GOVERNOR SIGNS 38 BILLS INTO LAW

The following information was released by the office of the Governor of New Hampshire:

This week, Governor Kelly Ayotte signed the following bills into law:

HB 155 Relative to business enterprise tax returns and appropriating funds to the department of health and human services for licensed nursing facilities.

HB 158 Requiring the secretary of state to review absentee ballot data biennially, forward certain requests to the election law unit for review, and make a report to the general court.

HB 241 Relative to health insurance coverage of pain management services for the management of chronic pain.

HB 281 Requiring electronic voter checklists to be supplied in a sortable format.

HB 317 Allowing a supervisor of the checklist to verify a person's identity, with identification, if they personally know that person.

HB 340 Relative to electioneering by public employees.

HB 639 Relative to the use of and disputes over blockchain and digital currencies.

HB 661 Relative to the department of health and human services management of social security payments, supplemental security income payments, and veterans benefits for children in foster care.

HB 707 Establishing a solid waste site evaluation committee.

HB 1062 Authorizing the secretary of state to conduct random audits of the citizenship qualification of registered voters.

HB 1088 Transferring funding for the water well board from the general fund to a special nonlapsing fund.

HB 1099 Establishing a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities.

HB 1141 Relative to permitting and fee authority for mining and prospecting.

HB 1187 Relative to the time in which candidates for state representative may file their candidacy for a special election.

HB 1207 Relative to certain laws applicable to state chartered banks, credit unions, trust companies, and other consumer credit entities subject to the authority of the banking department.

HB 1234 Identifying certain school district offices as incompatible for purposes of school district elections.

HB 1260 Relative to marriage registration forms and delayed certificates of marriage.

HB 1268 Modifying the structure and administration of home education programs and relative to pharmacy benefits managers, managed care laws, notice of drug pricing options, and pharmacy benefit manager business practices.

HB 1275 Relative to the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on agriculture, exempting certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl products from use restrictions, and relative to the definition of "drinking water standard".

HB 1306 Relative to the counting of absentee ballots.

HB 1312 Relative to the authority of various boards.

HB 1348 Relative to possession of human remains for law enforcement training purposes.

HB 1362 Relative to motor vehicle equipment specifications.

HB 1374 Modifying the procedures for withdrawal from a cooperative school district and the discontinuance of elementary and high schools and requiring the review of school district operating documents by school boards.

HB 1415 Establishing a special veterans license plate and creating a fund and administrative programs from the proceeds of the sale of such plates and establishing the New Hampshire first for veterans program and authority.

HB 1469 Relative to the licensing requirements for massage therapy establishments.

HB 1523 Relative to disclosure requirements for homeowners' associations.

HB 1573 Permitting excused absences for student participation in certain activities and mandating the state board of education to grant school reassignment requests for students demonstrating a manifest educational hardship.

HB 1598 Relative to notice and proceedings for tenants and landlords engaged in eviction processes.

HB 1718 Relative to authorizing energy storage in connection with net metering.

HB 1723 Requiring utilities and electric grid operators to assess and report the vulnerability of high-voltage transformers to geomagnetic and electromagnetic disturbances, and to recommend mitigation measures to protect the state electric infrastructure.

HB 1735 Relative to the practice of pharmacy, the dispensing of certain medications by pharmacists, and permitting treatment of certain severe illness under the right to try act.

HB 1807 Relative to mandatory reports to voters.

HB 1816 Relative to the intervention of the department of education into a school or school district during a financial emergency and requiring the state school board to establish rules governing the vetting of school district business administrator candidates.

SB 534 Relative to compliance with certain political expenditures and contribution statutes.

SB 538 Extending net metering eligibility terms for municipal energy projects.

SB 564 Prohibiting certain municipal development restrictions.

SB 599 Relative to the renewable energy fund.

The Governor also vetoed the following bills:

HB 396 Exempting meat and meat food products slaughtered and prepared in state for sale in state from certain inspections.

HB 1102 Increasing the research and development tax credit cap and relative to state park fees for state residents.

HB 1184 Relative to the issuance of no trespass orders on municipal or school district property.

HB 2026 Relative to the state 10-year transportation improvement plan.

SB 481 Relative to the sale of the Sununu Youth Services Center property.

The Governor's veto statement for House Bill 396 is below:

"Agriculture is an important part of our state's economy and heritage, and I appreciate the bill's intent to provide additional meat processing access for small farmers and producers. Unfortunately, this proposal violates the federal Meat Inspection Act as confirmed in a letter written to the Commissioner of Agriculture Shawn Jasper by Acting Administrator of the Office of Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA. New Hampshire has not established its own Meat and Poultry Inspection Program and therefore, the state relies on federal inspection of these products.

"The USDA stated that they routinely provide inspection to low volume, seasonal or infrequent producers and are willing to work with local producers to meet their needs. They also noted that they "were not aware of any outstanding or unmet requests for inspection" in New Hampshire. They offered time and resources to work with the state to reduce the burden on small producers. I am sensitive to the needs of our small producers and will instruct the Commissioner of Agriculture to convene a group of our small producers to discuss a path forward that does not violate federal law putting these local producers at risk for federal action and creating potential food safety issues.

"For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 396."

The Governor's veto statement for House Bill 1102 is below:

"I support expansion of the research and development tax credit to encourage businesses to continue to invest in innovation and the creation of new products, however, inexplicably, the legislature tacked onto it unrelated changes to our State Park fee structure that will have a negative impact on our self-funded parks and tourism. The Commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources testified before the legislature about the detrimental impact of the park fee change proposal on our parks and the bill was killed as a standalone. Adding it back at the last minute to a positive tax credit expansion does not suddenly make it good policy, and thus, I have vetoed House Bill 1102. I will work to make the expansion of the research and development tax credit law by including it in my next budget proposal."

The Governor's veto statement for House Bill 1184 is below:

"This bill seeks to establish a state mandated process for no trespass orders issued by municipalities and school districts causing them to expire every 90 days without further action. I have heard from counties, municipalities, school boards, libraries and police chiefs that this is unworkable. New Hampshire's local officials are best equipped to make these decisions in a manner that reflects the unique needs of their communities in a way that protects public safety and respects individual rights.

"For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 1184."

The Governor's veto statement for House Bill 2026 is below:

"As I stated when I vetoed Senate Bill 627, I do not support raising the tolls. I will continue to focus on making New Hampshire more affordable for all and a destination for tourists in the region.

"For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 2026."

The Governor's veto statement for Senate Bill 481 is below:

"The budget I signed last year stated that 'All proceeds and revenue from the sale of the SYSC shall be deposited in the youth development center claims and administration settlement fund, established in RSA 21-M:11-a.' Given the history of the facility, I believe it is appropriate to dedicate revenues from the sale of the SYSC to the settlement fund. For this reason, I have vetoed Senate Bill 481."