2024 Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1093prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks involved in interacting in public ways with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of government to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germaphobe', and inserting the government into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of individuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1233relative to animal chiropractors.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill exempts individuals who have completed a nationally-recognized animal chiropractic program, as determined by the executive director of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, from veterinary licensure requirements.

  * This bill allows those trained in animal chiropractic therapy to practice in New Hampshire without being required to become a licensed veterinarian.
  * This bill will keep the cost of treatment low and availability high for animal chiropractic as the provider's costs will not be heavily inflated by excessive training requirements.
  * The governor's veto message makes the case that one reason to oppose the bill is "stakeholders from the chiropractic and veterinary communities have been uniform in expressing concern over potential unintended consequences". In fact, this is a reason to <i>support</i> the bill. It is not at all uncommon for entrenched stakeholders to seek protection from the state to prevent others from entering the marketplace.

• Anti-libertyHB 1293(New Title) relative to the use of certain fertilizers on turf.NAY Override
  Why

  This bill relies on vague and often confusing definitions to restrict the actions of property owners.

  * This bill attempts to mitigate potential externalities associated with the use of fertilizers by homeowners and small businesses while containing carve-outs for politically-connected businesses such as golf courses. It restricts actions that property owners can take based on the forecasts of undefined entities with undefined geographic boundaries. Further, the temporal limitations as applied to weather (predicted or real) have no basis in science. For example, if granular fertilizer is placed on soil and not watered-in during drought conditions and a week later 'heavy rain' occurs, it's unclear that there would be any difference in the risk of run.
  * Proposed RSA 431:4-e V at first glance appears to provide easy-to-understand language relative to application of fertilizer in proximity to a storm drain, but then continues on with language that lacks clarity. <i>"No fertilizer shall be applied to urban turf or lawn within 25 feet of a storm drain. <b>No fertilizer shall be deposited where it can enter a storm drain.</b></I>". A homeowner who applies fertilizer 200 feet from a storm drain would be at risk of violating this provision if clay soils and rain resulted in washout of the fertilizer to a distant drain.
  * Education and voluntary best practices are preferable over legislation that might be rendered ineffective or unjust due to the inherent uncertainties in predicting the weather and interpreting vague language.

• Pro-libertyHB 1581relative to cultivation locations for alternative treatment centers.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill allows a second cultivation center to be considered for alternative treatment centers.

  * Allowing an additional cultivation location for alternative treatment centers further protects patients by allowing for the stabilization of supplied medicine in the event that the single production facility experiences a production stoppage.
  * This bill also allows for the protection of medical cannabis products to be available to patients with a lessened risk of supply constriction in the event that recreational cannabis is finally passed by the legislature.

• Anti-libertyHB 194(Third New Title) requiring the director of the division of historical resources to compile and maintain a list of public monuments and requiring legislative approval of the amendment or permanent removal of historical markers.NAY Override
  Why

  This bill requires the director of the Division of Historical Resources to periodically compile and publish a survey of all monuments in the state.

  * While this is a seemingly innocuous bill, it does provide the pretext for growing spending in the state to perform an activity that is better served by private individuals and hobbyists.
  * To the extent that such a list provides some value, it is well within the reasonable purview of the director of the Division of Historical Resources to consider creating such a list without a time interval mandated by law.

• Pro-libertySB 63(New Title) relative to the adoption of public health ordinances by municipalities.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill makes a modest change to the conditions under which unelected health officers may make regulations.

  * Under current law, health officers of towns may make regulations on nearly any topic related to public health.
  * The bill restricts health officers' regulatory authority to prevention and removal of nuisances and other similar threats to public health. In the public hearing, testimony was provided indicating that nuisances are well-defined in law. While there is a history of even clearly-defined limits on government power being 'redefined out of existence', the updated language certainly confers no additional powers and may provide some bounds on abuse of power.

9 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1127(New Title) relative to the revocation and suspension of drivers' licenses and to invalidating out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants.Support
  Why

  This bill, as agreed upon by the Committee of Conference, returns to the original House language that legalizes driving a tractor or lawn mower with a suspended license so long as one doesn't drive on public ways.

  * A suspended driver's license should not prevent someone from mowing their lawn.
  * A suspended driver's license should not prevent someone from using a tractor on their own property.

• Pro-libertyHB 1233relative to animal chiropractors.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill exempts individuals who have completed a nationally recognized animal chiropractic program, as determined by the executive director of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, from veterinary licensure requirements.

  * This bill allows those trained in animal chiropractic therapy to practice in New Hampshire without being required to become a licensed veterinarian.
  * This bill will keep the cost of treatment low and availability high for animal chiropractic as the provider's costs will not be heavily inflated by excessive training requirements.

• Pro-libertyHB 1400(Third New Title) relative to residential parking spaces, landlord-tenant law, unauthorized occupant evictions, and zoning procedures concerning residential housing.Support
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed Committee of Conference amendment, provides that zoning and planning regulations shall not require more than 1.5 residential parking spaces per unit. In addition, it specifies the rights and obligations of each party in cases of evictions of unauthorized occupants and provides remedies for violations of landlord-tenant law and unauthorized occupancy evictions.

  * This bill specifies that zoning and planning regulations shall not require more than 1.5 parking spaces per residential unit. This is a good first step in allowing the free market to determine how much parking is required.
  * This bill also strengthens property owners' rights by establishing clear laws with specific legal outcomes for tenants who abandon properties or others who attempt to squat in them.
  * With the passage of this bill, New Hampshire owners will have more legal tools available to them to protect their property.

• Pro-libertySB 266(New Title) relative to administration of school assessment and accountability programs by the department of education.Support
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed Committee of Conference amendment, protects student privacy by prohibiting testing entities that contract with the state from disclosing student data to any person, organization, entity, or government or any component thereof, other than the parent or guardian, the department, or the school or school district unless authorized by the parent or guardian.

  * The state has a responsibility to protect the privacy of students, and this bill ensures that when they contract with a testing entity, that the contract requires that the entity also protects the data.
  * The bill also prevents the testing entity that has access to the student data from using the data for any other purpose except as defined in the contract between the state and the testing entity.

38 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 217establishing a rural and underserved area educator incentive program for higher education and making an appropriation therefor.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes the rural and underserved area educator incentive program and makes an appropriation therefor.

  * This bill is unnecessary, as no part of New Hampshire is educationally underserved due to the universal geographic access of Education Freedom Accounts.
  * Increasing the unnecessary bloat of the already-overfunded public education department creates an unjust burden on everyone forced to pay taxes.
  * There is very limited actual incentive created by this bill, as the federal government is already forgiving billions in college education loans.

• Anti-libertySB 352establishing an early detection cancer screening pilot program for active and retired firefighters.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes an early detection cancer screening pilot program in the Department of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services, for retired and full-time active firefighters in New Hampshire.

  * New Hampshire already heavily subsidizes the healthcare insurance of first responders in New Hampshire.
  * This bill is the start of a large, new program whose ongoing price tag is to be assumed by the New Hampshire taxpayer.
  * First responders who believe they are at an increased risk of cancer can consult with their professional medical doctors and decide on an appropriate course of action to be covered by the health insurance they currently have.
  * The pilot program is not powered to provide meaningful statistics in the form of a randomized controlled trial to determine if spending the additional funds makes first responders better off or if it instead subjects them to needless screenings and invasive follow-up procedures with no overall survival or quality-of-life benefits.

• Pro-libertySB 402(New Title) relative to allowing pharmacists to administer influenza, COVID-19, and other FDA licensed vaccines without explicit approval from the general court.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill allows New Hampshire residents the ability to choose to receive vaccines from a pharmacist, pharmacy intern, or licensed advanced pharmacy technician under the supervision of an on-site immunizing pharmacist without first getting permission from the legislature.

  * Under current New Hampshire law, the legislature must explicitly grant the authority for individuals to have the right to receive vaccines of their choice from pharmacists. Absent explicit grant of permissions in law, individuals are prohibited from receiving vaccination from a pharmacist. Such restrictions are paternalistic and presume that individuals are unable to make choices on their own.
  * This bill saves the consumer time and money, since pharmacy-administered vaccines are typically less-expensive and are often more convenient than a trip to the doctor.

• Anti-libertySB 403(New Title) relative to the health care workforce.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill creates a new certification for certified community health workers with vague responsibilities that increases Medicare and Medicaid costs to the taxpayer.

  * This bill creates a formal certification for "community health workers" and expands Medicaid coverage so that tax dollars will be used to pay for their services. The bill defines the responsibilities of community health workers to include "informal and motivational counseling" and "other services that the commissioner defines by rules".
  * This extraordinarily vague definition puts taxpayers on the hook to fund a broad range of activities that are not specified in the bill, but which could be introduced later without adequate vetting by the legislature.
  * This bill has the consequence of potentially raising the costs shouldered by New Hampshire taxpayers by untold millions as ill-defined benefits can be loosely interpreted to mean anything.

• Pro-libertySB 417relative to out-of-home placements for children.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, helps to ensure that children are able to stay with a parent who has not been charged with abuse or neglect.

  * With the proposed committee amendment, this bill ensures that the non-custodial parent who seeks custody and has not been charged with abuse or neglect is deemed fit unless clear and convincing evidence demonstrates that the parent is not fit to have custody. Further, should the court find that the child needs to be removed from custody and placed out of state, the amendment instructs the court to give preference to out-of-state placements that are in proximity to the child’s family and/or kin, who are able to participate in family and/or reunification services.
  * As initially introduced in the senate, this bill would have changed the criteria that a court must use to support a decision to award custody to an individual other than a parent from a determination that the parent "has abused or neglected the child or is otherwise unfit" to a set of criteria that went far beyond abuse and neglect. While there are no error-free solutions to family situations that have deteriorated enough that reasonable people would assume the need for community intervention, the senate version of the bill would have shifted the balance of power too far toward the state in adding criteria that encourage outside-of-family placement for cases that go beyond the safety of the child.
  * Vote YEA OTP/A for this bill. If the committee amendment fails, vote NAY OTP.

• Anti-libertySB 418(New Title) relative to refusal of consent to testing to determine alcohol concentration and penalties for aggravated driving while intoxicated.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill dramatically increases penalties for refusing a blood alcohol test to one year (from 180 days).

  * The state can seek and achieve a conviction for driving under the influence without a blood test and is already able to introduce into evidence the fact that an individual has refused a test into evidence during trial.
  * The existing RSA 265-A:14 and this enhanced penalty-without-conviction update allow police to request a blood test and institute the penalty upon refusal to take a test that is "offered" under duress. In Mitchell v. Wisconsin, the U.S. Supreme Court found that implied consent laws that included blood tests (but not breathalyzer tests) are an unconstitutional violation of the 4th Amendment, as a blood test is more invasive and reveals more information than a breathalyzer and accordingly requires a warrant.

• Pro-libertySB 440relative to the board of optometry and the regulation of optometry.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, modestly expands the procedures that qualified optometrists are allowed to perform.

  * During the public hearings, testimony was provided indicating that optometrists have been performing the procedures permitted in this bill in multiple states for more than 40 years with safe and effective outcomes. This bill increases consumer choice and removes protectionist barriers that are not shown to change patient safety.
  * Retaining current barriers to optometrists performing procedures also comes with its own risks, as patients either delay procedures or have to travel out of state to have a procedure performed that cannot be done in a timely manner — potentially resulting in negative outcomes that are directly as a result of the state artificially limiting the ability of a subset of qualified professionals to offer services.

• Anti-libertySB 505relative to the prohibition on the sale of hemp products containing certain levels of THC.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill makes the current temporary ban on the sale of hemp products containing greater than 0.3% THC permanent.

  * Under current New Hampshire law, the sale of hemp-derived products that contain natural or synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) greater than 0.3% is banned. This ban is set to expire in October of 2024. This bill repeals the sunset provision, making the ban effectively permanent.
  * Adults should be free to make their own choices about what they put into their bodies, as long as they're not harming others. Prohibiting hemp-derived THC products infringes upon an individual's right to make informed decisions about their own health and wellness.
  * Prohibition often leads to a thriving black market, which is often associated with criminal organizations and violence. If hemp-derived THC products were legalized, the black market would shrink, the illegal drug trade would be disrupted, and consumers would be able to pursue civil action if products were fraudulently marketed in terms of purity.

• Pro-libertySB 510relative to sale of a vehicle to a Massachusetts resident.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, eliminates the requirement that a retail motor vehicle dealer submit a form notifying the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles of the sale of a vehicle to a Massachusetts resident, allows new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase, and reduces requirements for vehicle inspection.

  * The current processes of requiring notification for a vehicle sold to a Massachusetts resident place a burden on both customers and dealers because vehicles purchased by Massachusetts residents cannot be taken home until they are registered by the dealer. This is a holdover from when Massachusetts did not have a temporary license plate system in place. Now that this is not the case, this bill streamlines the vehicle purchase process by allowing Massachusetts residents to take home their vehicles with temporary license plates issued by automobile dealers.
  * Furthermore, the bill contains a commonsense section that recognizes that a brand new car doesn't need to be inspected for safety as soon as it is purchased — saving time and money.
  * Finally, the bill provides slightly more time for residents to inspect their vehicle. The bill also allows for vehicles with body rust and rust on brakes to pass inspection. In addition, a cracked headlight, directional signal, or tail lens will now pass inspection by using a color-matching automotive lens tape.

• Anti-libertySB 558relative to insurance coverage for infertility treatments, protection from discrimination during IVF treatments, parental leave, and adoption.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill increases everyone's health insurance costs by requiring companies to cover fertility treatments.

  * People who do not want fertility treatment should not be forced to pay for the treatment of those who do.
  * Health insurance companies don't pay for medical care; they pool money and attempt to control the services available to people who need access to those funds. This bill therefore inflates everyone's costs for the benefit of a small few.
  * This bill promotes irresponsible behavior by encouraging the false belief that people can typically wait decades into middle and old age to have children without repercussion.
  * While a vote of YEA IS is acceptable, a vote of ITL is preferred.

36 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1065relative to fire sprinkler requirements in residential buildings.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill adds an exception to the state fire code for fire suppression or sprinkler system requirements for certain existing residential buildings with no more than 4 dwelling units and prohibits municipalities from adopting certain fire suppression device ordinances and regulations.

  * This bill helps alleviate the costs of rent and housing shortage somewhat by reducing the expenses to landlords who will now not have to install or maintain sprinkler systems in buildings that don't actually need them.
  * Fire sprinkler and suppression systems are prohibitively expensive for units this size, especially to those who are just starting off and may own a multi-family residence that has three or four units to offset their costs.

• Pro-libertyHB 1093prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks involved in interacting in public ways with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of the state to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germophobe', and inserting the state into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of individuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1215(New Title) relative to development approvals and appeals.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, protects private property owners from changes in the building code, fire code, or other regulations effecting a regulatory taking of their property.

  * This bill extends the existing 5-year exemption for subdivision plats to 10 years and increases the preliminary step from 2 years to 5 years.
  * It also changes the building code and fire code appeals process, limiting the jurisdiction of the local building code board of appeals to hearing decisions made under local amendments to those codes.
  * Additionally, it provides that decisions of the building code review board regarding decisions of the fire marshal and local building code board of appeals may be appealed to superior court or the housing appeals board.
  * This bill brings stability to development investments — once something is approved, the rug can't be pulled out from under them.
  * This bill encourages development and housing investment, which goes toward solving the worsening housing crisis in NH, and does so by lessening, not increasing, government intervention in the market.

