Transcript Highlights:

• Declare the vote. 8 aye, zero nay. Chairman Bowles with a vote of 8-0-0 nay.
• I, zero, nay. We will report your bill out. Do you pass. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Summary: The House Energy Committee met for its first meeting of session and heard two bills. House Bill 3469, by Chairman Bowles, would create a three-year phase-in for higher oil and gas surety bond requirements adopted in last year’s HB 1369, giving smaller operators more time to adjust while still addressing the state’s orphaned and abandoned well liabilities. Bowles explained that some small producers have had difficulty obtaining the larger bonds, and noted the state’s need for stronger financial protection given the large number of orphaned wells. The committee asked about the bill’s effective timing, and HB 3469 was reported out of committee on an 8-0 vote. House Bill 3173, by Chairman Archer, would allow orphaned and abandoned wells to be taken over for geothermal or energy storage uses, with the goal of putting some wells back into productive use and reducing the backlog of wells needing state plugging. Archer said the state’s current pace could take roughly 200 years to clear the list, and emphasized that even a small number of wells converted to productive use would help. A question from Rep. Lepak clarified that if the well is not used for the approved purpose for 12 months, the entity taking it over becomes responsible for plugging or remediation. HB 3173 also passed 8-0 and moved to the oversight committee. House Bill 4264, relating to mines and mining, was laid over at the sponsor’s request and was not heard. The committee adjourned after noting it would plan to meet again the following week, with the possibility of needing a third meeting to finish assigned bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• There being 133 ayes and zero nays, the motion is passed and the amendment is adopted.
• The clerk will close the roll. 33 ayes and zero nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then you get zero, so you'd have to start out with a low base to get to it.
• Then you get zero, so you'd have to start out with a low base to get to it.
• Then you get zero, so you'd have to start out with a low base to get to it.
• Then you get zero, so you'd have to start out with a low base to get to it.
• Then you get zero, so you'd have to start out with a low base to get to it.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Your unanimous vote of nine ayes and zero nays.
• By your unanimous vote of eight ayes and zero nays, you have voted Senate Bill 1576 do pass.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, by your vote of eight aye, zero nay, zero present, excuse me, one absent, you have given Senate

Bills: SB1308

Keywords: foreign adversary, consumer fraud, technology security, critical infrastructure, Arizona attorney general, fraud office, appropriations, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Clerk: 111 yeas, zero nays.
• The Clerk: 111 yeas, zero nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> case of the uh The Loan program the zero case of the uh The Loan program the zero interest<01:02
• sign-in is 10 in support and zero opposed.
• </c> three signatures uh in support zero three signatures uh in support zero opposed<01:06:41.200><c>
• </c> support and zero support and zero opposed<01:06:46.520><c> thank</c><01:06:46.680><c> you</c><01
• </c> to amend the the uh article to zero to amend the the uh article to zero amount<01:46:19.320><c>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> back onto the grid should have zero back onto the grid should have zero value.<02:04:29.679><c>
• There but it certainly isn't zero value.
• . zero. zero.
• By a vote of 18 to zero, the yes. 180.
• The committee By a vote of 18 to zero.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the chair, yes. 15 to zero. All right, the motion passes 15 to zero. Any objections to consent?
• 09:20.160><c> to</c> zero.
• </c> chair, yes. 15 to zero. All right. chair, yes. 15 to zero. All right.
• </c><03:13:36.399><c> Any</c> Motion passes. 15 to zero. Any Motion passes. 15 to zero.
• </c> zero. Any objections to consent? zero. Any objections to consent?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 254, which Senator David Roford described as a technical correction to controlled substance inventory law for pharmacies. He said the bill would remove outdated language requiring inventories to be done in an odd-numbered year, while keeping the existing requirement that pharmacies conduct a full controlled substance inventory every two years in line with federal law. Members asked several clarifying questions about whether the requirement is pharmacy-by-pharmacy, whether new pharmacies would be affected, and whether the change would alter scope or compliance; the sponsor and a representative of the New Hampshire Pharmacist Association said it would not, and that it mainly provides clarity for pharmacies and inspectors. The public hearing on SB 254 was then closed, and the committee also heard support from a representative of the pharmacist community, who said the association supports the bill. The committee then discussed a non-germane amendment to SB 254 dealing with FBI background checks for educational surrogate parents under the Department of Education. Representative Leyon explained that the amendment was requested by the Department of Education after the FBI rejected prior statutory language, and that the goal was to allow people serving as educational surrogate parents to complete FBI fingerprint-based background checks so they can perform their duties. Department of Education and Department of Safety staff testified that the amendment mirrors language that has worked in other education-related background check statutes, including provisions with specific disqualifying offenses tied to child safety, and that the FBI requires precise statutory language and direct transmission of records through the Department of Safety. Members questioned why the FBI’s approval was needed, whether individuals could simply provide their own records, and whether changing federal leadership could require future changes; witnesses said the state needs both state and national records, that records must come directly from the FBI through the Department of Safety, and that the language is intended to satisfy current federal requirements. During the discussion, some members expressed skepticism about the need for the amendment and about placing it on a bill about controlled substance inventories, but no vote was taken during the portion of the transcript provided. The committee also briefly discussed a separate bill on physician assistants/physician associates, with members noting that the proposed name change would not alter scope of practice and that some outside groups had raised concerns about transparency, but that discussion was interrupted and not concluded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the remote testimony, there's five in support and zero opposed, and the blue sheet is blank.
• Your leases are not being done at zero interest, I'm presuming, over that 20 years?
• Your leases are not being done at zero interest, I'm presuming, over that 20 years?
• Your leases are not being done at zero interest, I'm presuming, over that 20 years?
• Vice Chairman McDonald seconds that. zero so the chair um do is there do I zero so the chair um do is

