The public’s business: On NH’s legislative agenda this week
Among the hearings: affordable housing, prescription drugs, net metering
The public’s business: On the NH legislative agenda this week
Among the hearings: affordable housing, prescription drugs, net metering
Affordable housing, prescription drugs, net metering and plastics are the top legislative topics on a busy week at the State House. Also to be considered is a new climate action plan that would lower carbon emissions by 90% and a bill that would require that business set up breastfeeding facilities, but also provide a tax credit for it, and a bill that would tax sales to pay for the Governor’s Scholars program.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
At 10:30 a.m. The House Finance Committee will hold a hearing on House Bill 1224, which would appropriate $1.7 million to the lakeshore redevelopment planning commission for environmental remediation of the former Laconia state school for economic development..
The House Municipal and County Government Committee will hold hearings:
At 9:30 a.m. on HB 1629, which would streamline the municipal approval process for affordable housing
At 10:30 on HB 1632, which would establish a business profits tax deduction for income derived from qualifying housing development, reduce the real estate transfer tax for qualifying first time home buyers, allow municipal economic development and revitalization districts and the business finance Authority issue bonds to be used for affordable housing
At 11:30 a.m. on HB 1248, which would allow community revitalization tax incentives to be used for affordable outside the center of town.
The House Public Works Committee will hold hearings:
At 10 a.m. on HB 1650, would increase the registration fees for all vehicles based on weight, and adjust that fee by the miles traveled.
At 1:15 p.m. on HB 1649, would increase registration fees as much as $124 on low mileage vehicles.
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee will hold hearings:
At 10:00 a.m. on HB 1280, which would require insurers to cap the total amount for insulin for covered persons at $100 a month
At 10:30 a.m. on HB 1281, which would require insurance coverage for epipens.
At 11 a.m. on HB 1287, which would require insurance coverage for long-term antibiotic therapy for tick-borne illness.
At 1 p.m. on HB 1233, which would cap the deductibles paid on early interventions services.
The House Science, Technology and Energy Committee will hold hearings:
At 10 a.m. on HB 1664, which would a climate action plan directing the state Department of Environmental Services set rules on greenhouse gas emission reporting and allowances, so that the will reduce its emissions by half of 1990 levels in 2030 and by 90 percent in 2050.
At 1:30 p.m. on HB 1541, which would add battery storage facilities to the definition of an energy facility.
At 2 p.m. on HB 1146, which would requires liquefied natural gas tanks to be subject to site evaluation committee criteria, and requires the committee consider economic interests when making decisions.
At 3 p.m. on HB 1229, which would require proposed natural gas facility infrastructure to include decommissioning costs of a proposed facility in its SEC application.
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold hearings:
At 1 p.m. on Senate Bill 685, which would establish a wholesale importation program for prescription drugs from Canada by or on behalf of the state
At 1:30 p.m. on SB 690, which would prohibit moving a prescription drug to a more expensive tier or limiting dosage in the middle of a plan year.
At 1:45 p.m. on SB 687, which would create a prescription drug affordability board to determine annual public payor spending targets for prescription drugs,
At 2 p.m. on SB 689, which prohibit a referral of a patient to a pharmacy by a health carrier or pharmacy benefit manager for pharmacy care.
At 2:15 p.m. on SB 686, which would require pharmacy benefit managers to pass rebates paid by manufacturers on to the consumer or health benefit plan..
Tuesday, January 21
At 1 p.m. The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on HB 1652, which would tax ski lift sales to fund the governor’s scholarship program.
Wednesday, Jan. 22
At 10 a.m. The House Municipal and County Government Committee will hold a hearing on HB 1160, which would enable municipalities to collect a local rooms and meals fund a capital fund, a revolving fund or to support tourism.
The House Science, Technology and Energy Committee will hold hearings:
At 9:00 a.m. on HB 1218, which would expand the maximum net metering limits from one to five megawatts.
At 10 a.m. on HB 1481, which would expand the maximum net metering limits to 125 percent of average monthly demand.
At 11 a.m. on HB 1262, which would make it easier for small producers of electricity to sell to consumers directly, not just to utilities.
At 1:30 p.m. on HB 1515, which would require the payment adjustment to group host net energy metering systems to apply to systems over 25 kilowatts, as oppose to 15, and it would allow businesses to participate.
