Transcript Highlights:

• no payments anymore this year for the snowmobile because there's not enough money in the account.
• So it might be the snowmobilers, the bikers, all those who are using that trail.
• That is funded through a grant-in-aid program with dedicated accounts through the snowmobile account
• to which we money from your snowmobiles to which we just<00:57:33.799> found<00:57:34.160>
• part of for example the snowmobile part of for example the snowmobile system<00:58:30.880> and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• HHO provides hunting, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, ATVing, hot air balloons, and we’ve done dog sled
• HHO provides hunting, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, ATVing, hot air balloons, and we’ve done dog sled
• We leverage some of the resorts that you’ve... hiking snow snowmobiling snowboarding hiking snow snowmobiling
• <01:11:10.239> atving<01:11:11.080> hot<01:11:11.320> a hiking snowmobiling
• atving hot a hiking snowmobiling atving hot a balloons<01:11:12.400> uh<01:11:12.520> we've

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Snowmobiles and OHVs for the North Country is a huge thing.
• <02:22:38.399> and snowmobiling and snowmobiling and atving<02:22:40.720> um<02:22:40.880
• Why do we not have world-class snowmobile races?
• Why do we not have world-class snowmobile races?
• snowmobile snowmobile races<02:34:22.640> why<02:34:22.840> do<02:34:23.080> we

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an orientation for the Resources, Recreation and Development Committee, led by Chair Bob Harb. He reviewed committee procedures, including pink cards for witnesses, blue sheets for counts, use of drawers in the committee room, scheduling practices, and how bills would be posted and distributed. Members briefly introduced themselves and explained why they wanted to serve on the committee, with several citing interests in conservation, water quality, outdoor recreation, land use, and related local issues. The committee then opened a hearing on HB 1113, relative to OHRV operation on certain highways within the town of Windsor. Representative Ré Colcombe, the sponsor, explained that the bill would allow local OHV/UTV access across a short section of state road in Windsor so residents on divided portions of town could travel legally between areas. He said the town selectmen were already allowing OHRV use on town roads, the route was paved, traffic impacts were expected to be minimal, and local police had no objections. He also said the town would hold public hearings and notify abutters as required, and that if the select board ultimately opposed the proposal he would recommend killing the bill. Members asked about the legal authority for the change, speed limits, traffic volume, winter maintenance, and whether the Department of Transportation or select board had to approve the route. Colcombe said the town must hold a public hearing and that the change would need to be incorporated into RSA 258:10, section 4. He said the road is maintained by the town in winter and by the state in summer. An opponent, Anne Davis, testified that she opposed the bill, saying ATV use should be treated as a tool for forest management rather than recreation, that law enforcement capacity in Windsor was a concern, and that she believed affected residents should be fully notified before any approval. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at the state snowmobiles."
• trail financed solely by snowmobile trail financed solely by snowmobile<00:27:22.640> registrations
• snowmobile registrations. snowmobile registrations.
• is a trail network for the snowmobiles is a trail network for the snowmobiles which<00:38:27.599
• There is no the local snowmobile club.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Snowmobilers do a huge amount of trail maintenance, especially in the Quabbin watershed, and they are
• We have snowmobilers and others, and then we have the folks in communities of elders or this disability
• I'm the Government Affairs Director of the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts.
• To testify on behalf of Senate Bill 633 and House Bill 1070, an act to create a free snowmobile weekend
• For almost 60 years, our organization has created and maintained trails for snowmobiling in the winter