• Pro-libertyHB 1222relative to physician assistant scope of practice.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill eliminates the requirement for a collaboration agreement for physician assistants.

  * This bill provides similar treatment for physician assistants as is already given to licensed practical nurses.
  * This bill corrects the indentured servitude that PAs have been suffering under physicians who have never met, didn't actually mentor or advise, and have charged PAs exorbitant rates for their ability to practice medicine.
  * This bill improves the availability of qualified medical personnel in New Hampshire, as PAs will no longer be disincentivized to practice here by arduous collaboration requirements imposed by law.

• Pro-libertyHB 1227relative to extending the hours of alcoholic beverage sales for on-premises licensees.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill extends the allowed time for alcohol sales by one hour.

  * This bill is a small step in enhancing liberty by allowing licensed liquor sales to continue for an extra hour.
  * A potential additional benefit of extending the period for alcohol sales may be that all business activity, including restaurants, sporting events, and music venues, may schedule more events to end later, enhancing the overall economy.

• Pro-libertyHB 1278relative to qualifying medical conditions for purposes of therapeutic cannabis.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill adds debilitating or terminal medical conditions to the qualifying medical conditions for therapeutic cannabis if a healthcare provider certifies the potential benefit to the patient. The bill also removes certain limitations on a qualifying visiting patient's access to cannabis.

  * This bill extends liberty compassionately by allowing healthcare providers to consider any debilitating or terminal medical condition or symptom for which the potential benefits of using therapeutic cannabis would, in the provider’s clinical opinion, likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient.
  * Treatments should not be dictated by the state but instead be developed by the healthcare professionals who actually provide the most qualified and effective expertise to their patients' treatment plans.

• Pro-libertyHB 1291relative to accessory dwelling unit uses allowed by right.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill increases the number of accessory dwelling units allowed by right from one to two, adds definitions, and increases the maximum square footage. It also gives municipalities the right to require accessory units meeting the definition for workforce housing.

  * This bill prohibits municipalities from violating property owners' rights. It allows homeowners to build a first accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by right, and limits parking minimums to no more than one space per ADU.
  * By freeing homeowners to build more of these small rental units, this bill leverages proven market mechanisms to boost housing supply and bring down housing costs.
  * This bill encourages development and housing investment, which goes toward solving the worsening housing crisis in NH, and does so by lessening, not increasing, government intervention in the market.
  * Vote NAY IS and then support YEA OTP.

• Anti-libertyHB 1292relative to coverage of children under the state retiree insurance plan.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill increases costs to the New Hampshire taxpayer by reducing requirements for coverage.

  * This bill notably has no fiscal note of value, while it is a bill specifically targeted at significantly increasing health claim costs in the retired state employee's insurance plan through eliminating the requirement that adult children need not be full-time students to be on the state dole.
  * Adults should be responsible for their own health insurance. Allowances are already made if they are full-time students. Responsible adults should not expect state taxpayers to pick up the bill for their healthcare costs.
  * While the impact is not defined by the legislature, there is no inexpensive healthcare in America and these costs will be on the order of additional millions of dollars to state taxpayers.

• Pro-libertyHB 1298relative to the definition of part-time teachers.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, allows part time teachers, working less than 30 hours per week, to teach without holding a State Board of Education credential provided that they have not been rendered ineligible to be employed as an educator and have passed a background check.

  * This bill helps to address a teacher shortage by allowing school districts to utilize qualified part-time staff.
  * Numerous studies have found weak association between certification and teacher effectiveness (<a href=https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-economics-080213-040845>www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-economics-080213-040845</a>).
  * A part-time teacher is likely more accountable to the administration and thus if there are effectiveness issues, they can be addressed more quickly.

• Pro-libertyHB 1349relative to generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes a state-imposed barrier to medical treatment paid for by the patient by adding generalized anxiety disorder to the list of qualifying medical conditions for the use of therapeutic cannabis.

  * Studies have demonstrated a positive association between cannabis-based medicinal products/treatment (CBMP) and improvements in anxiety among patients with generalized anxiety disorder. For instance, a cohort study found that CBMP treatment led to a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, as well as improvements in sleep quality and overall quality of life for these patients (<a href=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/npr2.12407>onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/npr2.12407</a>). While a cohort study is a lower standard of evidence than a well-designed randomized controlled trial, the evidence is more than sufficient to support the use of this treatment option.
  * The New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board recommends adding generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program.

• Pro-libertyHB 1365relative to substitution of biological products by pharmacies.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows for the substitution by a pharmacist of an interchangeable (i.e. generic) biological product for another interchangeable biological product, and prohibits the substitution of an interchangeable biological product if the substitution would result in an increase in cost to the patient.

  * This bill allows a pharmacist to substitute biosimilars. Biosimilars are drugs that have shown in clinical trials to be as safe and effective as primarily prescribed drugs.
  * Example: Humira is priced at $3,300 while generic drug B is priced at $1,200 and generic drug C is $600. Currently, should a provider prescribe $1200 generic drug B, a pharmacist may only dispense $1,200 generic drug B or $3,300 Humira. The bill allows a pharmacist to offer $600 generic drug C, $1,200 drug B, or $3,300 Humira.
  * This will likely reduce some pharmaceutical prices by allowing for more competition between pharmaceutical manufacturers.

• Pro-libertyHB 1400(New Title) relative to residential parking spaces.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, provides that zoning and planning regulations shall not require more than two residential parking spaces per unit. Additionally, it specifies the rights and obligations of each party in cases of evictions of unauthorized occupants and provides remedies for violations of landlord-tenant law and unauthorized occupancy evictions.

  * This bill allows for a limit for zoning and planning regulations to require no more than two parking spaces per residential unit. This is a good first step in allowing the free market to determine how much parking is required.
  * This bill also strengthens property owners' rights by establishing clear laws with specific legal outcomes for tenants who abandon properties or others who attempt to squat in them.
  * With the passage of this bill, New Hampshire owners will have more legal tools available to them to protect their property.

• Pro-libertyHB 1533relative to the safe harbor compensation amount under the business profits tax.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill increases the amount of the safe harbor provision for compensation under the business profits tax and provides for a biennial increase in future years based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index.

  * This bill potentially reduces the tax burden to small business owners with up to an additional $25,000 deduction.
  * The impact to the state budget is stated to be an immaterial $1.1 million per year going forward. This is a trivial amount representing 0.0081% of New Hampshire's $13.6 billion state budget. Conversely, to a small business owner, this tax deduction could be the support they need to stay in business another year.
  * Small business owners need the support of our legislature. They are the backbone of the state economy and provide services, goods, and jobs for everyone.
  * Vote NAY IS and then support YEA OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1536relative to increasing the amount of the expense deduction allowed against the business profits tax.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill increases the amount of the section 179 expense deduction permitted against the business profits tax starting in 2025.

  * The 2023 IRS limit for section 179 expenses is $1,160,000. While this bill falls short of setting New Hampshire's deduction to the same level offered by the federal government, it substantially closes the gap and reduces one area in which New Hampshire business taxes are less competitive than other states.
  * Every state with a corporate income tax allows for some form of section 179 expense deduction but only 14 states (inclusive of NH) and the District of Columbia utilize more restrictive limits than the IRS, ranging from $25,000 to $1,040,000 (<a href=https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=225924450086997>us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=225924450086997</a>).
  * Vote NAY IS and then support YEA OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1581relative to cultivation locations for alternative treatment centers.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows a second cultivation center to be considered for alternative treatment centers.

  * Allowing an additional cultivation location for alternative treatment centers further protects patients by allowing for the stabilization of supplied medicine in the event that the single production facility experiences a production stoppage.
  * This bill also allows for the protection of medical cannabis products to be available to patients with a lessened risk of supply constriction in the event that recreational cannabis is finally passed by the legislature.

• Pro-libertyHB 1584relative to home day care licensing requirements.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill helps ease the demand on the decreasing supply of licensed childcare providers by providing a low-cost alternative for many NH families.

  * This bill promotes more affordable and accessible childcare options for families, as it allows for one additional child to be cared for in a private home without the need for a daycare license, which can be costly and time-consuming to obtain.
  * The bill respects the autonomy of parents in choosing the best childcare arrangements for their children without unnecessary government interference.
  * The bill may encourage the growth of small, home-based childcare businesses, which can provide more personalized and flexible care options for families.
  * The increased capacity for children in private homes may also help alleviate the shortage of childcare options in some areas, making it easier for parents to find suitable care arrangements for their children.

• Pro-libertyHB 1660relative to coverage of certain procedures for minor children under the state’s Medicaid program.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill provides that the state Medicaid plan shall not include gender reassignment treatment for minors.

  * This bill prevents gender reassignment treatments from being covered by Medicaid.
  * This bill improves liberty by reducing potential costs to taxpayers for a safety-net entitlement by eliminating an elective treatment.

• Pro-libertyHB 1696(New Title) relative to local records retention.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill clarifies a public body or agency's ability to accept record requests by electronic means and to provide such records electronically.

  * This bill enhances the capacity for transparency in local government by providing for Right-to-Know requests to be satisfied by utilizing document databases accessed via the Internet.
  * This is a commonsense bill that seeks to modernize government records retention and access through digitizing documents and making them readily accessible on the Internet.
  * This accessiblity of information will reduce the number of Right-to-Know requests the government sees, as requesters can readily find the information openly available to them online.
  * Vote NAY IS and then support YEA OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 185(New Title) relative to the determination of parental rights and responsibilities based on shared parenting.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill provides that it is a state policy to support approximately equal parenting time of a child for each parent when courts are determining a permanent order concerning parental rights and responsibilities, unless such an arrangement is clearly detrimental to the child.

  * While the bill is only a small change compared to the existing RSA which only suggests "frequent and continuing contact", the change to approximately equal time ensures that both parents start on an equal footing in court when it comes to parental rights.
  * According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2018 about 4 of every 5 (79.9%) of the 12.9 million custodial parents were mothers (<a href=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-269.pdf>www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-269.pdf</a>), and while not every instance is the result of a court proceeding, this bill sets a presumption for courts that equal parenting time for each parent is in the best interest of the child.
  * Kentucky passed a similar measure in 2017 (<a href=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/08/30/kentuckys-joint-custody-law-leads-decline-family-court-cases/2158216001/>www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/08/30/kentuckys-joint-custody-law-leads-decline-family-court-cases/2158216001</a>) and found that a drop in family court disputes followed. In addition, according to a meta analysis, kids who share time between both parents' homes approximately equally have better outcomes related to academic achievement and physical and mental health (<a href=https://momsforsharedparenting.org/shared-parenting-research/>momsforsharedparenting.org/shared-parenting-research</a>).
  * While only a modest step in the right direction, the result is consistent with better outcomes for children and their parents as well as taxpayers who may be less likely to carry the costs of an expanding family court system.
  * Vote NAY IS and then support YEA OTP.

• Anti-libertyHB 194(New Title) requiring the director of the division of historical resources to compile and maintain a list of public monuments.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires the director of the Division of Historical Resources to periodically compile and publish a survey of all monuments in the state.

  * While this is a seemingly innocuous bill, it does provide the pretext for growing spending in the state to perform an activity that is better served by private individuals and hobbyists.
  * To the extent that such a list provides some value, it is well within the reasonable purview of the director of the Division of Historical Resources to consider creating such a list without a time interval mandated by law.

• Anti-libertyHB 546relative to the school building aid program.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill increases the amount of state aid for building of schools by $30 million per year and mandates a minimum of $50 million per year in state aid.

  * The NH public school student population has been shrinking for many years and is down more than 10,000 students since 2018 as parents find better options for educating their children and demographic shifts occur in the state. Unchecked spending increases already high property taxes and further burdens the NH economy. Schools should be more, not less, accountable in order to rein in spending.
  * With state building aid, local districts will fund more extravagant schools than they would if they had to pay the full cost themselves.
  * While IS is acceptable, a vote of ITL is preferred.

28 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1076(New Title) relative to wine manufacturer licenses and relative to on-premises licenses for beverage manufacturers.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill enables the holder of a beverage manufacturer license to have an on-premise license either on the premises of the manufacturing facility or on the premises of the beverage manufacturing retail outlet.

  * This bill allows wine manufacturers and beverage manufacturers to have the same manufacturing abilities and allows small wineries to expand their business without moving to a new location or being forced to pay the state an additional fee.

• Pro-libertyHB 1105relative to application of a local tax cap.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill modestly improves the wording of RSA 32:5-b, which provides for the option of a local tax cap, in order to clarify legislative intent and allow voters who adopt a provision based on this legislation to better achieve the outcome of the cap.

  * Towns and cities that have adopted property tax caps have done so in order to limit the growth of government spending. Local governments work around tax caps (and otherwise disguise bloated budgets in non-capped towns) by moving spending to separate warrant articles. This bill seeks to include "all other appropriations" under the tax cap.

• Pro-libertyHB 1116relative to certain firearms to be used for taking of game.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes the existing requirement that the firearm be lever action.

  * The action of a rifle is largely unreleated to the ballistics or power of the pistol round fired and thus its suitability for the purpose of hunting.
  * Removing an arbitrary restriction allows hunters to select the tool that is available to them that is best suited to the task.

• Anti-libertyHB 1145prohibiting the private ownership of landfills.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill prohibits new solid waste landfill permits in the state for facilities owned by any person other than the state of New Hampshire or a political subdivision thereof.

  * This bill opens the New Hampshire taxpayer up to significant liabilities in the event of a serious landfill contamination or environmental problem that would possibly have been borne by a private owner of the landfill.
  * This bill eliminates competition and creates a state monopoly in the landfill business.
  * This bill disincentivizes the investment in landfills by private owners. Instead this bill would likely create a scenario in which the taxpayer will have to foot the bill for all the equipment and landfill infrastructure in order to entice a private contractor to manage the landfill.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferable, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertyHB 1178relative to an employee's unused earned time.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill requires an employer to pay an employee for unused earned time.

  * Individuals should be free to make whatever arrangements they see fit with a potential employer. They are more than capable of deciding if what an employer is offering is acceptable and choose to accept, negotiate, or turn down arrangements as they freely choose.
  * This bill is an unforced error that will drive up the cost of employment in New Hampshire and cost potential jobs to people who are happy to accept the terms of employment with employers who don't conform to the mandates required in this bill.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferable, IS is acceptable.

• Pro-libertyHB 1186relative to firearm purchaser's privacy.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits the assigning of a specific merchant code to the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories, and provides a civil penalty for violations of this prohibition.

  * This bill protects the privacy of New Hampshire citizens by prohibiting payment processors from assigning a merchant category code that denotes that a firearm or accessory was purchased.
  * This bill serves to stop the creation of a gun registry by banks who could then choose to defy the Second Amendment by denying the purchase of firearms and firearm implements, closing bank accounts, preventing people on the registry from being banked, or sharing the data with the federal government.
  * In September 2023, the California governor signed Assembly Bill 1587, which requires banks to utilize such codes. Absent protective legislation such as this, New Hampshire citizens will potentially be subject to similar codes as banks attempt to harmonize data collection approaches to meet the requirements of California and other states that seek this backdoor approach to a firearms registry.

• Pro-libertyHB 1231permitting qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill permits qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.

