for property tax abatements.  Rep. Merner of Lancaster; M&CG.

HB 1422-FN establishes a 2-year moratorium on the issuance of permits for new landfills or the expansion of existing landfills for the purpose of studying the creating of municipal waste districts.  Rep. French of Littleton; E&A.

HB 1426 requires certain tests to be performed on rail trails before they can be used as OHRV trails.  Rep. W. Thomas of Merrimack; RR&D.

HB 1427 removes the authorization for OHRV use from certain sections of state highway.  Rep. W. Thomas of Merrimack; TRANS-H.

HB 1428-FN-LOCAL requires health officers, upon complaint by a guest, to inspect a hotel or other establishment that provides lodging to transient guests to determine whether bedbugs are present.  Rep. J. Schmidt of Nashua; HHS&EA.

HB 1438 changes the definition of “registered for highway use” with respect to OHRVs.  Rep. T. Lekas of Hudson; TRANS-H.

HB 1439 requires that notice of the public hearing date and date of final determination be sent to abutters and others at the same time as notice of the date on which a planning board application will be formally submitted and requires that a zoning determination be appealed to the zoning board of adjustment within 30 days.  Rep. Major of Plaistow; M&CG.

HB 1441 requires that selectmen perambulate the town lines as often as they deem it necessary, rather than every 7 years, and allows the use of methods such as satellite imaging in lieu of perambulation.  Rep. Harrington of Strafford; M&CG.

HB 1443 provides that the city council of Claremont shall appoint the police commission.  Rep. O’Hearne of Claremont; M&CG.

HB 1447-FN revises the penalty for a retired member of the New Hampshire retirement system working part-time for a retirement system employer who exceeds the maximum hours during a calendar year.  Rep. Abramson of Seabrook; ED&A-H.

HB 1450 changes the criteria for the granting of a variance by the zoning board of adjustment.  Rep. Wallace of Danville; M&CG.

HB 1451 revises the definition of “contract” relative to official ballot default budgets.  Rep. Gilman of Exeter; M&CG.

HB 1452 limits the restrictions on discharging a public library employee to those who have been employed for more than 6 months.  Rep. Woodcock of Conway; M&CG.

HB 1456-FN requires the department of environmental services to provide testing of PFAS levels to pregnant women and to provide pregnant women with elevated PFAS levels with drinking water that has low levels of PFAS in it.  Rep. Weyler of Kingston; HHS&EA 

HB 1457-FN-LOCAL requires elections officers and supervisors of the checklist to visit residential facilities for elderly and disabled persons within their jurisdiction for the purpose of assisting with voter registration and casting absentee ballots.  Rep. Prudhomme-O’Brien of Derry; EL.

HB 1460 requires municipal governing bodies and budget committees to use full line item detail in active spreadsheet format for all budgets.  Rep. Piemonte of Sandown; M&CG.

HB 1467-LOCAL enables municipalities to classify property as residential, commercial, or industrial and to tax commercial and industrial property at a higher rate than residential property.  Rep. Harb of Plaistow; M&CG.

HB 1479 requires an energy commission established by a municipality to report annually to the office of strategic initiatives.  Rep. Harrington of Strafford; M&CG.

HB 1481 allows an electric utility customer-generator with a generating capacity of over one megawatt to net meter generation of 125 percent of its average monthly electric demand.  Rep. Plumer of Belmont; ST&E.

HB 1490 establishes a committee to study the taxation of property owners on private roads.  Rep. P. Schmidt of Dover; M&CG.

HB 1494-FN establishes a state death benefit for a municipal or state public works heavy equipment operator killed in the line of duty and eliminates the offset for workers’ compensation benefits applicable to group I accidental death benefit annuities in state retirement system.  Rep. Schultz of Concord; ED&A-H.

HB 1503 establishes a committee to study monitoring air emissions of PFAS.  Rep. Stack of Merrimack; ST&E.

HB 1510-LOCAL allows municipalities to adopt a property tax exemption for accessory dwelling units leased to non-family members.  Rep. Kanzler of Conway; M&CG.

HB 1514 permits municipalities that issue permits for fireworks displays to have local fire department personnel inspect display sites and provide a presence at fireworks displays.  Rep. St. Clair of Laconia; M&CG.

HB 1515 requires the payment adjustment to group host net energy metering systems to apply to systems over 25 kilowatts.  Rep. Oxenham of Plainfield; ST&E.

HB 1524 establishes procedures relative to how law enforcement shares personal information about certain non-violent offenders.  Rep. Klein-Knight of Manchester; CJ&PS.

HB 1533-LOCAL limits property tax increases for individuals 67 years of age and over, individuals eligible for social security benefits due to disability, and permanently and totally disabled veterans.  Rep. Roy of Deerfield; M&CG.

HB 1534 establishes a commission to study the creation of online voter registration for the 2022 state elections. Rep. B. Griffin of Goffstown; EL.

HB 1537 directs the department of environmental services to set maximum contaminant limits for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).  Rep. Murphy of Merrimack; RR&D.

HB 1543 prohibits an employer from using a failed drug test for cannabis use as grounds for terminating the employment of, or to deny promotion to, any employee.  Rep. Klein-Knight of Manchester; LABOR.

HB 1550-FN extends accidental death benefits for group II members of the New Hampshire retirement system suffering from heart attacks.  Rep. Abbas of Salem; ED&A-H.

HB 1554-FN provides for changes to public employee bargaining unit voting.  Rep. Nunez of Pelham; LABOR.

HB 1559 provides that minutes of nonpublic sessions under the right-to-know law may be sealed for only one year at a time, subject to annual review.  Rep. Yokela of Fremont; JUD-H.

HB 1565-FN requires the department of revenue administration to collect business location information from operators collecting the meals and rooms tax and requires that operators collecting the meals and rooms tax pay 1/9 of the revenues directly to the treasurer of the town, city, or unincorporated place in which a place of business is located.  Rep. Loughman of Hampton; W&M-H.

HB 1568-FN-LOCAL prohibits an employee or elected official of a municipality from receiving a private financial benefit from a municipal contract.  Rep. Roy of Deerfield; M&CG.

HB 1569-FN creates a PFAS remediation fund and requires the department of environmental services to maintain a public registry of where certain fire suppressants have been used.  Rep. Murphy of Manchester; RR&D.

HB 1570-FN establishes an architectural paint recycling program.  Rep. Buchanan of Concord; E&A.

HB 1572-LOCAL establishes the New Hampshire local election participation act.  Rep. Rogers of Concord; M&CG.

HB 1577-FN provides a procedure for an individual to obtain a new birth certificate to reflect a sex designation other than that which was assigned at birth.  Rep. Cannon of Somersworth; HHS&EA.

HB 1579-FN modifies the percentage retained by an operator of a short-term rental under the meals and rooms tax and credits the revenue to the affordable housing fund.  Rep. Kanzler of Conway; W&M-H.

HB 1580-FN regulates the use of drones by government agencies and individuals.  Rep. McGuire of Epsom; ED&A-H.

HB 1583-FN requires that law enforcement vehicles have identifiable markings.  Rep. Warden of Manchester; TRANS-H.