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing covered several environment and natural resources bills focused on natural and working lands, forest protection, municipal reforestation, trail accessibility, and a park naming bill. Representative Moschino and Senator Comerford described the natural and working lands bill as part of the state’s climate roadmap, arguing that protecting these lands supports carbon sequestration, resilience, biodiversity, and helps prevent development pressure on the least expensive land. Senator Comerford also testified on a separate bill to expand access to trails for people of all abilities, saying it would build on the administration’s Trails for All initiative and create a permanent advisory structure and trust fund. Representative Consolvo and family members testified in support of H. 4259 to name the tennis courts at Wether Park in Roslindale after Kim O’Connell, describing her long community service and activism. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 952 and H. 953, bills to protect watershed and state forest lands as parks or reserves. Supporters, including environmental advocates, scientists, and organizations such as Standing Trees, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and the Massachusetts Forest Alliance’s opponents, debated whether state forests and watershed lands should be permanently reserved from logging and other active management. Supporters said the bills would improve carbon storage, water quality, biodiversity, flood and drought resilience, and would protect large acreages of public land at no cost. Opponents, including the Massachusetts Forest Alliance, argued that sustainable forest management and a mix of reserves and managed forests are needed for climate, water quality, wildfire prevention, rural jobs, and carbon outcomes, and urged the committee to allow the administration’s existing reserve process to continue. The committee also heard extensive testimony on the municipal reforestation bill, H. 1013/S. 553, which would create a statewide program, advisory council, and trust fund to support urban tree planting and maintenance. Municipal officials and advocates from Wellesley, Cambridge, Boston, the Mystic River watershed, and other communities said urban trees are critical for cooling, stormwater control, air quality, public health, and equity, especially in environmental justice neighborhoods with low canopy cover and high heat. Several witnesses emphasized that consistent funding is needed because trees take years to mature and many municipalities lack staff or watering capacity. Some witnesses asked that the bill be funded at $100 million and tied to the Mass Ready Act or environmental bond funding. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next is House Bill 894, which is an act relating to prohibiting the use of snowmobiles on the BB Spur
• Please listen to the first reading of the bill. >> H.894, an act relating to prohibiting the use of snowmobiles
• House Bill 894 is an act relating to prohibiting the use of snowmobiles on the BB Spur Rail Trail, introduced
• Please listen to the first reading of the bill. >> H.894, an act relating to prohibiting the use of snowmobiles

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Representative Ken Wells, who reflected on his father’s approach to news and argued that reducing time spent watching it could improve people’s well-being. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the chamber took up five new bills: H.891 on the definition of harassment in Title 16, H.892 on school attendance requirements, H.893 creating a municipal emergency shelter program and reimbursing municipalities for emergency housing costs, H.894 prohibiting snowmobiles on the BB Spur Rail Trail, and H.895 on secondary enforcement of certain motor vehicle violations. Each was read for the first time and referred to the appropriate committee; H.566, concerning sealing postcharge court diversion records, was referred to Ways and Means under House Rule 35A. The House also read H.C.R. 166, a congratulatory resolution honoring the Pick and Shovel in Newport City on its 50th anniversary. A member from Newport City spoke in support, describing the store’s history and the Hamlet family’s long service to the community, and invited the family to the chamber. Additional announcements recognized Vermont Law and Graduate School’s 50th anniversary and congratulated Vermont athletes, including Ben Ogden and Paula Moltzan, with one member correcting the record on Moltzan’s event. The House also voted to move H.403, relating to fair labor and housing standards for agricultural workers, from General and Housing to Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry. In the day’s only floor action on legislation, H.611, miscellaneous provisions affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access, was taken up on third reading and passed. The House then announced caucus meetings and other events, including a producer night hosted by the Agency of Agriculture, and adjourned by motion until Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there should be no snowmobile trails being shut down or bike trails being shut down or anything like
• So there should be no snowmobile trails being shut down or bike trails being shut down or anything like
• So there should be no snowmobile trails being shut down or bike trails being shut down or anything like
• So there should be no snowmobile<00:03:04.400> trails<00:03:04.879> being<00:03:05.120>
• shut<00:03:05.360> down<00:03:05.519> or snowmobile trails being shut down or snowmobile