  * Qualified patients and caregivers in all three neighboring states are protected from arrest if they cultivate a limited supply of cannabis. In Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and sixteen additional states, all adults 21 years of age and older may already legally cultivate more cannabis plants than are allowed under this bill. Currently, patients in New Hampshire are limited to purchasing cannabis at one of four dispensaries, and personal cultivation of cannabis is a felony offense.
  * Cannabis is not covered by insurance. Allowing individuals to grow their own medicine improves independence and helps working families.
  * Vote NAY IS and support a motion of OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1283relative to end of life options.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill establishes a procedure for an individual with terminal illness to receive medical assistance in dying through the self-administration of medication. The bill establishes criteria for the prescription of such medication and establishes reporting requirements and penalties for misuse or noncompliance.

  * This bill ends the state's coercion and interference that currently prohibits physicians from prescribing medication for a competent, terminal, fully-informed adult who voluntarily requests the medication to self-ingest that will allow them to die with dignity, peacefully, and without pain.
  * To protect the terminally-ill patient, this bill allows two unassociated, voluntarily-participating health care providers to assess and agree that the individual met the stringent guidelines, and to then prescribe medication that the individual may later choose to take.
  * This bill protects and emphasizes the freedom of bodily autonomy. It essentially legalizes a group of drugs under stringent requirements to be used to provide an option of relief from the terminally chronic pain a dying person may experience.
  * Vote NAY IS and support a motion of OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1288relative to establishing certain due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty members facing disciplinary actions by state institutions of higher learning.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill establishes certain due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty members facing disciplinary actions by state institutions of higher learning.

  * This bill establishes a minimum floor for due process to be administered by the Community College System of NH (CCSNH) and University System of NH (USNH) regarding students, organizations, and faculty accused of wrongdoing.
  * This bill enhances liberty by providing a floor of due process that may help alleviate abuse by some universities that in recent years have assigned guilt to students, whereas adhering to basic due process would have revealed the truth of their innocence.
  * Vote NAY IS and support a motion of OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1298relative to the definition of part-time teachers.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, allows part time teachers, working less than 30 hours per week, to teach without holding a State Board of Education credential provided that they have not been rendered ineligible to be employed as an educator and have passed a background check.

  * This bill helps to address a teacher shortage by allowing school districts to utilize qualified part-time staff.
  * Numerous studies have found weak association between certification and teacher effectiveness (<a href=https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-economics-080213-040845>www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-economics-080213-040845</a>).
  * A part-time teacher is likely more accountable to the administration and thus if there are effectiveness issues, they can be addressed more quickly.

• Pro-libertyHB 1312requiring parental notification of student health or well-being and certain curricula by school districts.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill expands notice requirements by school districts to parents for certain curriculum course material, and prohibits school districts from adopting policies that prohibit employees from answering questions from parents about their student's well-being.

  * This bill expands on the expectation that publicly-funded schools work with parents to educate their children in a manner that does not contravene the families' values.
  * Parents are completely responsible for their children. This bill seeks to reinforce the tools parents need to meet that responsibility with respect to publicly-funded schools.

• Pro-libertyHB 1349relative to generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes a state-imposed barrier to medical treatment paid for by the patient by adding generalized anxiety disorder to the list of qualifying medical conditions for the use of therapeutic cannabis.

  * Studies have demonstrated a positive association between cannabis-based medicinal products/treatment (CBMP) and improvements in anxiety among patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). For instance, a cohort study found that CBMP treatment led to a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, as well as improvements in sleep quality and overall quality of life for these patients (<a href=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/npr2.12407>onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/npr2.12407</a>). While a cohort study is a lower standard of evidence than a well-designed randomized controlled trial (RCT), the evidence is more than sufficient to support the use of this treatment option.
  * The New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board recommends adding generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program.

• Pro-libertyHB 1350relative to therapeutic cannabis possession limits.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill increases a qualifying patient's limit on possession of therapeutic cannabis from 2 to 4 ounces, and increases the amount they may obtain in a 10-day period from 2 to 4 ounces.

  * Patients should not have to make frequent dispensary trips, especially given limited dispensary availability in the state. The frequent trips can be a significant burden — particularly due to rising energy costs.
  * Vote NAY IS and support a motion of OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1399allowing municipalities to permit 2 residential units in certain single-family residential zones. NAY IS
  Why

  This bill allows the expansion of a single family residence within a residential zone to no more than two residential units without discretionary review or a hearing, if the proposed development meets certain requirements.

  * This bill expands the freedom of property owners to convert single-family homes into two-dwelling units.
  * Municipalities retain ample health, safety, and environmental powers over such developments and can block them for up to 10 years if sewer capacity is not adequate. This bill deals with past objections to more ambitious legislation.
  * This bill encourages development and housing investment, which goes toward solving the worsening housing crisis, and does so by lessening, not increasing, government intervention in the market.
  * Vote NAY IS and support a motion of OTP.

• Anti-libertyHB 1504relative to architectural paint recycling.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill establishes an architectural paint recycling program paid for by adding a new fee to paint sold in the state.

  * The Department of Environmental Services does not have the resources to manage and review the audits the proposed program requires.
  * This bill will not only increase paint prices in NH, it will also increase taxes to cover the costs of managing the program.
  * Consumers will be charged a fee during purchase, forcing users who use all of their paint to subsidize inefficient users of paint.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferable, IS is acceptable.

• Pro-libertyHB 1539relative to annulling, resentencing, or discontinuing prosecution of certain cannabis offenses.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill allows for additional annulments, resentencings, or discontinuations of prosecutions for certain cannabis offenses when no minor individual is invoved in the actions leading to the conviction.

  * Under current NH law, an individual seeking an annulment for these crimes must pay a fee, and in most cases they must pay for a lawyer. This bill puts the burden on the state to support annulments for activities which should never have been crimes in the first place.
  * Vote NAY IS and support a motion of OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1540relative to the definitions of full course meals and full service restaurant for purposes of alcohol licensing.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill makes modest changes to the definition of full course meal and full service restaurant for purposes of alcohol licensing.

  * This bill makes modest but positive changes to the food requirements associated with obtaining a liquor license.
  * Current language defines food as something that cannot easily be eaten while standing and generally requires tableware. This definition appears to exclude pizza and sandwiches from what qualifies as food for the purpose of obtaining a liquor license.
  * This is a simple change that aims to make it easier for new businesses to build sensible menus for their establishments with a small reduction in interference by the state.

• Anti-libertyHB 1649relative to prohibiting certain products with intentionally added PFAS.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, restricts the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in certain consumer products sold in New Hampshire and requires manufacturers to create and manage a "certificate of compliance" and submit it to the NH Department of Environmental Services — even if the manufacturer has never utilized PFAS in its products.

  * Identified areas of groundwater PFAS contamination within New Hampshire are primarily the result of contamination linked primarily to industrial discharge from manufacturing facilities, fire stations, and military bases rather than the consumer products targeted for a ban under this legislation.
  * This bill will lead to an unnecessary increase in the cost and lack of availability of common goods in New Hampshire as manufacturers will have to engage with the bureaucracy, decide whether or not to continue to provide the product, or update the product and generate custom processes to support this new law — all costs that will be passed on to the consumer. In addition, proposed RSA 149-M:64 V requires ongoing effort to assert "innocence".
  * PFAS are already being voluntarily removed from product categories covered by this bill. For example, (<a href=https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/certain-types-of-forever-chemicals-will-no-longer-be-used-in-us-food-packaging-fda-says>wsvn.com/news/us-world/certain-types-of-forever-chemicals-will-no-longer-be-used-in-us-food-packaging-fda-says</a>) indicates that "PFAS ... will no longer be used in food packaging in the US, the US Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday". Home Depot, Lowes, and other retailers announced the phase out of PFAS in carpets in 2019 (<a href=https://pfasproject.com/2019/10/31/lowes-bans-toxic-pfas-chemicals-in-residential-carpets-and-rugs-it-sells/>pfasproject.com/2019/10/31/lowes-bans-toxic-pfas-chemicals-in-residential-carpets-and-rugs-it-sells/</a>).
  * While forever chemicals are already being phased out of products by manufacturers, this bill seeks to add new "forever certifications" of compliance that will outlive the chemicals they seek to prohibit.

• Pro-libertyHB 1660relative to coverage of certain procedures for minor children under the state’s Medicaid program.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill provides that the state Medicaid plan shall not include gender reassignment treatment for minors.

  * This bill prevents gender reassignment treatments from being covered by Medicaid.
  * This bill improves liberty by reducing potential costs to taxpayers for a safety-net entitlement by eliminating an elective treatment.

• Anti-libertyHB 1711authorizing the state to report mental health data for firearms background check purposes and providing for processes for confiscation of firearms following certain mental health-related court proceedings and for relief from mental health-related firearms disabilities.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a Red Flag law to allow for the confiscation of firearms from people based on their mental health status.

  * This bill brings the notorious "Red Flag" laws to New Hampshire, allowing the State to confiscate people's guns and prohibit them from owning them based on mental health status.
  * This bill confiscates people's property and prohibits them from exercising a constitutional right without having been found guilty of any crime.
  * This bill is unconstitutional under Part 1, Art. 2-a of the NH Constitution, and in light of the <i>Heller</i> and <i>Bruen</i> Supreme Court rulings, is also clearly unconstitutional under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
  * Laws like these have been misused and abused in every jurisdiction where they have been passed. This is a slippery slope to more expansive gun control regulation.
  * These kinds of "guilty until proven innocent" laws, such as the similar ability for the State to confiscate firearms upon a domestic violence no-contact order (the so-called "Lautenberg Amendment"), are being challenged around the country, and one case is currently at the Supreme Court. Based on recent rulings and the makeup of the court, it is likely that law will be struck down. Passing this law would therefore be a waste of everyone's time and money.

• Anti-libertyHB 1713relative to a defendant's presence during certain criminal proceedings.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill forces a defendant under certain conditions to appear in court for all stages of trial or be guilty of a class A felony.

  * This bill violates the presumption of innocence, and hubristically concludes that it is in the defendant's interest to be personally present at all stages of a trial.
  * No innocent person should be coerced by state violence while executing their chosen defensive strategy.
  * This bill is a reprehensible violation of liberty, ethics, and morality as it blatantly calls to protect the state and accusers against inconvenience while threatening violence on a person who is still innocent.
  * In the public hearing, the assistant commissioner for the Department of Corrections testified that the bill puts officers and state employees at risk. State corrections officers are sworn law enforcement officers. The bill places officers in direct conflict with the sections of statute relating to justification of the use of force (RSA 627:5 and RSA 627:6). Use of physical force to take someone out of a correctional facility against their will is not covered under the use of force justification statute.

• Anti-libertyHB 82relative to employment protection for participants in the therapeutic cannabis program.Oppose
  Why

  This bill infringes upon freedom of assocation and weakens "at will" employment.

  * Adults should be free to ingest substances that they choose, ideally with few if any restrictions. The therapeutic cannabis program provides for the option for individuals with a broad range of medical conditions to utilize cannabis without fear of imprisonment by the state. That said, individuals who own businesses should not be under any obligation to employ anyone.
  * Under this bill, the only way allowed for employers who want to maintain a safe work environment is to determine impairment. However, there is no meaningful way to measure impairment unless it is obvious, which can create safety risks. This puts business owners and managers in the difficult position of trying to determine if there is a risk based on the behavior and quality of work of the employee while trying to balance the risk of violating this proposed law.
  * While individuals have the right to choose the medical treatment that suits them best, they do not have the right to force their employers to sacrifice their preferences in respect to the desired drug-free nature of that workplace.

66 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 459(New Title) establishing a committee to study the child protection act.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill allows a court to assign to a family a "parenting coordinator" who may not be held accountable by either party for civil suit and whose cost is borne by the parent(s).

  * This bill, with the proposed house committee amendment, is an appalling attack on the civil liberties of parents as it offers courts a method of assigning a newly created role of "parenting coordinator" whose cost is to be assumed by the parents.
  * This bill creates a "parenting coordinator" who is legislatively unaccountable for their actions and is rendered <i>"immune from civil liability in any claim for injury that arises out of an act or omission ... occurring during the performance of his or her duties or during the performance of any act that a reasonable parenting coordinator would believe was within the scope of his or her duties."</i>
  * A "reasonable parenting coordinator" is an undefined concept.
  * The purpose of the court is to adjudicate based on law, precedent, and circumstance. This bill manufactures a method for the court to avoid accountability and culpability in its decisions by allowing the court to outsource the challenging work to an unelected and unaccountable party.

14 bills with no position.

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• Pro-libertySB 219(New Title) requiring mandatory reporting by school districts of school expenses.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires school districts to post mandatory reports of school expenses, including average cost per pupil, average teacher salaries, and top administrator salaries. It also creates a civil remedy for the enforcement of this requirement.

  * This bill enhances public awareness of the cost incurred by public school administrators through requiring the posting of administrator salaries before any meeting in a school district where a budget is under consideration.
  * Enhanced transparency in government increases public trust and awareness.

• Anti-libertySB 316establishing a penalty for a person who transports fentanyl class drugs into New Hampshire with the intent to distribute.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill adds a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years for individuals transporting fentanyl into NH with an intent to distribute and adds a new clause allowing for asset forfeiture of vehicles that were involved.

  * The War on Drugs has clearly failed; heroin was first federally regulated more than 100 years ago, yet is still beyond the control of governance even today. While it is tempting to look at the lists of arrests week after week in the news and think we are just one more arrest from a solution, it is clear that the enforcement-centric approach is a failure.
  * During the public hearing in the senate, testimony was provided that indicated that there is no evidence that mandatory minimum drug sentences reduce use of drugs, drug sales, or overdose deaths.
  * WIth or without this bill, fentanyl remains illegal in the state.

• Anti-libertySB 352establishing an early detection cancer screening pilot program for active and retired firefighters.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes an early detection cancer screening pilot program in the Department of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services, for retired and full-time active firefighters in New Hampshire.

  * New Hampshire already heavily subsidizes the healthcare insurance of first responders in New Hampshire.
  * This bill is the $5 million start of a large, new program whose ongoing price tag is to be assumed by the New Hampshire taxpayer.
  * First responders who believe they are at an increased risk of cancer can consult with their professional medical doctors and decide on an appropriate course of action to be covered by the health insurance they currently have.
  * The pilot program is not powered to provide meaningful statistics in the form of a randomized controlled trial to determine if spending the additional funds makes first responders better off or if it instead subjects them to needless screenings and invasive follow-up procedures with no overall survival or quality-of-life benefits.

• Anti-libertySB 403(New Title) relative to the health care workforce.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill creates a new certification for certified community health workers with vague responsibilities that increases Medicare and Medicaid costs to the taxpayer.

  * This bill creates a formal certification for "community health workers" and expands Medicaid coverage so that tax dollars will be used to pay for their services. The bill defines the responsibilities of community health workers to include "informal and motivational counseling" and "other services that the commissioner defines by rules".
  * This extraordinarily vague definition puts taxpayers on the hook to fund a broad range of activities that are not specified in the bill, but which could be introduced later without adequate vetting by the legislature.
  * This bill has the consequence of potentially raising the costs shouldered by New Hampshire taxpayers by untold millions as ill-defined benefits can be loosely interpreted to mean anything.

• Anti-libertySB 414relative to establishing a mandatory minimum sentence for the crime of distribution of a controlled drug with death resulting.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for cases where a death results from sharing a controlled drug.