At 2 p.m. on HB 1402, which would exempt municipal group net metering projects from the 1 megawatt cap on project size.
At 2:45 p.m. on HB 1225, which would expand the maximum net metering limits from one to five megawatts for municipal hydroelectric facilities.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold hearings:
At 9:30 a.m. on SB 662, which would allow for an exemption from income subject to the tax on interest and dividends of a qualifying amount paid for medical care.
At 9:45 a.m. on SB 682, which would allow for the sale and play of lucky 7 tickets on electronic machines.
At 10:30 a.m. on SB 527, which would allow and regulate pari-mutuel pools on historic horse racing.
The Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee will hold hearings:
At 9:35 a.m. on SB 635, which would establish the lakes region development authority to implement the redevelopment master plan for the Laconia state.
At 10 a.m. on SB 638, which would set up a housing and conservation planning which will provide technical assistance matching grants to municipalities that encourage workforce housing and the reuse of existing buildings.
At 10:45 a.m. on SB 632, which would allow short staffed municipality to allow the state fire marshal to issue building permits and conduct inspections.
The House Ways and Means Committee will hold hearings:
At 10 a.m. on HB 1579, which would cut in half the three percent of the rooms and meals tax retained by the owners of short term rentals like Airbnb (while leaving it for restaurants and hotels), with the money saved used for the affordable housing fund.
At 11 a.m. at HB 1474, which would establish a deduction from gross business profits under the business profits tax for income invested in federal Opportunity Zone.
The House Transportation Committee will hold hearings:
At 10 a.m. on HB 1612, which would allow utility terrain vehicles to be registered for operation on roadways where the posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour or less.
At 12 p.m. on HB 1383, which would prohibit commercial trucks from left lane travel on multi-lane highways.
At 1:30 p.m. on HB 1363, which would allow motorist service signs (for food, fuel, lodging) on all limited access highways in the state, not just north of Concord.
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee will hold hearings:
At 10:30 a.m. on HB 1102, which would require restaurants have a person in charge at all time trained in food allergies.
At 11 a.m. on HB 1578, which would require Internet access providers to reimburse customers for interruptions in service and makes the failure to do so a violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold hearings:
At 1 p.m. on SB 420, which would allow patients and providers to grow cannabis for medical purposes.
At 2 p.m. on SB 700, which would add autism to qualifying medical conditions under therapeutic use of cannabis.
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold hearings:
At 1:15 p.m. on SB 618, which would require employers with more than five employees to provide space and time for nursing mothers during work hours, and gives employers a tax credit against the business enterprise to do so (though with a global cap of $250,000 a year)
At 1:30 p.m. on SB 620, which require insures cover biologically-based mental illnesses as well s make it easier to prescribe medicine for substance abuse
Thursday, Jan. 23
At 11 a.m. The House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee will hold a hearing on HB 1543, which would 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.
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee will hold hearings:
At 9:30 a.m. on HB 1194, which would allow merchants to charge a nickel per single use bag or cup.
At 10:15 a.m. on HB 1472, which would prohibit food service businesses from providing a single-use plastic straw to a customer unless specifically requested.
At 11 a.m. on HB 1564, which would prohibit food services businesses from using polystyrene foam.
At 1:15 p.m. on HB 1508, which would prohibit businesses providing paper receipts unless requested or required by law, and they can’t include coupons or advertisements in any case.
At 1:45 p.m. on HB 1274, which would require bottled water to be tested for the presence of perfluorinated chemicals and labeled with certain results of such tests.
At 3 p.m. on HB 1680, which would require business to disclose the personal education it collects and what it does with it, and allows consumers opt out of selling their information, and sue for violations.
The House Science, Technology and Energy Committee will hold hearings:
At 1 p.m. on HB 1480, which would take away from the Public Utility Committee to increase the Systems Benefits Charge to benefit low income energy efficiency without legislative approval.
At 2 p.m. on HB 1342, which would set up a program to install heat pumps for low income housing using money from the energy efficiency fund.
At 1 p.m. The Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee is scheduled to vote on:
HB 1576, which would place the ARMI student loan forgiveness program for those working in targeted industries for more than five years.
HB 1488, which would prohibit the conditioning of employment or student enrollment on approved housing.