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So this proposal has to do with the general administration of ORV and snowmobile registration requirements
• <00:12:45.120> and general administration of O RV and general administration of O RV and snowmobile
• snowmobile registration requirements. snowmobile registration requirements.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The JLCAR June meeting opened with the pledge, approval of the prior minutes, and adoption of the consent calendar after one Fish and Game item was pulled for separate consideration. The committee then reordered the regular calendar and postponed an HHS item at the agency’s request because work was still ongoing. The committee next considered OPLC item 2547, concerning amendments to licensure and discipline forms for regulated professions. Members raised concerns that the application was still too geared toward health professions and that renewal forms should be shorter, but the agency said it was moving toward a dynamic online form that would collapse irrelevant questions. The committee concluded the issue was more about agency operations than policy and adopted the rule. For DNCR item 2551, on rules for the Adopt-a-Park volunteer program, staff explained the agency had been operating the program under statute but had realized rules were required and had been using DOJ review in the meantime. Committee members noted the agency had not followed the rulemaking requirement but was now correcting it, and the rule was approved. Fish and Game item 2570, on electronic OHRV and snowmobile registration applications, drew discussion over whether the online process should be processed in five days to match mail-in applications or remain at ten days; the agency cited workload and file-transfer delays, and the committee adopted a conditional approval with an oral amendment leaving the ten-day timeframe in place for now. In other business, staff described a planned upgrade to the committee’s agency portal and database workflow, moving from email submissions to an online portal with better form validation and document upload features. Members supported the modernization and approved the manual change, with implementation expected after agency sign-up and training later in the summer.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this proposal has to do with the general administration of ORV and snowmobile registration requirements
• <00:12:45.120> and general administration of O RV and general administration of O RV and snowmobile
• snowmobile registration requirements. snowmobile registration requirements.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The JLCAR meeting opened with approval of the prior minutes and the consent calendar, after one Fish and Game item was pulled from consent for separate discussion. The committee then reordered the regular calendar and postponed an HHS item at the agency’s request because work on the proposal was still ongoing and the sponsoring representative was absent. The committee next considered OPLC item 2547, dealing with amendments to licensure and discipline forms for regulated professions. Members raised concerns that the form appeared geared toward health professions and that boards were not sufficiently involved in the process. OPLC responded that the form was being moved toward a dynamic online format with logic to collapse irrelevant questions, and that the agency was trying to make the application more user-friendly. The committee approved the item. DNCR item 2551, concerning volunteer/adopt-a-park program rules, was approved after the agency acknowledged it had been operating the program and using forms before formal rules were adopted, and said it was now correcting that issue. Fish and Game item 2570, on electronic OHRV and snowmobile registration applications, drew discussion over processing times. The committee chair argued for consistency with the five-day mail-in processing period, while Fish and Game said it had concerns about file-transfer delays and workload and preferred 10 days. The committee ultimately approved the proposal with an oral amendment and conditional approval. In other business, staff described a broader move to an online agency portal for submitting rulemaking documents, replacing email submissions. Members supported the change as a modernization effort and noted it would also make it easier to see which rules are nearing expiration. The committee approved the manual change, with implementation planned for early August after agency training.

Transcript Highlights:

• OHRV encompasses snowmobiles, ATVs, and UTVs, so there's a difference between those different vehicles
• <00:25:53.159> uh<00:25:54.200> ATVs snowmobiles uh ATVs snowmobiles uh ATVs utvs<00:25
• <00:28:07.240> and<00:28:07.720> oh throughout the state snowmobile and oh throughout
• the state snowmobile and oh HRV<00:28:09.440> um<00:28:09.960> and<00:28:10.399> the
• trails um so Crossings for snowmobile trails um so the<00:33:17.960> perming<00:33:18.399>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee heard testimony on House Bill 375, which would allow municipalities to designate certain road segments for ATV travel, create maps and signage for those routes, set seasonal limits, and require certain equipment on ATVs such as lights, a horn, flashers, and directional signals. The sponsor, Rep. Dan Maguire, said the bill is intended to support tourism and give towns a structured, optional way to permit ATV use on roads, not to override existing uses. Members asked about possible overlap with agricultural vehicle rules, golf carts, speed limits, and whether the bill could allow ATV use on busier roads or expressways; the sponsor said he did not intend to interfere with existing lawful uses and believed golf carts would only be included if they met the relevant statutory requirements. NHDOT State Maintenance Engineer Alan Hennessy said the department had concerns with language exempting municipalities and the Bureau of Trails from the permitting process, arguing that the existing permit system provides needed review, public notice, and signage requirements. He also raised questions about road funding and maintenance if ATVs were allowed on state highways. Fish and Game Captain Michael Eastman testified that his commission opposed the bill as written, citing concerns about the ATV definition, the distinction between ATVs, UTVs, and other OHRVs, and the potential impact on state highways and road maintenance. He said towns can already open roads to OHRV use under existing law, and he noted that accident data for road use would generally be handled by local police or State Police rather than Fish and Game. Craig Reny, chief of the Bureau of Trails, said the current Bureau of Trails/DOT permit process for highway crossings and connectors works well and is used to ensure safety through engineering review. He said his bureau was not taking a position on the bill but wanted to clarify that existing procedures already address many of the issues the bill appears to cover. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• winters, and that's creating a really difficult shoulder season when folks are usually reliant on snowmobiles
• winters, and that's creating a really difficult shoulder season when folks are usually reliant on snowmobiles
• winters, and that's creating a really difficult shoulder season when folks are usually reliant on snowmobiles
• ATVs<00:28:13.960> um<00:28:14.320> skiing<00:28:14.880> all riant on snowmobiles
• ATVs um skiing all riant on snowmobiles ATVs um skiing all the<00:28:15.159> outdoor<00:28:15.519

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have the distinct honor to represent Senate District 1, which has more snowmobile trails in it than
• New Hampshire Snowmobile Association is requesting the ability to enable their nonprofit-affiliated 501
• that the New Hampshire Snowmobile that the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association<00:10:29.560>
• So, the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association is a C4. The Snow Travel Foundation would be a C3.
• We get two snowmobiles and two snowmobile trailers, and the clubs sell 5,000 tickets a year to raise

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three transportation bills. SB 154 would add the Snow Traveler Foundation to the list of charitable organizations authorized to offer multi-use decal plates through the existing Department of Safety program. Senator David Roford said the bill would create a non-tax funding source for snowmobile trail maintenance, especially after flood damage, and Dan Gold of the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association said the foundation would accept tax-deductible donations for projects such as upgraded trail signage. He explained that the association’s 96 volunteer clubs maintain about 7,000 miles of trails and that the sign program is costly. No opposition was presented, and the hearing was closed after questions from members about the foundation’s status and fundraising goals. SB 271 would expand eligibility for veteran license plates to include veterans with a general discharge under honorable conditions. The sponsor’s representative said the change would recognize service members who are already eligible for many veterans benefits but are excluded from plates under current law. Supporters included Phil Grizzo, who argued that general discharges often reflect service that was otherwise honorable, and Kevin Grady of the State Veterans Advisory Committee, which said it strongly supported the bill and was also considering broader statutory cleanup to standardize the definition of veteran across state law. Committee members asked whether the change should be limited to plates or applied more broadly, but the sponsor said broader changes would be a separate policy question. The public hearing was then closed. SB 273, titled “Cheryl’s Law,” would update New Hampshire’s move-over requirements for motorists approaching stopped or standing vehicles on the roadside, including stranded vehicles and those with warning signals. Senator Donovan Fenton said the bill was intended to save lives and honor Staff Sergeant Jesse Cheryl and Brigadier General John Pogo, both of whom died in roadside incidents. He said the measure would require drivers to slow down, change lanes if safe, and move over for roadside vehicles, with the intent of education rather than punishment. Committee members asked about enforcement, the lack of a fiscal note, whether the bill applied statewide, and whether the language could be read as weakening the move-over requirement; the sponsor said it applied to all roads, did not change fines, and was meant to clarify and broaden safety obligations. The hearing continued with additional questions, and the sponsor said state police and other safety stakeholders supported the approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 81 would exempt off-highway vehicles, otherwise known as OHVs, so that would be snowmobiles
• 51.560> that'd<00:12:51.720> be known as OBS so that'd be known as OBS so that'd be snowmobiles
• <00:12:53.760> um snowmobiles um snowmobiles um ebikes<00:12:55.839> uh<00:12:55.959>
• I'm testifying on behalf of the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association, or more commonly referred
• from medical devices to snowmobiles from medical devices to snowmobiles while<01:19:06.639> businesses