  * As written, this bill removes discretion from a judge when sentencing individuals involved in tragic situations. If a couple, unwisely but voluntarily, regularly purchases and shares controlled substances and then one member dies as a result of the use, the judge will now be required to sentence the surviving member to 10 years in prison.
  * The bill may have unintended consequences of increasing deaths, as a friend may flee when there is still a chance to save an individual, for fear of this prosecution that leaves no room for understanding the totality of circumstances.

• Anti-libertySB 417relative to out-of-home placements for children.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, increases the risk of a parent being denied custody of their child.

  * This bill changes the criteria that a court must use to support a decision to award custody to an individual other than a parent from a determination that the parent "has abused or neglected the child or is otherwise unfit" to a set of criteria that go far beyond abuse and neglect.
  * The new criteria that the state may now use to decide to award custody to someone other than the parent include the ability to meet the "unique needs of the child" and "the condition of the parent’s home" (without suggesting that the evaluation should be limited to the health and safety of the home). Of note, such criteria are not explicitly applied to the "fictive kin".
  * Child custody in unclear instances of a fit parent is never easy. It is tempting to look at these criteria and assume that a court is making a trade between a risky situation with a parent and a safe situation with fictive kin, licensed foster home, or group or residential care. In practice, even with licensing and direct state control, children who are not placed with parents may remain at great risk — and one needs to look no further than the state's failure at the Sununu Youth Services Center to recognize that bad situations are not guaranteed to be made better simply because the state intervenes.
  * While there are no error-free solutions to family situations that have deteriorated enough that all reasonable people would assume the need for community intervention, this bill shifts the balance of power too far toward the state in adding criteria that encourage outside-of-family placement for cases that go beyond the safety of the child.

• Anti-libertySB 454increasing the annual real estate transfer tax revenue contribution to the affordable housing fund.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill doubles the cost of the affordable housing fund.

  * This bill doubles the cost to the General Fund of New Hampshire for the Affordable Housing Fund from $5 million to $10 million annually.
  * It is more efficient, ethical, and rational to reduce the cost of housing by reducing the high property taxes associated with housing than to incur the cost of taxing citizens and returning a small portion of that to a few select people.
  * While ITL is the preferred motion, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertySB 496directing the department of health and human services to establish a climate and health protection program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a new tax obligation to study naturally occuring climate variation and how it may not or may affect people.

  * This bill creates a new cost to be funded by taxpayers to study ailments that are already well understood as to cause and effect on the population. This bill simply tries to associate these issues with climate variance at a significant cost to taxpayers.
  * Instead of attempting to attribute cost to associating an ailment with naturally occuring climate variance, the people are better served by allowing private researchers to find actual scientific remedies.

• Anti-libertySB 538relative to zoning procedures concerning residential housing.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill authorizes mandatory inclusionary zoning, i.e., prohibitions on building certain housing developments without deed-restricted units renting at below-market rates.

  * This bill creates more mandatory inclusionary zoning, which raises housing costs and therefore limits the overall access to housing in New Hampshire.
  * To make such a project economically viable, a developer has to raise rents on other tenants living in the exact same types of units. This is unfair and does nothing for average housing costs.

• Pro-libertySB 63(New Title) relative to the adoption of public health ordinances by municipalities.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill makes a modest change to the conditions under which unelected health officers may make regulations.

  * Under current law, health officers of towns may make regulations on nearly any topic related to public health.
  * The bill restricts health officers' regulatory authority to prevention and removal of nuisances and other similar threats to public health. In the public hearing, testimony was provided indicating that nuisances are well-defined in law. While there is a history of even clearly-defined limits on government power being 'redefined out of existence', the updated language certainly confers no additional powers and may provide some bounds on abuse of power.

25 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1066relative to the graduation requirement of filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes the requirement that students file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form or a waiver for such form prior to graduation and repeals the reporting requirement on the number of students provided in-person school assistance on completing the FAFSA.

  * Parents and children who are often at or near the age of majority are in the best position to determine if filling out onerous federal forms is in their interest. This new mandate for graduation was passed in 2021 and presumes to insert the preferences of the state over those of parents and young adults.
  * There are those who have characterized the existing student loan system as being a predatory lending system whereby students are pressured into taking out loans that may not be discharged through bankruptcy and then use the funds to get degrees that do not offer sufficient value to repay the loan. Whether or not a contract that is entered into voluntarily is reasonable to deem as predatory may be a matter of discussion; however, regardless, it is clear that the state of New Hampshire should not mandate that individuals begin the process of engaging with such a system.

• Pro-libertyHB 1186relative to firearm purchaser's privacy.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits the assigning of a specific merchant code to the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories, and provides a civil penalty for violations of this prohibition.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, protects the privacy of New Hampshire citizens by prohibiting payment processors from assigning a merchant category code that would denote that a firearm or accessory was purchased.
  * This bill serves to stop the creation of a gun registry by banks who could then choose to defy the Second Amendment by denying the purchase of firearms and firearm implements, closing bank accounts, or preventing people on the registry from being banked.
  * In September 2023, the California governor signed Assembly Bill 1587, which required banks to utilize such codes. Absent protective legislation such as this, New Hampshire citizens would potentially be subject to similar codes as banks attempt to harmonize data collection approaches to meet the requirements of California and other states that seek this backdoor approach to a firearms registry.

• Pro-libertyHB 1276relative to repealing the prohibition on the possession or sale of blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles except by or to minors.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill repeals the prohibition, penalty, and exceptions relating to the carrying and possessing with intent to sell a blackjack, slung shot, or metallic knuckles for adults.

  * Blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles are illegal in NH. This bill makes them legal for adults and places them on an equal footing with other tools — wrongful use of these tools will still be a felony.
  * The right to self-defense and to bear arms is fundamental to the citizens of New Hampshire and the United States. Both entities' Constitutions make clear that those rights shall not be infringed.
  * Mere possession of these items harms no one; using them harmfully is illegal and would remain so even with passage of this bill.
  * Vote NAY IS and then support OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1695relative to the release of student personally identifiable information.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits the transfer of students' personally identifiable information beyond third parties without written consent of the parents of the student.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits releasing personally identifiable student information beyond third parties without written consent of the student's parents.
  * This bill strengthens the ability of parents to protect their children's privacy.

• Pro-libertyHB 1698relative to the use of drones for the aerial application of pesticides.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill exempts the application of pesticides via drones from notification procedures.

  *This allows for innovation through the strengthening of property rights by allowing farmers to use drones without notification so long as their drones remain under a twenty foot ceiling while applying pesticides.
  *This bill will lower the cost of farm goods by reducing administrative red-tape from a farmer's cost of doing business.

• Pro-libertyHB 185(New Title) relative to the determination of parental rights and responsibilities based on shared parenting.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill provides that it is a state policy to support approximately equal parenting time of a child for each parent when courts are determining a permanent order concerning parental rights and responsibilities, unless such an arrangement is clearly detrimental to the child.

  * While the bill is only a small change compared to the existing RSA which only suggests "frequent and continuing contact", the change to approximately equal time ensures that both parents start on an equal footing in court when it comes to parental rights.
  * According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2018 about 4 of every 5 (79.9%) of the 12.9 million custodial parents were mothers (<a href=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-269.pdf>www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-269.pdf</a>), and while not every instance is the result of a court proceeding, this bill sets a presumption for courts that equal parenting time for each parent is in the best interest of the child.
  * Kentucky passed a similar measure in 2017 (<a href=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/08/30/kentuckys-joint-custody-law-leads-decline-family-court-cases/2158216001/>www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/08/30/kentuckys-joint-custody-law-leads-decline-family-court-cases/2158216001</a>) and found that a drop in family court disputes followed. In addition, according to a meta analysis, kids who share time between both parents' homes approximately equally have better outcomes related to academic achievement and physical and mental health (<a href=https://momsforsharedparenting.org/shared-parenting-research/>momsforsharedparenting.org/shared-parenting-research</a>).
  * While only a modest step in the right direction, the result is consistent with better outcomes for children and their parents as well as taxpayers who may be less likely to carry the costs of an expanding family court system.
  * Vote NAY IS and then support OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 470relative to fentanyl test strips and other drug checking equipment.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill legalizes test strips and drug checking equipment used to inform individuals of whether a substance contains another another synthetic opioid, a different controlled substance, or an undisclosed chemical compound or contaminant.

  * This bill allows individuals and harm reduction agencies to possess test strips provided by the market without needing the legislature to act for each new test, as long as the tests are not intended for use with the manufacture or sale of controlled substances for illegal sales.
  * While it's true that no test can be 100% accurate, it should not be the role of the state to prohibit individuals from possessing test equipment.
  * The bill also allows people testing their drugs to possess and transport a "nominal amount" of a controlled substance for the purposes of drug checking activity.

14 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1233relative to animal chiropractors.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill exempts individuals who have completed a nationally recognized animal chiropractic program, as determined by the executive director of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, from veterinary licensure requirements.

  * This bill allows those trained in animal chiropractic therapy to practice in New Hampshire without being required to become a licensed veterinarian.
  * This bill will keep the cost of treatment low and availability high for animal chiropractic as the provider's costs will not be heavily inflated by excessive training requirements.

• Anti-libertyHB 1296relative to insurance coverage for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill forces insurance companies to charge their network members more to make care for a select few free.

  * This bill seeks to make certain types of care for a privileged group free at the expense of everyone else who is in the insurance network.
  * Other groups have health issues specific to their genetic background that this bill inequitably ignores to elevate the privilege of an already highly privileged group.
  * The current system for payment of services is far more fair as those seeking the service are held accountable for the cost.
  * There is no evidence that additional screening will save lives, and in fact there is evidence that excessive screening can result in harms to the individual as well as unnecessary costs to the premium payers. A 2021 paper (<a href=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8633447/>www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8633447</a>) indicates: <i> "However, the detection of greater numbers of early stage breast cancers can also lead to overdiagnosis, which refers to the detection of cancers that pose no threat to life and would never have been detected in the absence of screening. Indeed, the detection of greater numbers of early stage cancers in the absence of a subsequent decline in rates of metastatic cancers and cancer deaths is the hallmark of overdiagnosis.... The overtreatment of breast cancer, as a consequence of overdiagnosis, is costly and undoubtedly contributes to this waste. Moreover, for each patient who is overdiagnosed with breast cancer, there are substantial adverse consequences: unnecessary anxiety, financial hardships, and a small risk of morbidity and mortality from unnecessary treatments."</I>

• Pro-libertyHB 229relative to requiring an official declaration of war for the activation of the New Hampshire national guard.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill limits the activation of the New Hampshire National Guard for active duty combat to only those times where the United States Congress has passed an official action pursuant to Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution.

  * This bill helps to ensure that the state upholds the U.S. Constitution by requiring Congress to formally declare war before deploying National Guard units for overseas combat missions. This measure reinforces the separation of powers and prevents the executive branch from bypassing Congress in matters of war.
  * By keeping National Guard units within NH, the bill helps ensure that these resources are available for state emergencies, such as natural disasters. This allows New Hampshire to better protect our residents and respond to local crises more effectively.
  * This bill is particularly relevant with rapidly deteriorating world events and should have broad bipartisan support. For example, NH Democratic State Senator Lou D'Allesandro was quoted by CNN <i>'Nearly 3,500 U.S. troops have been killed in in Iraq, and the war is now widely unpopular. New Hampshire state Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, a Manchester Democrat, said the war has hit close to home in New Hampshire "because of the number of National Guard people there." ... "You are witnessing your friends and neighbors passing away or being killed," said D'Allesandro, who has not yet endorsed a candidate' </i>- <a href=https://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/04/nh.debate.main/>www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/04/nh.debate.main</a>
  * The recent NH GOP convention adopted a platform plank in support of Defend the Guard - "Demand that Congress exercise their sole authority over war declarations and protect the New Hampshire National Guard by requiring a Congressional declaration of war prior to any National Guardsman deployment to overseas combat zones. " - <a href=https://nh.gop/platform/>nh.gop/platform</a>

14 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1178relative to an employee's unused earned time.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill requires an employer to pay an employee for unused earned time.

  * Individuals should be free to make whatever arrangements they see fit with a potential employer. They are more than capable of deciding if what an employer is offering is acceptable and choose to accept, negotiate, or turn down arrangements as they freely choose.
  * This bill is an unforced error that will drive up the cost of employment in New Hampshire and cost potential jobs to people who are happy to accept the terms of employment with employers who don't conform to the mandates required in this bill.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferable, IS is acceptable.

• Pro-libertyHB 1202relative to the issuance of permits for the alteration of driveways exiting onto public ways.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes certain deadlines for issuance of permits for the alteration of driveways exiting onto public ways.

  * This bill prevents permit requests for driveways from being soft-killed by the state by virtue of ignoring the request.
  * This bill improves cost-effectiveness of projects enhancing access to dwellings by giving the project manager a known date for when they can proceed with a project regardless of whether or not the state has managed to approve it.

• Anti-libertyHB 1212relative to eligibility for free school meals.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill expands education spending by $50 million annually to provide food for households making up to 3.5 times the federal poverty limit.

  * This bill significantly increases the cost burden of the public education system by over $50,000,000 per year to the state of New Hampshire taxpayers.
  * A parent's fundamental responsibility is to feed their children. This bill further and unnecessarily drives the state between the child and their families by inducing dependence.
  * Lowering taxes by reducing the cost of the public school system and returning that money to the taxpayers is a far more effective way to allow parents to supply high-quality foods to their children. If the state would stop interfering in the private lives of families, families wouldn't need or want food from the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1288relative to establishing certain due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty members facing disciplinary actions by state institutions of higher learning.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes certain due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty members facing disciplinary actions by state institutions of higher learning.

  * This bill establishes a minimum floor for due process to be administered by the Community College System of NH (CCSNH) and University System of NH (USNH) regarding students, organizations, and faculty accused of wrongdoing.
  * This bill enhances liberty by providing a floor of due process that may help alleviate abuse by some universities that in recent years have assigned guilt to students, whereas adhering to basic due process would have revealed the truth of their innocence.

• Pro-libertyHB 1339(New Title) relative to background checks during motions to return firearms and ammunition.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill provides a procedure for conducting a discretionary background check prior to the return of firearms and/or ammunition in a court proceeding.

  * This bill provides for a reasonable path for those whose firearms were seized by authorities to have them returned after passing a standard NICS background check.
  * This bill reinforces the rights of the innocent by safeguarding their Second Amendment rights once the court finds that their case is resolved and can return confiscated property.

• Anti-libertyHB 1394relative to licensure and regulation of music therapists and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill expands occupational licensing in New Hampshire.

  * Occupational licenses are permission slips from the government that routinely stand in the way of honest employment, and are designed to exclude entry into the marketplace. This bill creates a new license and prohibits individuals who do not have the license from the practice of music therapy.
  * Consumers and employers, not the state, should decide who is qualified for which jobs.
  * Music therapists already work in New Hampshire.

• Pro-libertyHB 1577relative to digital images of ballots.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, allows independent audits of ballot images.

  * In the democratic process, it is important for people to be able to verify that the ballots cast actually match what the election results claim.
  * Independent audits are common in many industries to ensure the quality of products and services. Open and honest elections should not run from audits, but welcome more transparency to provide voters confidence in NH elections.

• Anti-libertyHB 1583relative to the per pupil cost of an opportunity for an adequate education.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill expands education spending by $130 million per year.