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, my hope is zero, because my hope is that every single hospital is following the Patients' Bill
• Well, my hope is zero, because my hope is that every single hospital is following the Patients' Bill
• Well, my hope is zero, because my hope is that every single hospital is following the Patients' Bill
• It doesn't say for the amendment; it says supported by 35, opposed by three, neutral for zero.
• It doesn't say for the amendment; it says supported by 35, opposed by three, neutral for zero.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee held a hearing on House Bill 619, which would appropriate $1 million to the Solid Waste Management Fund for matching grants to municipalities and businesses for waste diversion projects, with 50% of the money prioritized for food waste diversion. Representative Karen Ebel, the sponsor, said the fund would help New Hampshire meet its solid waste diversion goals, preserve landfill capacity, and support composting, recycling, and related local business activity. She cited New London’s composting program as an example, saying 172 families participated and 32 tons of food waste were diverted in 2024, reducing tipping and trucking costs. Committee members asked about possible alternative funding sources, including a surcharge on landfill tipping fees. Ebel said many other states use such surcharges to fund recycling and solid waste programs, while New Hampshire relies on general funds. She also said the current fund balance was about $900,000 because some money had been used for staffing, and that the grant program was still in rulemaking. Questions also focused on how household composting works and whether municipalities could generate revenue from compost; Ebel said participation is optional, most programs use buckets and transfer stations, and the main benefit is cost savings from reduced disposal rather than compost sales. Testimony in support came from the New Hampshire Municipal Association and the Northeast Resource Recovery Association. Both said municipalities are interested in food waste diversion and composting, that these programs can reduce long-term disposal costs and property tax pressure, and that there is growing demand for technical assistance and grant support. The Northeast Resource Recovery Association said food waste makes up about 24% of municipal and business waste, that fewer than two dozen communities and fewer than two dozen businesses currently offer such services, and that a City of Lebanon pilot program saw about 30% savings by composting on site. The Department of Environmental Services said it was not taking a position but is working on rulemaking for the grant program and expects strong interest from municipalities, private composters, farmers, and anaerobic digester operators. No vote or final action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so of that zero to 100, then the locals are going to be paying $770,000 of that, correct?
• Those blanks do not mean zero; they mean 10 or fewer.
• but this is true of this one are zeros but this is true of this one too<01:09:20.960><c> that</c><01
• </c><01:09:28.199><c> it</c><01:09:28.319><c> means</c> there does not mean zero it means there does
• </c> like this except with a lot more zeros like this except with a lot more zeros in<01:09:38.880><c

