Governor Signs 16 Bills, Including Reading Program Repeal

A busy Monday at the State House ended with 16 bills signed into law, three bills killed, and two measures advancing out of committee. The day’s most debated education move was the repeal of a state reading training program that lawmakers said relied on outdated methods.

Signed into Law

• Education

  • HB 1529 — Repeals the reading recovery teacher training program, which critics say conflicts with evidence-based reading instruction approaches.
  • SB 600 — Requires the governor to submit quarterly budget reports on the general and education trust funds to the legislature’s fiscal committee.

• Environment

  • HB 1425 — Directs the state to build an online processing system for wetlands permits, replacing the current paper-based process.
  • HB 1733 — Modifies how default electric service is procured and how competitive supply costs are passed on to ratepayers.
  • SB 644 — Requires background checks for owners of solid and hazardous waste facilities.

• Healthcare

  • SB 516 — Adjusts certain unclassified executive-level positions within the Department of Health and Human Services.

• Consumer and Public Affairs

  • SB 610 — Requires a public comment period before long-term care facilities can raise rates under certain circumstances.
  • SB 598 — Establishes a task force to develop loan and grant programs for cyanobacteria (toxic algae bloom) mitigation on NH lakes.
  • SB 619 — Creates expedited court procedures for handling animals confiscated in cruelty cases.
  • HB 1381 — Extends the window during which candidates can file for party nominations.
  • SB 505 — Updates guide license applications and removes the temporary OHRV registration fee for nonresident visitors.

• Transportation

  • HB 1549 — Requires vehicle titles and bills of sale only at initial registration or ownership transfer, not at renewal.
  • SB 500 — Requires facilities to give commercial truck drivers access to restrooms during deliveries and pickups.

• Other

  • HB 1073 — Clarifies the timeline for the Secretary of State to complete the DAO registry.
  • SB 633 — Adjusts how donations to the Granite Patron of the Arts Fund are handled.
  • SB 655 — Updates employee leasing and workers’ compensation rules; exempts minor league baseball players from the state minimum wage.

Killed

• HB 1072 — Would have required the Department of Labor to notify employers before launching workplace investigations.
• SB 231 — Would have modified road frontage requirements and wetland setback regulations.
• HB 256 — Would have created a state committee to study the 1967 federal USS Liberty incident; killed in committee.

On the Move

• SB 429 — A bill requiring state-funded trauma kits in public schools moved from committee to active consideration.
• SB 475 — A bill adding “best interest of the animal” to the legal definition of animal foster homes also advanced out of committee.

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To see how your specific representatives voted on these bills, visit nhpolitics.org/find-your-rep.