  * This bill significantly increases multiple funding mechanisms to government-run schools, including base aid and differentiated aid. The total estimated new spending responsibility assigned to the taxpayer from this bill is approximately $130 million per year.
  * The amount of money requested in this bill can be more readily sourced by harvesting efficiencies from reducing administrative costs, overhead, and waste and reducing the actual scope to that mandated in RSA 193-E:2.
  * New Hampshire taxpayers already shoulder an incredibly high $3.8 billion fiscal burden to educate children. There is no reasonable need to further increase this amount.

• Anti-libertyHB 1649relative to prohibiting certain products with intentionally added PFAS.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, restricts the use of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances in certain consumer products sold in New Hampshire.

  * Identified areas of groundwater PFAS contamination within New Hampshire are primarily the result of contamination linked primarily to industrial discharge from manufacturing facilities, fire stations, and military bases rather than the consumer products targeted for a ban under this legislation.
  * This bill will lead to an unnecessary increase in the cost and lack of availability of common goods in New Hampshire as manufacturers will have to engage with the bureaucracy, decide whether or not to continue to provide the product, or update the product and generate custom processes to support this new law — all costs that will be passed on to the consumer.

25 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 495relative to certification of alcohol and other drug use treatment facilities.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill creates a new certification bureaucracy targeting substance abuse treatment programs.

  * This bill establishes a new bureaucratic office and certification authority that inhibits the availability of substance abuse treatment programs.
  * This bill increases the hurdles private substance abuse clinics need to go through and maintain, which will limit their availability and increase their costs. This will have the profound effect of providing less help to communities beset by those suffering from addiction.
  * In 2022, there were 486 reported deaths due to drug overdose. This number has been increasing annually since 2019. This bill reduces the likelihood that those with drug addiction will be able to get help before they become another morbidity statistic (<a href=https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents2/dmi-oct2023.pdf>https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents2/dmi-oct2023.pdf</a>).
  * The free market is the best certifier of product quality. Allowing the market to decide the effectiveness, affordability, and desirability of drug treatment centers instead of the government provides a more direct and potent solution with the best chance of saving lives.

7 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 342relative to school building aid funding.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes a new school district building aid funding program using state funds allocated to each district and makes an appropriation therefor.

  * This bill will drive up the cost of public education by establishing a new school building fund and commits the state to adding $80 million every year to said fund from the general fund.
  * This form of funding incentivizes the 'spend it or lose it' mentality at a very expensive rate, which will drive up taxation in New Hampshire.
  * To control costs and reduce taxes, the New Hampshire taxpayer is better served when school districts compile specific needs and submit those specific needs to the state Department of Education to be decided upon on a case-by-case basis.
  * Spending on education has ballooned out of control to the tune of $3.8 <i>billion</i> per year (2022-2023 school year).

• Anti-libertySB 366relative to restricting the purchase of real property on or around military installations.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill requires businesses with a principal place of business located within China to create U.S.-based shell corporations prior to purchasing real property within 10 miles of automated teller machines, car insurance agents, or cell phone towers.

  * This bill infringes upon private property rights by limiting the individuals to whom a property owner may sell their property.
  * While the intent is to reduce the risk of a communist-controlled entity owning property that would put critical infrastructure at risk, ultimately restrictions like this are easier to work around than they are to enforce and have negative impacts on individuals who were never intended to be impacted by the restrictions. Further, nearly all urban property would be considered within 10 miles of critical infrastructure given the broad definitions in the bill.

• Anti-libertySB 423relative to mandatory disclosure of insurance policy limits.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires insurers to disclose the liability coverage limits of an insurance policy upon request by a claimant or the claimant's attorney.

  * This bill forces an insurer to reveal to a claimant the maximum they intend to cover for the claim on the insured. This allows for and incentivizes exorbitant claims to be pursued by those with far more modest real damages.
  * This bill may facilitate an increase in insurance costs for all, as insurers will potentially be commonly exposed to maximum coverage settlements and will naturally amortize the increased costs.

• Anti-libertySB 459relative to the presumption of harm under the child protection act.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill reduces the standards for substantiating claims of abuse against parents and also reduces the threshold of activities that would be defined as abusive.

  * This bill weakens parental rights by reducing the threshold of what qualifies as abuse so low as to make it probable that several typical childhood activities such as falling while playing, getting in altercations with other children, and suffering from a stomach ache after eating too much candy can be construed as abusive.
  * Additionally, this bill shifts the burden of proof from a malicious accuser to an innocent parent or guardian.
  * This bill violates the presumption of innocence with respect to parents and makes families vulnerable to capricious dissolution.
  * While it is important to be able to prevent and protect children from abuse, the general court has a responsibility to prevent the creation of legal tools that are easily weaponized to destroy New Hampshire families, which are the very bedrock of our state.

• Pro-libertySB 516relative to prohibiting collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join a labor union.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join a labor union.

  * The federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) contains several coercive mechanisms that infringe upon the rights of workers and business owners. Among these are section 9(a), which mandates exclusive representation by a single union and mandates that the union representative is given opportunity to be present at grievance adjustment between employers and employees even if the employee does not wish that the representative is present. In addition, it forces employers to recognize and bargain collectively with unions following a majority vote of their workforces.
  * Right-to-work is the only way currently permitted under federal law to restore some of the freedom of dissenting workers and their employers to withhold support from unions with whom they disagree. While this bill interferes with freedom of contract, it does so in a way intended to remedy current, more egregious constraints on freedom of contract.
  * Public sector collective bargaining is often more harmful than private sector collective bargaining because taxpayers are not directly represented in negotiations. “It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt, who opposed public sector unions. Public sector right-to-work reduces union density in government and reduces government spending and taxes (Ichniowski & Zax 1991).
  * "...when it came to earning more than nonunion workers, union members in right-to-work states actually out-performed those in non-right-to-work states." (<a href=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bloomberg-law-analysis/analysis-are-unions-really-weaker-in-right-to-work-states>news.bloomberglaw.com/bloomberg-law-analysis/analysis-are-unions-really-weaker-in-right-to-work-states</a>). This is potentially due to the incentive for unions to be more responsive to their members' needs when they are not compelled to join.
  * Federal employees already have the option of joining or not joining the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). It is time to grant New Hampshire workers the same options that federal workers have had for decades. "The only federal employees who pay union dues are those who choose to do so. Each federal employee in a work unit that has voted for union representation chooses whether to join the union or not." (<a href=https://www.afge.org/take-action/lpc-dashboard/lobbying-tips/crippling-the-union-fast-facts/>www.afge.org/take-action/lpc-dashboard/lobbying-tips/crippling-the-union-fast-facts/</a>)

• Anti-libertySB 519relative to evictions based on the owner's intent to renovate the property.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill further reduces a property owner's rights by increasing the requirements to evict a tenant, delaying a potential sale from 30 days up to 6 months once these new evidentiary requirements are met.

  * This bill violates a property owner's rights by forcing them to fight to reacquire their property from a tenant whom they need to evict to perform renovations.
  * This bill will have the consequence of significantly delaying the sale of properties that are being prepared for sale and therefore causing opportunities in the market to be missed.
  * Tenants are already required to receive a 30-day notice of eviction.

• Anti-libertySB 522relative to establishing an early childhood education scholarship account and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill creates a new tax burden on New Hampshire residents to fund preschool services.

  * This bill creates another massive cost to the state budget of an estimated $23.5 million growing from fiscal year 2025 and beyond.
  * Parents are the primary caregivers and responsible parties for their children. Parents should be allowed to make individual choices about how and where their children are cared for without being taxed into submitting to another failed public school system.
  * This bill expands DHHS authority into early childhood education, not just childcare.

• Pro-libertySB 523relative to the regulation of public school library materials.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires local school districts to adopt and publicly post policies describing materials authorized for use by students in the district and outlining procedures to address complaints alleging that material is harmful or age-inappropriate for use in the district's schools.

  * This bill enhances public school transparency and accountability by implementing a process that allows parents to object to materials being presented to children.
  * The people who are coerced into paying for these public schools should control what, how, and when material is made available to their children based on their choices.
  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, also provides for a significant accountability component, as elected members of the school board are ultimately required to make publicly available their final decision on the material in the event the local principal isn't able to resolve the challenge.

• Anti-libertySB 525relative to administration of the education freedom accounts program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates perverse incentives for families to limit their income to prevent their child from being forced back into a specific government school after having acclimated to a learning environment that better suits their needs.

  * Under this bill a family is required to have their finances re-evaluated each year to see if the taxpayer dollars that are allocated for their children's education are allowed to be used to continue to support attendance at the school of their choice. On the margin, this forces families to choose between increased economic output that benefits themselves and the community and the educational options available to the child.
  * Parents often seek alternate education environments after bullying or other adverse encounters with staff or students in a particular school, and this may force a child back into an environment where they do not feel safe.
  * Public schools require no income verification for being educated. The purpose of the Education Freedom Accounts program is for taxpayer money to follow the student, ensuring they have the best possible educational choices available to them for their individual needs. This should not be impacted by arbitrary income requirements, as every taxpayer and business pays into the system whether they have children or not.

• Anti-libertySB 538relative to zoning procedures concerning residential housing.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill authorizes mandatory inclusionary zoning, i.e., prohibitions on building certain housing developments without deed-restricted units renting at below-market rates.

  * This bill creates more mandatory inclusionary zoning, which raises housing costs and therefore limits the overall access to housing in New Hampshire.
  * To make such a project economically viable, a developer has to raise rents on other tenants living in the exact same types of units. This is unfair and does nothing for average housing costs.

• Anti-libertySB 593relative to possession of firearms in safe school zones.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill infringes upon the natural rights of New Hampshire citizens.

  * The right to defense of one's self and property is paramount in a free society. This bill not only places a substantial burden on those who do not wish to compromise their safety in public areas, it also inhibits their right to vote in federal and state elections, which are often held in schools. No one should have to compromise their safety or liberty to take part in the civic process of voting.
  * The absence of armed civilians puts everyone at risk. 94-97% of all mass shootings happen in gun free zones (<a href=https://crimeresearch.org/2018/06/more-misleading-information-from-bloombergs-everytown-for-gun-safety-on-guns-analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings/>crimeresearch.org/2018/06/more-misleading-information-from-bloombergs-everytown-for-gun-safety-on-guns-analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings/</a>).
  * People who intend harm are clearly not deterred by gun-free zones. Law-abiding citizens, who these types of laws do influence, are the very individuals we would want to be carrying firearms in order to help defend everyone against those who intend to do harm.
  * The New Hampshire Constitution Article 2-a. states: <i>"[The Bearing of Arms.] All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state."</i>

26 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1084relative to qualifications for the commissioner of education.Oppose
  Why

  This bill virtually mandates that the commissioner and deputy commissioner of the Department of Education be hired from the public sector rather than the private sector, by requiring that the positions be filled by those who hold an advanced degree from an accredited college or university, are certified as a teacher or school administrator, and have at least 5 years experience in teaching or administration in a government school.

  * Current law allows flexibility to determine who can best be accountable to taxpayers for producing tangible academic improvements; restricting the qualifications as required in this bill virtually guarantees a static, unresponsive system. Simply possessing a certificate or a diploma should not be the identifying marker or requirement for New Hampshire’s educational leader.
  * Educating children is still a business just like any other profession, so it makes sense to allow qualified people from every field to help fix the current problems with our government schools.

• Pro-libertyHB 1093prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed amendment, prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks involved in interacting in public ways with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of the state to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germophobe', and inserting the state into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of individuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Anti-libertyHB 1102relative to the definition of animal cruelty.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill adds the sale of animals with certain characteristics to the definition of animal cruelty.

  * This bill broadly labels dogs with brachycephaly as being deformed despite the fact that many such dogs do not have breathing problems or pain.
  * This bill limits the availability of some dog breeds with short noses in New Hampshire, based on a faulty presumption that such an easily observable trait would make the dog undesirable by those seeking to adhere to this law.
  * An obvious consequence is that this bill enhances animal cruelty, because if such dogs were surrendered to an animal shelter, the ban on sales could force the shelter to have them euthanized.

• Anti-libertyHB 1145prohibiting the private ownership of landfills.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits new solid waste landfill permits in the state for facilities owned by any person other than the state of New Hampshire or a political subdivision thereof.

  * This bill opens the New Hampshire taxpayer up to significant liabilities in the event of a serious landfill contamination or environmental problem that would possibly have been borne by a private owner of the landfill.
  * This bill eliminates competition and creates a state monopoly in the landfill business.
  * This bill disincentivizes the investment in landfills by private owners. Instead this bill would likely create a scenario in which the taxpayer will have to foot the bill for all the equipment and landfill infrastructure in order to entice a private contractor to manage the landfill.

• Pro-libertyHB 1222relative to physician assistant scope of practice.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill eliminates the requirement for a collaboration agreement for physician assistants.

  * This bill provides similar treatment for physician assistants as is already given to licensed practical nurses.
  * This bill corrects the indentured servitude that PAs have been suffering under physicians who have never met, didn't actually mentor or advise, and have charged PAs exorbitant rates for their ability to practice medicine.
  * This bill improves the availability of qualified medical personnel in New Hampshire, as PAs will no longer be disincentivized to practice here by arduous collaboration requirements imposed by law.

• Pro-libertyHB 1271relative to the conversion, combination, and reorganization of boards and advisory boards.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill converts several boards into advisory boards at the request of the office of professional licensure and certification.

  * Vote NAY IS on the bill and then vote YEA OTP.
  * This bill creates several government efficiencies within multiple professional licensure and certification boards in New Hampshire.
  * Presently there are several boards for certification formed from a significant percentage of all those certified, which is a clear conflict of interest. Additionally, the federal government has an active task force examining this very practice. This bill will reduce New Hampshire's exposure to federal anti-trust lawsuits.

• Anti-libertyHB 1279relative to payment by the state of a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill adds another increase to the teacher retirement fund.

  * This bill creates an unnecessary and unfunded liability in the state budget of $27.15 million in 2025, increasing annually to inflate the public school employee retirement fund.
  * This bill moves the responsibility to cover public school employee retirements from the locality that hired them to all taxpayers in New Hampshire, thereby removing the incentive of localities to make good hiring and firing decisions.

• Pro-libertyHB 1291relative to accessory dwelling unit uses allowed by right.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill increases the number of accessory dwelling units allowed by right from one to two, adds definitions, and increases the maximum square footage.

  * This bill prohibits municipalities from violating property owners' rights. It allows homeowners to build a first Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) by right, and limits parking minimums to no more than one space per ADU.
  * By freeing homeowners to build more of these small rental units, this bill leverages proven market mechanisms to boost housing supply and bring down housing costs.
  * This bill encourages development and housing investment, which goes toward solving the worsening housing crisis in NH, and does so by lessening, not increasing, government intervention in the market.

• Anti-libertyHB 1301relative to wake surfing on public bodies of water.Oppose
  Why

  This bill allows the Department of Safety to restrict or prohibit wake surfing on a public body of water pursuant to a petition and hearing process.

  * This bill allows 25 residents of a town to form a petition to the commissioner to limit or eliminate wake surfing on public waters regardless of whether or not they live adjacent to or in close proximity to the body of water.
  * Public lands and waters are for the free use of everyone in the state. This bill allows for the creation of tyrranical and impromptu HOA-like organizations that may strangle interest in state tourism.

• Anti-libertyHB 1390relative to regulating wakeboating and wakesports.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes prohibitions and limitations on the operation of wakeboats and their use in wakesports on public waters of the state.

