Water testing study rejected by House

NH Business Review Staff,

CONCORD – The House of Representatives killed a study into whether the state should phase out water testing services that business leaders claim now compete unfairly with private labs.

Nashua Republican Sen. Jane O’Hearn had offered a plan to pending legislation (HB 1411) at the urging of private lab owners that would have increased fees the state labs charge by as much as 150 percent.

House and Senate negotiators instead worked out a proposed compromise to drop the fee increases until after completion of the Nov. 1 study report.

The final proposal would have given Environmental Services Commissioner Michael Nolin the power to seek the fee increases through a legislative rules committee. But the full House voted 173-140 against the compromise and the bill died.

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