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session focused on special education, especially the differentiated aid component and special education aid, which members noted is still often called “catastrophic aid.” The chair said the committee was trying to better understand how special education costs are growing, how districts are delivering services through SAUs or internally, and how reimbursement formulas affect local costs. Members also discussed the need for better data before making decisions on several education funding bills, and Representative Brown was tasked with capturing questions for follow-up information from the department or elsewhere. Testimony from the state special education director, Becky Fad, centered on why student counts in various disability categories have shifted over time. She said the categories themselves have not changed much, but autism has increased because of greater understanding and identification, developmental delay has grown because it applies to children under age 10 who may not yet have a clear diagnosis, and some students previously classified under speech/language or other health impairment are now identified in more specific categories such as autism. She emphasized that the IEP is based on a child’s individual needs, so a change in category would not necessarily change services, though it may help educators support the student differently. Members asked about whether the shifts reflect better diagnostic capability, whether the department should gather more data on the reasons for the changes, and whether autism-spectrum data could be broken down further. Fad said the department does not currently have data on the causes of the shifts or on where students fall within the autism spectrum, but that collecting and analyzing such data is on its list of priorities and a new data manager had recently been hired. She also explained that each child is counted only once on the chart by primary disability, that the IEP or eligibility team determines the primary category based on evaluations, and that any child can be referred for special education by a parent, teacher, or doctor, after which the district must meet within 15 days to decide whether to evaluate. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the ayes being 121 and the nays being zero, the gentleman's motion is approved.
• By your vote of 136 ay, zero nay, and zero present, you have third read and passed House Committee Substitute
• With the yeas being 149 and the nays being zero, House Bill 1707 is third read and passed.
• With the yeas being 145 and the nays being zero, With the yeas being 145 and the nays being zero, the
• Speaker, I do have an amendment ending in zero. against it, but it's a really good bill.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> zero cost to the taxpayer. Vote green. zero cost to the taxpayer. Vote green.
• There being 133 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed as amended and its title agreed to.
• There being 133 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title agreed to.
• There being 133 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title agreed to.
• There being 133 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And the reason that has zero impact on the lapse is because we're accepting those other funds into the
• So, there is zero impact to the lapse.
• And the reason that has<00:23:44.880><c> zero</c><00:23:45.160><c> impact</c><00:23:45.680><c> on</c>
• 45.760><c> the</c><00:23:45.840><c> lapse</c><00:23:46.240><c> is</c><00:23:46.360><c> cuz</c> has zero
• impact on the lapse is cuz has zero impact on the lapse is cuz we're<00:23:47.120><c> accepting</c><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the March 20 minutes and then adopted the remainder of the consent calendar, after removing two items for separate discussion. On item 26071, members questioned a $95,000 DoubleTree Manchester contract for a two-day conference. Department staff said the hotel was the only bidder, the conference typically draws more than 500 attendees, most of the cost is food offset by registration fees, and attendees pay their own lodging except for presenters. The committee then approved the item. On item 26068, members asked for clearer reporting on remaining federal funds in continuing items. DHHS said about $10.3 million remained as of February 28, 2026, and agreed to provide the original award amounts and a reconciliation later. The committee approved the item. The committee then took up a DHHS transfer item for the developmental disability system, where officials said projected costs had risen because of delayed pandemic-era billings, new individuals entering the system, and higher individual service budgets. They said the budget was built on older assumptions, that carryforward funds had fallen from about $94 million to $72 million, and that the transfer would not affect lapse because it shifts general funds while federal Medicaid funds are accepted in return. The item was adopted. The committee also approved a hiring request and then a late Corrections item tied to overtime and recruitment. Corrections officials said the department is about 50% staffed for corrections officers, typical overtime is an eight-hour shift, inmate populations are beginning to rise again, and the department is using academy blitzes, out-of-state recruiting, targeted advertising, and a $10,000 sign-on bonus paid after academy completion and one year of service. Senator Gray said the late item was intended to help reduce a larger request expected in June, and the committee adopted the item. Finally, members questioned DHHS item 26074 on the New Hampshire Care Connection system and its interoperability with provider and managed care systems. DHHS said the system already has SMART on FHIR integration, single sign-on, and deeper integration options, and that managed care organizations are working with the contractor on use cases and data exchange. Officials said the project has been multi-phase, including the 988 crisis-response migration, privacy/security work, a provider network of more than 100 organizations, and a searchable resource portal managed by Granite United Way. They said the closed-referral solution is funded largely with Medicaid federal funds and is planned to continue in the base budget, not the rural health grant. The discussion ended without further action noted in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had zero issues with any of the dry cask storage. Zero.
• We've had zero issues with any of the dry cast storage. have the drycast storage, we've had zero issues
• Zero. And I put one in my backyard, as they say, I've been asked that, and I said, yes, I would.
• Dang, zero radiation yet again.
• identified and the mitigating or offsetting of those risks, we'll try to bring it down as close to zero