  * This bill creates a significant unfunded liability for the Department of Safety as they do not have the resources to enforce these laws.
  * This bill singles out wakeboats and associated wakesports. These activities are very popular in New Hampshire. By limiting access to some of the state waters, this bill will create dangerous crowding and congestion on the remaining lakes.
  * This bill will have a chilling effect on tourist income from wakesport enthusiasts who come to New Hampshire.

• Pro-libertyHB 1399allowing municipalities to permit 2 residential units in certain single-family residential zones. YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, allows the expansion of a single family residence within a residential zone to no more than two residential units without discretionary review or a hearing, if the proposed development meets certain requirements.

  * This bill expands the freedom of property owners to convert single-family homes into two dwelling units.
  * Municipalities would retain ample health, safety, and environmental powers over such developments and can block them for up to 10 years if sewer capacity is not adequate. This bill deals with past objections to more ambitious legislation.
  * This bill encourages development and housing investment, which goes toward solving the worsening housing crisis, and does so by lessening, not increasing, government intervention in the market.

• Anti-libertyHB 1452relative to credentials for the position of superintendent of schools and school business officer.Oppose
  Why

  This bill establishes required credentials for school superintendents and school business officers.

  * This bill creates a cumbersome list of requirements for positions that is unlikely, perhaps almost impossible, to be met by any single candidate in each and every school district, making hiring for the position an improbable and highly overpriced adventure.
  * This bill is a consequence of an out-of-control spending spree on a failing public education system. The clear centralization mandate implicit in this bill is unachievable due to the unrealism of actually finding candidates in each school district who fit all of the qualifications that are being demanded.

• Anti-libertyHB 1453relative to degree granting authority of certain institutions of higher education.Oppose
  Why

  This bill seeks to eliminate for-profit schools that grant degrees.

  * This bill attacks freedom of choice at the stunning expense of excellent educational outcomes by eliminating for-profit (private) educational institutions that grant degrees.
  * This bill eliminates the principle last vestiges of a quality education in New Hampshire by removing free-market competition and replacing it with the corrupt, bloated public education system.
  * For-profit schools provide improved and more diverse opportunities in education, including significantly higher quality instruction in the trades, medicine, and engineering.

• Pro-libertyHB 1539relative to annulling, resentencing, or discontinuing prosecution of certain cannabis offenses.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows for additional annulments, resentencings, or discontinuations of prosecutions for certain cannabis offenses when no minor individual is invoved in the actions leading to the conviction.

  * Under current NH law, an individual seeking an annulment for these crimes must pay a fee, and in most cases they must pay for a lawyer. This bill puts the burden on the state to support annulments for activities which should never have been crimes in the first place.

• Anti-libertyHB 1545relative to the disposal of state surplus property for affordable housing.Oppose
  Why

  This bill permits the state to transfer money to nonprofit entites of their choice without being checked by the fiscal approval process.

  * This bill allows the state to sell property under market value when they so choose. This significantly disadvantages the New Hampshire taxpayer as their hard-earned money is being thrown away instead of managed responsibly.

• Anti-libertyHB 1592relative to the use of education freedom account funds in religious schools.Oppose
  Why

  This bill seeks to eliminate Education Freedom Accounts by revoking participants' protections and freedom to operate.

  * This bill seeks to specifically repeal RSAs that define and protect participants' rights to freely educate children in the manner parents choose in order to provide the best educational outcome for their children.
  * The purpose of the Education Freedom Accounts program is to specifically fund the students so that they can be saved from their failed public education institutions.
  * This bill cynically attempts to prevent Muslim, Jewish, and Christian (among other) families from using Education Freedom Accounts to find excellent educational outcomes for their children, despite overwhelming Supreme Court precedent on this issue.

• Pro-libertyHB 1683relative to coverage of circumcision under the state Medicaid plan.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill provides that the state Medicaid plan shall not include circumcision unless the child has a specific diagnosis for which the procedure is determined to be medically necessary.

  * Support the motion to remove the bill from table and support OTP/A.
  * The rights of bodily autonomy, personal choice, and consent are subverted when babies, who are the most vulnerable and innocent among us and unable to give consent, are subjected to and indeed permanently harmed by this nearly universally unnecessary medical procedure.
  * Medically necessary circumcisions are still covered under this bill.
  * This bill reduces spending by protecting the Medicaid program from medically unnecessary circumcisions.

• Anti-libertyHB 1711authorizing the state to report mental health data for firearms background check purposes and providing for processes for confiscation of firearms following certain mental health-related court proceedings and for relief from mental health-related firearms disabilities.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill creates a Red Flag law to allow for the confiscation of firearms from people based on their mental health status.

  * This bill brings the notorious "Red Flag" laws to New Hampshire, allowing the State to confiscate people's guns and prohibit them from owning them based on mental health status.
  * This bill confiscates people's property and prohibits them from exercising a constitutional right without having been found guilty of any crime.
  * This bill is unconstitutional under Part 1, Art. 2-a of the NH Constitution, and in light of the <i>Heller</i> and <i>Bruen</i> Supreme Court rulings, is also clearly unconstitutional under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
  * Laws like these have been misused and abused in every jurisdiction where they have been passed. This is a slippery slope to more expansive gun control regulation.
  * These kinds of "guilty until proven innocent" laws, such as the similar ability for the State to confiscate firearms upon a domestic violence no-contact order (the so-called "Lautenberg Amendment"), are being challenged around the country, and one case is currently at the Supreme Court. Based on recent rulings and the makeup of the court, it is likely that law will be struck down. Passing this law will therefore be a waste of everyone's time and money.

• Anti-libertyHB 1713relative to a defendant's presence during certain criminal proceedings.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill forces a defendant under certain conditions to appear in court for all stages of trial or be guilty of a class A felony.

  * This bill violates the presumption of innocence, and hubristically concludes that it is in the defendant's interest to be personally present at all stages of a trial.
  * No innocent person should be coerced by state violence while executing their chosen defensive strategy.
  * This bill is a reprehensible violation of liberty, ethics, and morality as it blatantly calls to protect the state and accusers against inconvenience while threatenting violence on an innocent person.

26 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1002relative to fees for records under the right-to-know law.Oppose
  Why

  This bill allows a public body to charge fees for records made available under RSA 91-A.

  * We oppose the bill as well as the minority amendment (2024-0930h) printed in the calendar.
  * People have a right to know how their money is being spent and what policies are being enacted in their name. Pragmatically, transparency is required in order to keep corruption and waste in check. While it is always challenging for the public to hold officials accountable, without reliable information it is nearly impossible.
  * Public bodies already have a very strong upper hand in denying unreasonable records requests: they can simply deny the request and force the party seeking records to sue. If a request is indeed unreasonable the court will easily affirm.
  * This bill will have a chilling effect on transparency by enabling public bodies to provide high estimates for access to public data, or worse, to take explicit actions that would indeed result in <i>actually</i> higher labor costs to recover the data. For example, the city of Nashua delayed the processing of a 91-A request long enough that relevant emails had been purged from the system and were only available on backup tape (<a href=https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/nh-supreme-court-sides-with-nashua-resident-in-right-to-know-case/article_7f1f10ab-3519-52f3-b982-8366fe4b1d73.html>www.unionleader.com/news/courts/nh-supreme-court-sides-with-nashua-resident-in-right-to-know-case/article_7f1f10ab-3519-52f3-b982-8366fe4b1d73.html</a>), requiring the NH Supreme Court to take action directing the city to recover the records.
  * The bill will have unintended consequences of growing the cost of government in an attempt to mitigate costs. Under current law, public bodies have some incentive to optimize data storage and retrieval systems and make data easily available to constituents. With this bill, even with the proposed amendment 2024-0930h, public bodies are incentivized to retain antiquated and labor-intensive systems.
  * Floor amendment 2024-1173h makes a good faith effort to address the concerns listed above by enabling automation to allow for lower cost transparency and allows for broad access to communications with no fee in many cases. While the protection for requests in the public interest could be clearer to explicitly cover citizen journalism, <b>floor amendment 2024-1173h or language substantially similar to it is acceptable</b>.

• Pro-libertyHB 1115relative to the termination of tenancy at the expiration of the tenancy or lease term.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill adds the expiration of the term of a lease or tenancy that is over 6 months as grounds for an eviction.

  * Common sense would lead a person to believe that at the end of a lease, with proper notice, a landlord would be able to reclaim their property, and if necessary, evict the tenant; however, courts have found that given current New Hampshire law, the end of a lease that is not renewed is not sufficient grounds for eviction.
  * A lease agreement is a contract between two parties to provide safe access to a property for a pre-determined period of time. Absent this bill, the time provisions of a lease are not meaningful.

• Pro-libertyHB 1246relative to allowing for payment of wages in gold or silver.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed minority amendment, allows for wages to be paid in gold or silver provided that both the employee and employer have agreed to such payment in writing.

  * Under current NH law, employers do not have the option of paying employees in gold or silver even if it is the preferred method of the employee for receiving compensation. This is an unnecessary restriction on the ability of two parties to come to mutually-acceptable terms for engaging in commerce, which this bill would address.
  * While it is unlikely that a significant number of employers/employees would choose this option at the current time, there is little reason to retain the existing prohibition on such arrangements.
  * RSA 275:43 I (a) already allows for wages to be paid in "lawful money of the United States" (i.e. cash) and therefore any additional concerns that gold and silver specifically would not have electronic evidence of transfers of value are unfounded.
  * When debt-based U.S. dollars are used, employees find it impossible to know exactly how many good and services they will be able to purchase with the dollars. The value of the dollar drops continuously, sometimes dramatically. Employees might find that the salary they negotiated at the start of the year is worth substantially less by the time they go to pay their increasing property taxes.

• Pro-libertyHB 1281relative to zoning restrictions on residential rental property.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill protects private property rights by preventing local governments from restricting the number of occupants in a residential rental property to fewer than two occupants per bedroom.

  * Some jurisdictions try to force college students or working young adults out of certain neighborhoods with aggressive regulations on the number of unrelated people who may live together.
  * The bill safeguards private property rights in land use and makes rental housing more accessible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1283relative to end of life options.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, establishes a procedure for an individual with terminal illness to receive medical assistance in dying through the self-administration of medication. The bill establishes criteria for the prescription of such medication and establishes reporting requirements and penalties for misuse or noncompliance.

  * This bill ends the state's coercion and interference that currently prohibits physicians from prescribing medication for a competent, terminal, fully-informed adult who voluntarily requests the medication to self-ingest that will allow them to die with dignity, peacefully and without pain.
  * To protect the terminally-ill patient, this bill allows two unassociated, voluntarily-participating health care providers to assess and agree that the individual met the stringent guidelines, and to then prescribe medication that the individual may later choose to take.
  * This bill protects and emphasizes the freedom of bodily autonomy. It essentially legalizes a group of drugs under stringent requirements to be used to provide an option of relief from the terminally chronic pain a dying person may experience.

• Pro-libertyHB 1479relative to prohibiting the use of federal, state, or local funds for lobbying activities.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed amendment, regulates the use of public funds for lobbying activities and establishes certain additional enforcement mechanisms.

  * This bill protects the political process by preventing politicians with access to public monies from manipulating those monies into supporting their campaigns.
  * This bill protects citizens from funding (via taxes and fees paid to the state) political campaigns to which they are opposed.
  * This bill requires lobbying entities to offer independent lobbying and non-lobbying services, to secure fund segregation disclosures from certain clients and affirm those disclosures, and to report different statement information where a contract provides for only non-lobbying services. It also specifically exempts clients with non-lobbying service contracts from having to segregate funds.

• Pro-libertyHB 1584relative to home day care licensing requirements.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill will help ease the demand on the decreasing supply of licensed childcare providers by providing a low-cost alternative for many NH families.

  * This bill promotes more affordable and accessible childcare options for families, as it allows for one additional child to be cared for in a private home without the need for a daycare license, which can be costly and time-consuming to obtain.
  * The bill respects the autonomy of parents in choosing the best childcare arrangements for their children without unnecessary government interference.
  * The bill may encourage the growth of small, home-based childcare businesses, which can provide more personalized and flexible care options for families.
  * The increased capacity for children in private homes may also help alleviate the shortage of childcare options in some areas, making it easier for parents to find suitable care arrangements for their children.

• Anti-libertyHB 1611relative to establishing a child care workforce fund.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill enables employers to pay below-market wages by creating subsided childcare programs in the state which, while receiving no explicit taxpayer funds in this bill, is designed to enable taxpayer subsidy in the next budget.

  * This bill enables taxpayer subsidies in an attempt to increase the supply of childcare workers by providing taxpayer funds to provide benefits to childcare workers.
  * As designed, the program would provide subsidies in a manner that could result in the upper middle class effectively receiving subsidized childcare at the expense of renters who can't even afford to start a family due to the total tax burden they face from state and local governments.
  * The bill has perverse incentives that, on the margin, may require more families to choose to be dual income in order to pay taxes when they would otherwise have chosen to have one parent stay at home. While this program falls short of universal taxpayer-funded daycare, it is reasonable to assume that the marginal impacts will be similar. A study on the effects of universal low-cost daycare in the province of Quebec found that the participants were more anxious as children and committed more crimes as teenagers (<a href=https://www.mcgill.ca/epi-biostat-occh/files/epi-biostat-occh/baker_et_al_nber_wp-long_run_impact_of_quebecs_childcare_program.pdf>www.mcgill.ca/epi-biostat-occh/files/epi-biostat-occh/baker_et_al_nber_wp-long_run_impact_of_quebecs_childcare_program.pdf</a>).

• Anti-libertyHB 1650relative to the approval of alternative programs for granting credit leading to graduation.Oppose
  Why

  This bill requires all alternative learning programs for granting credit leading to graduation to comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and establishes a committee to evaluate applications for alternative programs.

  * This bill incorrectly assigns power to the Department of Education on a matter it is not intended to or capable of solving. Private institutions and businesses are already required to comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
  * This bill creates an unnecessary annual cost to the state budget to support a committee of public school employees to perform a function for which they are neither educated nor competent.
  * This bill is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist in order to assign even more authority to a failed public education system that is dominated by incompetence, particularly in matters of responsibly managing finances.

• Anti-libertyHB 1654relative to review of education freedom account service providers.Oppose
  Why

  This bill requires the State Board of Education to annually review Education Freedom Account service providers for continued compliance with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

  * Education Freedom Accounts are for families who strive for excellent educational outcomes for their children. Parents use Education Freedom Accounts because the public school system has failed their families. Public education employees are not qualified, objective toward, or competent with respect to understanding and appropriately treating Education Freedom Accounts.
  * Private institutions, businesses, and schools are already required to comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
  * Given the extra and unnecessary red-tape this bill generates, it will likely drive away outstanding private education services from New Hampshire, an outcome which would indeed satisfy those who care about the government institutions over children's education.

• Pro-libertyHB 1683relative to coverage of circumcision under the state Medicaid plan.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill provides that the state Medicaid plan shall not include circumcision unless the child has a specific diagnosis for which the procedure is determined to be medically necessary.

  * This bill reduces spending by protecting the Medicaid program from medically unnecessary circumcisions.
  * The rights of bodily autonomy, personal choice, and consent are subverted when babies who are unable to give consent are subjected to and, unless medically necessary, indeed permanently harmed by this unnecessary medical procedure.

30 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertySB 219(New Title) requiring mandatory reporting by school districts of school expenses.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires school districts to post mandatory reports of school expenses, including average cost per pupil, average teacher salaries, and top administrator salaries. It also creates a civil remedy for the enforcement of this requirement.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, enhances public awareness of the cost incurred by public school administrators through requiring the posting of administrator salaries before any meeting in a school district where a budget is under consideration.
  * Enhanced transparency in government increases public trust and awareness.