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• those first responder roles and get them outside to go canoeing, to go hunting, to go ating, etc., snowmobiling
• those first responder roles and get them outside to go canoeing, to go hunting, to go ating, etc., snowmobiling
• Snowmobiling, and it has had an amazing impact on the lives and the families that he has served, and
• Representative Frederick was talking—Representative Hill, sorry—talking about going outdoors, snowmobiling
• the Lake are a lot of PTSD, and I think Representative Hill was talking about going outdoors, snowmobiling

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We use it right now for storage: boats, snowmobiles.
• At this point, the armory is being used for regional equipment, in particular our snowmobiles... ...equipment
• , in particular our snowmobiles and ATVs for the North Country.
• We can be able to access our snowmobiles quicker, access ATVs when law enforcement needs to respond to

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing reconvened with testimony from several agencies on their capital budget requests. The Department of Environmental Services requested a little over $38 million, with major emphasis on dam repairs and design work for aging state-owned dams, including a $5.25 million match for possible FEMA BRIC funding at Pawtuckaway/Tuckaway and other projects such as Milton Three Ponds, Murphy Dam, and Lakeport Gates. DES also requested funding for state revolving loan fund matches, a Superfund match for the Savage Well site, IT and air-monitoring upgrades, and a new $750,000 cybersecurity request for water and wastewater systems. Committee members asked about FEMA eligibility, the distinction between design and construction money, and the timing and risk of banking funds if federal grants do not materialize. The University System of New Hampshire requested $20 million in state support, primarily $15 million for a major Diamond Library renovation at UNH to create a student support hub and reduce/repurpose collection space, plus $2.5 million each for deferred maintenance at Plymouth State and Keene State. The Community College System requested about $16.6 million across seven projects, led by critical maintenance, campus safety/security upgrades, IT infrastructure, parking and site improvements, HVAC replacement at White Mountains Community College in Littleton, a building management/energy system, and modernization of NHTI’s dental clinic and radiology spaces. The Department of Education requested $29.5 million, including a $4.9 million internal management platform to replace paper-based and siloed systems, plus career and technical education capital projects; Milford’s CTE project was described as being revised after repeated failed bond votes, while ConVal said its revised project would focus on modernizing existing CTE space and adding a security vestibule. Fish and Game requested $1.075 million for three facilities: Sewall Falls in Concord, the Lancaster Armory, and the Bunker Lane Barn in Durham, focusing on structural repairs, security, reconfiguration, and in one case replacement of a failing barn with a new 40-by-60 building. The department also said hatchery work is ongoing but that it is taking a cautious approach because of the planned New Hampton Hatchery and future capital needs. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources requested $9.26 million for eight projects, including campground electrical upgrades at Ellacoya and Lake Francis, White Lake water system replacement, Mount Washington fuel tank and safety work, Odiorne Point visitor center work funded through parks revenue, roofing and parking lot repairs, Fox Forest office safety upgrades, and historic site repairs at White Island and Fort Constitution. Members asked about revenue-based capital, the stability of the parks fund, and flexibility in choosing projects as bids come in. The Department of Transportation began its presentation at the end of the transcript, but its detailed requests were not yet discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, if you don't follow snowmobiling pro snowmobiling, you should, because she is one of the baddest.
• Um if you don't<00:06:54.120> follow<00:06:55.080> snowmobiling<00:06:55.680> pro
• > don't follow snowmobiling pro don't follow snowmobiling pro snowmobiling,<00:06:56.680> you<
• > should,<00:06:57.200> because<00:06:57.520> she<00:06:57.720> is snowmobiling
• , you should, because she is snowmobiling, you should, because she is one<00:06:58.000> of<00:

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I want to uh encourage all of my friends that have snowmobiles and skis to pack them up and head
• :30:24.480> friends<00:30:24.640> that<00:30:24.880> have<00:30:25.039> snowmobiles
• all of my friends that have snowmobiles all of my friends that have snowmobiles and<00:30:25.840

Bills: HF3393

Keywords: unemployment insurance, iron ore mining, additional benefits, labor force, economic support, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:49:26.080> and clarifies that um snowmobiles and clarifies that um snowmobiles and all-terrain
• It increases the penalty for a snowmobile that's not registered or lacks a TMA decal.
• <04:03:33.359> from<04:03:33.760> $135 of an unregistered snowmobile from $135 of an
• <04:07:17.760> noted<04:07:18.080> in unregistered snowmobiles noted in unregistered
• snowmobiles noted in section<04:07:18.720> 13.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House returned from recess and took up S. 208, a bill on standards for law enforcement identification. The House Judiciary Committee explained that it had rewritten the bill into a model-policy approach focused on Vermont state and local agencies, rather than imposing direct requirements on all law enforcement, because of constitutional and preemption concerns raised by a recent Ninth Circuit decision. The amended bill would direct the Law Enforcement Advisory Board to develop a statewide policy on officer identification and facial coverings by July 2027, require agencies to adopt a consistent policy by October 1, 2027, and deem agencies to have adopted the model policy if they do not act. The committee reported the bill favorably on a 6-5 vote. Members then debated an amendment offered by Representatives Berbeco and McGill to restore federal officers to the bill. Supporters argued that public authority should not be anonymous, that visible identification is necessary for transparency, accountability, and public trust, and that the bill should apply to federal agents as well as state and local officers. They said the amendment included exemptions for undercover work, tactical teams, protective equipment, and safety concerns, and argued Vermont should not wait for courts to resolve every constitutional question before acting. Opponents on the Judiciary Committee said the language remained likely unconstitutional and could jeopardize the bill’s passage; the committee had found the amendment unfavorable on an 8-1 vote. The floor debate continued with several members speaking in favor of the amendment, including arguments that other states have adopted similar requirements and that Vermont should lead on the issue. One member raised a point of order that was not sustained, and the Speaker ruled federal authority relevant to the question. The transcript ends while debate on the amendment was still underway, after a request for a roll-call vote was granted, with no final floor vote on the amendment shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The man claimed that he had run out of gas while riding a snowmobile.
• Through a kitchen window, the deputy observed that the individual was not dressed for snowmobiling and
• out of gas while riding a snowmobile. out of gas while riding a snowmobile.
• She referenced a story about the roof of somebody with a broken snowmobile, and another about someone
• We just uh heard that snowmobile.

Bills: HF1567, HF2809, HF3380

Keywords: public safety officer, peace officer, correctional officer, law enforcement, police privacy, officer safety, doxxing, personal information, data privacy, government data practices, private data, internet posting, online disclosure, residential address, phone number, email address, family member protection, child safety, school information, public records

Transcript Highlights:

• or who are in first responder roles, getting them outside to go canoeing, hunting, ATVing, and snowmobiling
• Representative Hill, sorry, talking about going outdoors, snowmobiling, fishing, doing that.