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• Zero nays. All right. Can this go on the consent calendar?
• </c><00:15:33.120><c> Zero</c><00:15:33.440><c> nays.</c> &gt;&gt; 15 yays. Zero nays.
• Zero nays. All<00:15:36.240><c> right.</c><00:15:36.800><c> Um,</c> All right. Um, All right.
• Chairman Lynn. >> Yes. 15 yays, zero nays. Any problem with this going on consent?
• &gt;&gt; 15<00:50:45.920><c> yays,</c><00:50:46.480><c> zero</c><00:50:46.800><c> nays.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began by explaining that the meeting was a work session and that votes would only be taken where there was clear consensus. CACR 6, the proposed constitutional amendment on a “right to compute,” was discussed first but not acted on because the prime sponsor was absent. Members raised concerns about whether the issue belonged in the constitution and what the amendment would mean in practice, and the chair recessed the matter for a future meeting. HB 74, concerning the definition of “citizen” for the right-to-know law and disclosure of preliminary drafts circulated to a quorum or majority of a public body, drew little support. Members noted the Senate’s prior rejection of a related bill and agreed the proposal was unlikely to advance. A motion to ITL the bill passed unanimously by roll call, 15-0, and the bill was placed on the consent calendar. HB 232, dealing with rights of conscience for medical professionals, was also recessed. Members said they had not yet seen the amendment, which was described as narrowing the bill to abortion-related issues and limiting penalties. Several members said they could not judge the bill without the amendment and expected disagreement, so the chair recessed it. HB 253, on interest-bearing pooled trust accounts maintained by lawyers, was discussed at length; the chair said the bill did not address the underlying IOLTA issue and would likely create conflict with the bar and judiciary. Members cited existing Supreme Court procedures and suggested the bill was unnecessary. A straw vote showed support for interim study and ITL, and the committee ultimately voted 15-0 to place HB 253 on consent. HB 293, aimed at preventing minors from accessing obscene material on internet-connected devices, prompted substantial debate. Members generally supported the goal but objected to the bill’s private right of action, its focus on manufacturers rather than content providers or internet platforms, uncertainty about the filtering technology required, and concerns about defining obscenity on a national rather than community basis. The committee discussed forming a subcommittee to work on the bill further, and members volunteered to serve, indicating the issue would be revisited rather than voted on immediately.

Transcript Highlights:

• The administration’s proposed FY 2026 budget goes even further, calling for the entire zeroing out of
• In fact— In fact, the zeroing out of the NEA and the NEH and IMLS is actually not a surprise.
• And they're now being told that they're getting zeroed out.
• So, you know, I guess my. and they're now being told that they're getting zeroed out.
• I have zero dollars to fund any of the work that I was planning to make this year.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two I, zero no's. BR has been adopted. Mr.
• Clerk, lock the machine to record the vote. 1002 I, zero nays.
• Clerk, lock the machine and record the vote: 101 ayes, zero nays.
• Record the vote: 102 ayes, zero nays. HB 225 has been adopted.
• Clerk will lock the machine and record the vote: 102 ayes, zero nays.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Eleven ayes, zero nays. Any objection to consent? Hearing none, the bill will be on consent.
• Eleven ayes, zero nays. Any objection to consent? Hearing none, the bill will be on consent.
• </c><00:39:38.079><c> Zero</c><00:39:38.400><c> nay.</c> Chair votes yes. 11. Zero nay.
• Zero. Nay. Vote being 10. Nothing.
• </c><01:19:46.960><c> Zero.</c><01:19:47.280><c> Nay.</c> Chair votes yes. 10. Yay. Zero. Nay.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first returned to House Bill 157, which had been left pending from an earlier session. After correcting the procedural posture, the committee voted on a motion of ought to pass and it failed on a roll call. A reconsideration motion then passed unanimously, restoring the bill to the floor. Representative Turcot then moved ITL, explaining the committee believed there was a better path, likely through an ad hoc study and a future bill; that motion passed 9-2, and the chair said a minority report would be required and not to place the bill on consent. The committee next took up House Bill 331, which would require the Secretary of State to publish the current location of bills on the website until gubernatorial action. Supporters said the bill would reduce confusion and legislative limbo after bills leave the House and Senate. Online testimony was reported as 116 in support and 4 opposed. The committee voted 11-0 to pass the bill and placed it on consent. House Bill 347 followed, dealing with protections for legislators’ employment when serving in office. Supporters argued it would protect elected officials from employer retaliation and clarify existing law; opponents said it was an unnecessary mandate on employers and raised enforcement concerns, especially for out-of-state employers. The committee voted 8-3 to pass the bill, and a minority report was anticipated; it was not placed on consent. The committee then considered House Bill 605, which included student loan forgiveness provisions tied to legislative service. Members opposing the bill argued legislators are not state employees and should not receive that benefit, while others noted the bill’s employment-related provisions and the difficulty of meeting the hours requirement. The committee voted 11-0 to ITL House Bill 605 and placed it on consent.