• Pro-libertySB 302adding an additional exemption from the regulation of physicians and surgeons.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill provides for physicians and surgeons from out-of-state to perform medical examinations in New Hampshire under certain circumstances.

  * This bill allows for a physician from out-of-state who has an established relationship with a patient to continue to treat and examine that patient in New Hampshire without limitation of operation.
  * This is a common sense bill to allow for ease of access to the wealth of highly qualified medical doctors throughout the country that allows them to operate unimpeded by law on patients with whom they have an established relationship.

• Anti-libertySB 308relative to the state minimum hourly rate.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill sets a state minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage.

  * Minimum wage laws decrease the number of entry-level jobs and make it harder for people of low skill to get their start in the workforce.
  * Securing higher wages for everyone is better accomplished through job creation — having more jobs available means more competition among businesses to hire workers, thereby driving up wages.
  * Employers and employees should be free to negotiate the terms of employment without interference.
  * Economic conditions and cost of living vary dramatically across the state. A "one-size-fits-all" approach to a minimum wage will put unreasonable pressure on areas of the state with limited employment opportunities and lower costs of living.
  * The very idea of a minimum wage is patronizing and demeaning as it implies that individuals don't know how much they're worth and are incapable of negotiating with an employer.

• Anti-libertySB 335relative to alcohol packaging.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill restricts the use of certain images and phrasing in alcohol packaging that are subjectively assigned to be attractive to minors.

  * While the preferred motion for this bill is ITL, a motion of IS is acceptable.
  * This bill creates an ill-defined and highly subjective bar that alcohol manufacturers will need to work closely with government officials to satisfy. This will increase the costs of these products to New Hampshire residents.
  * Children and others under the age of 21 are already prohibited from purchasing or consuming alcohol regardless of how attractive the person finds the package.
  * Alcohol manufacturers should be free to focus on the quality and palatability of their products without additional overhead foisted upon them by an engorged state only seeking a reason to grow even larger.

• Pro-libertySB 357relative to expanding the definition of providers who can certify patients of the therapeutic cannabis program.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill expands the definition of provider under the therapeutic cannabis program to include a provider licensed to prescribe medication and who is primarily responsible for the patient's care related to his or her qualifying medical condition. The bill also requires, for issuance of a registry identification card to a minor, certification from two providers, one of whom shall provide pediatric care.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, is a commonsense expansion to reduce the restriction on the qualified medical staff who are trained to dispense medications as licensed by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
  * This bill provides that any medical professional who is licensed to dispense prescription medications can prescribe cannabis to their patient so long as their patient suffers from one of the allowed ailments for such treatment.

• Anti-libertySB 366relative to restricting the purchase of real property on or around military installations.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill requires businesses with a principal place of business located within China to create U.S.-based shell corporations prior to purchasing real property within 10 miles of automated teller machines, car insurance agents, or cell phone towers.

  * This bill infringes upon private property rights by limiting the individuals to whom a property owner may sell their property.
  * While the intent is to reduce the risk of a communist-controlled entity owning property that would put critical infrastructure at risk, ultimately restrictions like this are easier to work around than they are to enforce and will have negative impacts on individuals who were never intended to be impacted by the restrictions. Further, nearly all urban property would be considered within 10 miles of critical infrastructure given the broad definitions in the bill.

• Pro-libertySB 372relative to plumbing apprenticeships.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires rules to allow a licensed plumber to employ two apprentices. Under current law, administrative rules may limit the number of apprentices per licensee to only one apprentice.

  * While it would be best to allow a master artisan to decide how many apprentices they can mentor, an increase from one to two is an improvement.
  * This bill increases the opportunity for more licensed plumbers in the future, which will increase competition and potentially lower prices.

• Anti-libertySB 384relative to a municipal loan and grant program for rental housing and making an appropriation therefor.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill creates a recurring $10 million hole in the state budget, creating an entitlement to establish a median income rental housing program.

  * While the preferred motion for this bill is ITL, a motion of IS is acceptable.
  * This bill appropriates $10 million in a nonlapsing fashion annually to an undefined entitlement program.
  * This bill takes money and doesn't define regular, measurable, and reportable outcomes, which would help protect the taxpayer from fraud, waste, and abuse.
  * This bill is a vain attempt to address the impact on the local housing market of inflation caused by federal overspending and overregulation.

• Anti-libertySB 423relative to mandatory disclosure of insurance policy limits.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires insurers to disclose the liability coverage limits of an insurance policy upon request by a claimant or the claimant's attorney.

  * This bill forces an insurer to reveal to a claimant the maximum they intend to cover for the claim on the insured. This allows for and incentivizes exorbitant claims to be pursured by those with far more modest real damages.
  * This bill may facilitate an increase in insurance costs for all, as insurers will potentially be commonly exposed to maximum coverage settlements and will naturally amortize the increased costs.

• Anti-libertySB 456(New Title) relative to the state loan repayment program for qualified nursing professionals, and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill creates a loan forgiveness plan for nurses that is estimated to create a recurring budget cost of $17,890,064 annually.

  * This bill unjustly steals money from working people who did not choose to get an overpriced education in order to support the choices of those who did.
  * Nurses are more than capable of meeting their obligation to pay off their loans. Presently, nurses with only a few years of experience can earn $100,000 or more annually.
  * The motivation to pay off the loans nurses incurred to enter their profession is an ethical motivator for them to work more and provide a greater quantity of nursing services.

• Anti-libertySB 522relative to establishing an early childhood education scholarship account and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill creates a new tax burden on New Hampshire residents to fund preschool services.

  * This bill creates another massive cost to the state budget of an estimated $23.5 million growing from fiscal year 2025 and beyond.
  * Parents are the primary caregivers and responsible parties for their children. Parents should be allowed to make individual choices about how and where their children are cared for without being taxed into submitting to another failed public school system.
  * This bill expands DHHS authority into early childhood education, not just childcare.

• Anti-libertySB 525relative to administration of the education freedom accounts program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates perverse incentives for families to limit their income to prevent their child from being forced back into a specific government school after having acclimated to a learning environment that better suits their needs.

  * Under this bill a family is required to have their finances re-evaluated each year to see if the taxpayer dollars that are allocated for their children's education are allowed to be used to continue to support attendance at the school of their choice. On the margin, this will force families to choose between increased economic output that benefits themselves and the community and the educational options available to the child.
  * Parents often seek alternate education environments after bullying or other adverse encounters with staff or students in a particular school, and this may force a child back into an environment where they do not feel safe.
  * Public schools require no income verification for being educated. The purpose of the Education Freedom Accounts program is for taxpayer money to follow the student, ensuring they have the best possible educational choices available to them for their individual needs. This should not be impacted by arbitrary income requirements, as every taxpayer and business pays into the system whether they have children or not.

• Anti-libertySB 569relative to the powers and duties of the attorney general as the state's attorney.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill grants the attorney general expanded subpoena powers, allowing for pre-suit investigations and enables abuse of power under the guise of regulatory enforcement.

  * The expanded subpoena power granted to the attorney general in this bill may lead to potential overreach and abuse of power, infringing on individual rights and privacy. During the hearing, the senior assistant attorney general testified that searches could be performed without probable cause, which would then require a defendant to challenge introduction of the evidence in a future criminal proceeding.
  * The bill may result in increased bureaucracy and administrative costs, as it adds a new layer of regulation and enforcement to civil rights laws.
  * The potential for increased litigation and legal costs may disproportionately affect individuals and smaller businesses, limiting their ability to defend themselves against civil rights complaints.
  * The bill may create a chilling effect on free speech and expression, as individuals and organizations may self-censor out of fear of facing lawfare from a executive branch that is seeking to punish its political enemies.

27 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyCACR 15relating to taxation. Providing that a 2/3 vote is required to pass legislation imposing new or increased taxes or license fees, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds and providing that the general court shall appropriate funds for payment of interest and installments of principle of all state bonds.Support
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment provides that a 2/3 vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be required to pass a new tax or license fee or to increase any tax or license fee that has been levied, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds.

  * This CACR is highly pro-liberty by increasing the threshold to tax or indebt the citizens of New Hampshire to a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate.
  * Preserving the New Hampshire advantage of no income tax and low government spending is fundamental to protecting the future growth and liberty of the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1156relative to public health, safety, and state sovereignty.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with amendment #2024-0582h, provides that the World Health Organization shall have no jurisdiction in New Hampshire.

  * This bill, with the proposed amendment, removes any presumed authority of the World Health Organization within the State of New Hampshire.
  * Whereas the WHO is an international organization and not part of New Hampshire, it should have no authority assumed or recognized.

• Anti-libertyHB 1162relative to teaching discrimination in public schools and discrimination in public workplaces.Oppose
  Why

  This bill repeals provisions of the law relating to preventing discrimination in public workplaces and education.

  * This bill enables publicly-funded institutions to teach that certain groups are inferior to others, that certain groups are inherently evil, and that certain groups should be discriminated against because of their race or other identity characteristics.
  * This bill further risks turning schools funded by coerced taxpayer dollars into propaganda training centers, potentially antagonizing those who supply the productivity to fund their existence.

• Pro-libertyHB 1204relative to government agent entries into secured premises.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes requirements for when a government agent may enter a secured premises without a warrant.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, promotes personal privacy by prohibiting government agents (presumably including police, building inspectors, fire marshals, etc.) from entering upon premises posted according to law unless they have the owner's permission, have a search warrant, or believe exigent circumstances exist warranting immediate entry.
  * Personal property seized in violation of this bill would be inadmissible in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings.
  * The bill exempts Fish and Game officers from these restrictions under certain circumstances.
  * The bill extends privacy protections beyond a structure or dwelling to now include a defined curtilage under the definition of "secured premises".

• Pro-libertyHB 1231permitting qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill permits qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.

  * Qualified patients and caregivers in all three neighboring states are protected from arrest if they cultivate a limited supply of cannabis. In Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and sixteen additional states, all adults 21 years of age and older may already legally cultivate more cannabis plants than would be allowed under this bill. Currently, patients in New Hampshire are limited to purchasing cannabis at one of four dispensaries, and personal cultivation of cannabis is a felony offense.
  * The House has voted five times since 2009 to grant patients this freedom, and there is no reason the House should change its position now.

• Anti-libertyHB 1244prohibiting smoking and e-cigarettes in motor vehicles when a passenger is under 16 years of age.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits smoking and e-cigarettes in motor vehicles when a passenger under the age of 16 is in the vehicle.

  * This bill prohibits a person from smoking within their own private property if a child under 16 is present.
  * This bill is an invasive interference in the personal lives of New Hampshire citizens by a nanny state. People should be free to decide when and where they choose to consume tobacco products with respect to their own vehicles.

• Anti-libertyHB 1254relative to an optional local public safety assessment on certain room occupancies.Oppose
  Why

  This bill enables a municipality to collect an additional tax on hotel occupancies for the purpose of subsidizing town infrastructure costs associated with the increase in tourism and transient traffic.

  * Local property taxes are already based on the value of the property, and in assessing the value it is already standard practice to take into account highest and best use of the site, and typically the present use is assumed to be the highest and best use (<a href=https://www.revenue.nh.gov/mun-prop/property/documents/asb-manual.pdf>www.revenue.nh.gov/mun-prop/property/documents/asb-manual.pdf</a>).
  * Properties that are used as hotels are already assessed at the highest value for the site and therefore are already deriving the maximum revenue for the municipality.
  * New Hampshire also already has a Rooms and Meals tax, which is shared with municipalities and which supplies funding to the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1276relative to repealing the prohibition on the possession or sale of blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles except by or to minors.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill repeals the prohibition, penalty, and exceptions relating to the carrying and possessing with intent to sell a blackjack, slung shot, or metallic knuckles for adults.

  * Blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles are illegal in NH. This bill will make them legal for adults and place them on an equal footing with other tools — wrongful use of these tools would still be a felony.
  * The right to self-defense and to bear arms is fundamental to the citizens of New Hampshire and the United States. Both entities' Constitutions make clear that those rights shall not be infringed.
  * Mere possession of these items harms no one; using them harmfully is illegal and would remain so even with passage of this bill.

• Pro-libertyHB 1305relative to freedom of speech and association at public institutions of higher education.Support
  Why

  This bill establishes procedures governing freedom of speech and association at public institutions of higher education.

  * This bill seeks to protect freedom of speech and association on public campuses and provides a path for remediation in the event these freedoms are infringed.
  * This bill reasserts the supremacy of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution at our public universities: <i>"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."</i>

• Pro-libertyHB 1312requiring parental notification of student health or well-being and certain curricula by school districts.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed amendment, expands notice requirements by school districts to parents for certain curriculum course material, and prohibits school districts from adopting policies that prohibit employees from answering questions from parents about their student's well-being.

  * This bill expands on the expectation that publicly-funded schools work with parents to educate their children in a manner that does not contravene the families' values.
  * Parents are completely responsible for their children. This bill seeks to reinforce the tools parents need to meet that responsibility with respect to publicly-funded schools.

• Anti-libertyHB 1332relative to prohibiting electric vehicles from parking in parking garages.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits the parking of electric vehicles in parking garages.

  * This bill is poorly crafted and fails to define "electric vehicles" — if one refers to RSA 236:132, the definition excludes many hybrid vehicles, which are the vehicle type most likely to catch fire, followed by internal combustion engine vehicles. Electric vehicles are by far the least likely to catch fire (<a href=https://www.autoinsuranceez.com/gas-vs-electric-car-fires/>www.autoinsuranceez.com/gas-vs-electric-car-fires</a>). It would actually be safest to allow <i>only</i> electric vehicles to park in parking garages.
  * There is no vehicle type that is entirely safe. The fire at the UK Luton airport that caused a partial collapse of the structure and damaged hundreds of vehicles is believed to have been started by an internal combustion engine 2014 diesel Range Rover Sport (<a href=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12619137/Range-Rover-fire-sparked-Luton-airport-car-park-collapse-comes-six-years-Land-Rover-destroyed-Liverpools-Echo-Arena-car-park-six-months-4x4-recalls.html>www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12619137/Range-Rover-fire-sparked-Luton-airport-car-park-collapse-comes-six-years-Land-Rover-destroyed-Liverpools-Echo-Arena-car-park-six-months-4x4-recalls.html</a>).
  * Public participation in state house hearings and session days will be dramatically impacted for the owners of over 12,000 electric vehicle as on-street parking options are extremely limited, and because of that it is common to park in nearby parking garages. Individuals have been forced to pay for these taxpayer-funded structures, but would be denied the use of the structures.
  * Several municipalities have installed EV charging stations within garages. This would make the infrastructure investment obsolete and drive further theft to address the increased cost driven by this legislation.

• Anti-libertyHB 1336relative to employees' firearms in locked vehicles.Oppose
  Why

  This bill infringes upon private property rights.

  * This bill infringes on private property rights by telling property owners that they do not have the right to set the terms and conditions under which firearms may be brought onto and stored on their property. During testimony, supporters of the bill admitted that this was an infringement on property rights but one that was "small" and therefore the state was justified in this taking. This is a subjective argument that diminishes all of our property rights.
  * Historically, limits of property rights were only considered when a use encroaches on the property rights of others, as in the classic law of nuisance and risk. While we strongly support the individual's right to self-defense, there is no right to a particular job and thus this well-intentioned bill has no place in a free society.
  * In cases when the employer is itself the state, this prohibition is justified; however, this bill makes no attempt to limit application to public employers.

• Pro-libertyHB 1391allowing new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.

  * This is a common sense bill that recognizes that a brand new car doesn't need to be inspected for safety as soon as it is purchased.
  * This bill reduces unnecessary expense in time and money for New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertyHB 1403relative to temporary vehicle emission control equipment.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, extends the repair period for vehicles that fail the OBD II test to 120 days.

  * This bill enhances liberty by giving people whose vehicles fail to pass their On-Board Diagnostics II emissions test an extension to 120 days to make repairs.
  * This bill gives people a better opportunity to shop for the most economical and efficient services, repairs, or even a new vehicle if they believe it's warranted.

• Anti-libertyHB 1512limiting education freedom account funding to budgeted amounts.Oppose
  Why

  This bill limits the funding for the Education Freedom Accounts program, potentially hindering educational opportunities for students in need.

  * This bill seeks to limit funding for parents' choices on how their children are educated.
  * This bill seeks to constrain funding to Education Freedom Accounts to $19.8 million per year while the total expenditures for the 2022-2023 school year were $3.8 billion. In attempting to "save" money, this bill simply shifts spending to a specific government school instead of allowing the funding to follow the student.
  * New Hampshire ranks ninth highest of all states for the amount of money coerced from state residents.
  * This bill reduces positive student outcomes by preventing students from getting support from Education Freedom Accounts, which would allow them to seek a better education outside of their failing local schools.

• Pro-libertyHB 1536relative to increasing the amount of the expense deduction allowed against the business profits tax.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill increases the amount of the section 179 expense deduction permitted against the business profits tax starting in 2025.

  * The 2023 IRS limit for section 179 expenses is $1,160,000. While this bill would fall short of setting New Hampshire's deduction to the same level offered by the federal government, it would substantially close the gap and reduce one area in which New Hampshire business taxes are less competitive than other states.
  * Every state with a corporate income tax allows for some form of section 179 expense deduction but only 14 states (inclusive of NH) and the District of Columbia utilize more restrictive limits than the IRS, ranging from $25,000 to $1,040,000 (<a href=https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=225924450086997>us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=225924450086997</a>).

• Anti-libertyHB 1594establishing an annual review and qualification to determine eligibility to participate in the education freedom accounts program.Oppose
  Why

  This bill requires annual determination of eligibility for awarding of Education Freedom Account funds.

  * This bill will result in the abrupt end of successful educational paths for students whose household income has changed since they began participation in the Education Freedom Accounts program — the NH Department of Education has stated the same. The current cap already prevented 250 families from using the program this year, as food stamps, Social Security, etc., are counted as income.
  * 44% of those with Education Freedom Accounts are already on the free lunch program. Further annual limitations will impact those who can least afford school choice and punish any upward financial mobility of poorer families, who often live in poorly-performing school districts.
  * Public schools require no income verification for being educated. The purpose of the Education Freedom Accounts program is for taxpayer money to follow the student, ensuring they have the best possible educational choices available to them for their individual needs. This should not be impacted by arbitrary income requirements, as every taxpayer and business pays into the system whether they have children or not.

• Anti-libertyHB 1671relative to the complaint process for teaching discrimination and allowing educators and school officials a right of action for damages and costs for false accusations.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill replaces civil action proceedings with Department of Education rules.

  * This bill seeks to change the trial venue for teachers who are accused of malfeasance from the civil court of law to hearings by public school administrators and officials.
  * This bill creates a significant unfunded liability by creating a de facto court within the Department of Education so that it may police itself or seek advantage in charges made against it.
  * This bill also strikes the portion of law that protects families from teachers who discriminate against them.

22 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyCACR 12relating to the definition of the word "cherish." Providing that the 1784 word "cherish" shall be replaced by the 2024 word "cherish."NAY ITL
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment updates the definition of the word 'cherish' in the New Hampshire Constitution with the 2024 definition of the word 'cherish'.

  * This bill is intended to address an error made by the New Hampshire Supreme Court that discovered a requirement for education to be funded by state-level taxes instead of local taxes or parents.
  * For more than 200 years, ordinary people and the state did not interpret the NH Constitution as requring state-level funding for public schools. Then in the first Claremont decision, the NH Supreme Court "found" a requirement that none had ever previously seen — including the public that originally adopted the Constitution.

• Anti-libertyCACR 14relating to the environment and natural resources. Providing that the state shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment for present and future generations.YEA ITL
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment requires the state to fund ambiguous environmental interests without constraint.

  * This ambiguous CACR prioritizes an 'improvement of a clean and healthful environment' without actually specifying what that is or how to get there.
  * The opportunity to destroy human liberty with this CACR is bounded only by the imagination of those state agents who can interpret this bill to do literally anything.
  * The NH Department of Environmental Services' mission statement already clearly specifies that: 'The protection and wise management of the state’s environment are the main goals of the agency.'

• Pro-libertyCACR 15relating to taxation. Providing that a 2/3 vote is required to pass legislation imposing new or increased taxes or license fees, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds and providing that the general court shall appropriate funds for payment of interest and installments of principle of all state bonds.Support
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment provides that a 2/3 vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be required to pass a new tax or license fee or to increase any tax or license fee that has been levied, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds.

  * This CACR is highly pro-liberty by increasing the threshold to tax or indebt the citizens of New Hampshire to a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate.
  * Preserving the New Hampshire advantage of no income tax and low government spending is fundamental to protecting the future growth and liberty of the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1029relative to exempting certain persons from requiring a New Hampshire landing license if such persons are not landing for the purpose of the sale of the lobster or crab they have caught.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill exempts certain persons from being required to have a New Hampshire landing license if such persons are not landing for the purpose of the sale of the lobster or crab they have caught.

  * This bill exempts New Hampshire residents from being required to have a landing license if they are not landing for the purpose of selling lobster or crab.
  * This bill improves liberty by reducing regulation and simplifying access to the state by its residents.
  * We recommend this bill be passed as amended by 2024-0519h.

• Anti-libertyHB 1037relative to repealing limited liability for manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition.Oppose
  Why

  This bill repeals the statute that provides limited liability to manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition.

  * This bill is a backdoor tactic to chip away at a citizen's rights to protect themselves by providing a mechanism to financially destroy the firearms industry at every level by allowing them to be subject to lawsuits from individuals and government agencies alike.
  * This would unjustly make public and private businesses liable for the actions of individuals who commit crimes with firearms or unlawfully acquire firearms, ammunition, or related accessories.
  * This will ultimately destroy competition in the firearm industry, as it will disproportionately negatively impact small and mid-sized businesses, as they will not have the financial means to fight the onslaught of litigation.
  * This could drive more firearm and related businesses to move out of the state, costing the state jobs and tax revenue.
  * The cost of defending against frivolous lawsuits will ultimately be passed on to consumers, which will negatively impact the ability of those of lower socioeconomic groups to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.

• Pro-libertyHB 1156relative to public health, safety, and state sovereignty.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill provides that the World Health Organization shall have no jurisdiction in New Hampshire.

  * This bill, with the proposed amendment, removes any presumed authority by the World Health Organization within the State of New Hampshire.
  * Whereas the WHO is an international organization and not part of New Hampshire, it should have no authority assumed or recognized.

• Anti-libertyHB 1208relative to permitting requirements before timber harvesting operations in a wetland.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires that persons or entities conducting timber harvesting operations in wetlands verify compliance with and maintain in their records all permitting documents required for the work being done.

  * This bill assigns liability to a contractor instead of simply a landowner for getting appropriate permits and keeping records before harvesting timber.
  * This bill creates confusion around enforcement and does not define which organization would be responsible for that enforcement.
  * This bill is an unnecessary complication of law. The landowner is presently responsible for getting the permits and keeping records as such.

• Pro-libertyHB 1213relative to immunization requirements for private schools and child care agencies.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, removes the immunization requirements for child care agencies.

  * This bill removes requirements for child care agencies to require and maintain records of immunizations.
  * This bill strengthens liberty by freeing these private institutions from arduous and unnecessary records maintenance, which provides opportunity to reduce child care costs.
  * With this bill, parents are free to choose whether or not to use child care facilities that choose not to impose immunization requirements. Parents are also free to immunize their children as they see fit.

• Pro-libertyHB 1220relative to abolishing the collection of racial and ancestral data for use in a marital application worksheet.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, abolishes the collection of data regarding race, ancestry, and education for use in a marital application worksheet.

  * This bill abolishes the collection of unnecessary data when a couple is applying for a marriage license in New Hampshire.
  * This bill helps to protect the privacy of citizens by ending the needless practice of collecting race, ancestry, and education information when getting married in the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1240relative to eating disorders as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill adds eating disorders as a qualifying medical condition for the use of therapeutic cannabis.

  * This bill enhances New Hampshire citizens' access to potentially life-saving medicine to treat eating disorders.
  * This bill strengthens the right to personal bodily autonomy by allowing those suffering from eating disorders to work with their doctors to consider medical cannabis in their treatment regimen.

• Anti-libertyHB 1244prohibiting smoking and e-cigarettes in motor vehicles when a passenger is under 16 years of age.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits smoking and e-cigarettes in motor vehicles when a passenger under the age of 16 is in the vehicle.

  * This bill prohibits a person from smoking within their own private property if a child under 16 is present.
  * This bill is an invasive interference in the personal lives of New Hampshire citizens by a nanny state. People should be free to decide when and where they choose to consume tobacco products with respect to their own vehicles.

• Anti-libertyHB 1254relative to an optional local public safety assessment on certain room occupancies.Oppose
  Why

  This bill enables a municipality to collect an additional tax on hotel occupancies for the purpose of subsidizing town infrastructure costs associated with the increase in tourism and transient traffic.

  * Local property taxes are already based on the value of the property, and in assessing the value it is already standard practice to take into account highest and best use of the site, and typically the present use is assumed to be the highest and best use (<a href=https://www.revenue.nh.gov/mun-prop/property/documents/asb-manual.pdf>www.revenue.nh.gov/mun-prop/property/documents/asb-manual.pdf</a>).
  * Properties that are used as hotels are already assessed at the highest value for the site and therefore are already deriving the maximum revenue for the municipality.
  * New Hampshire also already has a Rooms and Meals tax, which is shared with municipalities and which provides a direct benefit to the the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1266relative to permitting recordings of open family court proceedings by parties.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill authorizes parties to make their own audio and/or visual recording of proceedings in the family division of the circuit court under certain circumstances.

  * This bill makes it legal for people to make their own audio-visual recordings in public family court proceedings.
  * This is an excellent bill for improving government transparency that will provide an opportunity for greater trust of the family court system.

• Pro-libertyHB 1308relative to parent access to children's library records.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill provides a parent or legal guardian with access to their minor child's library records.

  * If a library has records of a minor's borrowing history, this bill requires the library to provide those records to the minor's legal parent or guardian when asked.
  * Parents are the primary protector of and hold the responsibility for their children. This bill prevents libraries from interfering with that, by requiring them to provide access to their children's records.

• Anti-libertyHB 1332relative to prohibiting electric vehicles from parking in parking garages.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits the parking of electric vehicles in parking garages.

  * Electric vehicles are not shown to be any more likely to catch on fire than internal combustion vehicles.
  * This bill would be responsible for impinging upon over 12,000 electric vehicle owners in New Hampshire who would have their liberty constricted by the unfounded fears of a few.

• Pro-libertyHB 1359relative to appeals of certain zoning decisions by abutters.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill adds to the definition of "abutter" and includes abutters in appeals to the Board of Adjustment.

  * This bill correctly expands who can appeal to the Board of Adjustment with respect to zoning considerations.
  * This bill improves liberty by giving access to the mechanism for seeking redress of grievance from appropriate stakeholders before a zoning change is made by the Board of Adjustment.

• Pro-libertyHB 1391allowing new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.

  * This is a common sense bill that recognizes that a brand new car doesn't need to be inspected for safety as soon as it is purchased.
  * This bill reduces unnecessary expense in time and money for New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertyHB 1403relative to temporary vehicle emission control equipment.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, extends the repair period for vehicles that fail the OBD II test to 120 days.

  * This bill enhances liberty by giving people whose vehicles fail to pass their On-Board Diagnostics II emissions test an extension to 120 days to make repairs.
  * This bill gives people a better opportunity to shop for the most economical and efficient services, repairs, or even a new vehicle if they believe it's warranted.

• Pro-libertyHB 1412relative to court reporters.Support
  Why

  This bill repeals the requirements for licensure and regulation of court reporters.

  * This bill repeals the requirements for licensure and regulation of court reporters first instituted in 2007.
  * The bill repeals the voluminous, detailed, burdensome, and costly statutes and regulations relating to court reporters.
  * It is believed there are under 200 court reporters in New Hampshire (active reporters may be fewer).
  * Court reporters must currently pay $300 for an initial license application, and $200 for renewals.
  * Court reporters are already certified at different levels of competency by the National Court Reporters Association.
  * Court reporters should be free to advance their profession without government restrictions. The free market will weed out incompetent or unethical reporters, who will not be hired by attorneys or courts.

• Pro-libertyHB 1536relative to increasing the amount of the expense deduction allowed against the business profits tax.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill increases the amount of the section 179 expense deduction permitted against the business profits tax starting in 2025.

  * The 2023 IRS limit for section 179 expenses is $1,160,000. While this bill would fall short of setting New Hampshire's deduction to the same level offered by the federal government, it would substantially close the gap and reduce one area in which New Hampshire business taxes are less competitive than other states.
  * Every state with a corporate income tax allows for some form of section 179 expense deduction but only 14 states (inclusive of NH) and the District of Columbia utilize more restrictive limits than the IRS, ranging from $25,000 to $1,040,000 (<a href=https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=225924450086997>us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=225924450086997</a>).

• Pro-libertyHB 1660relative to coverage of certain procedures for minor children under the state’s Medicaid program.Support
  Why

  This bill provides that the state Medicaid plan shall not include gender reassignment treatment for minors.

  * This bill prevents gender reassignment treatments from being covered by Medicaid.
  * This bill improves liberty by reducing potential costs to taxpayers for a safety-net entitlement by eliminating an elective treatment.

• Pro-libertyHB 1695relative to the release of student personally identifiable information.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits the transfer of students' personally identifiable information to third parties without written consent of the parents of the student.

  * This bill, with the proposed amendment, prohibits releasing personally identifiable student information to third parties without written consent of the student's parents.
  * This bill strengthens the ability of parents to protect their children's privacy.

35 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertySB 219(New Title) requiring mandatory reporting by school districts of school expenses.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires school districts to post mandatory reports of school expenses, including average cost per pupil, average teacher salaries, and top administrator salaries. It also creates a civil remedy for the enforcement of this requirement.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, will enhance public awareness of the cost incurred by public school administrators through requiring the posting of administrator salaries before any meeting in a school district where a budget is under consideration.
  * Enhanced transparency in government increases public trust and awareness.

• Anti-libertySB 316establishing a penalty for a person who transports fentanyl class drugs into New Hampshire with the intent to distribute.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill adds a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years for individuals transporting fentanyl into NH with an intent to distribute and adds a new clause allowing for asset forfeiture of vehicles that were involved.

  * The War on Drugs has clearly failed; heroin was first federally regulated more than 100 years ago, yet is still beyond the control of governance even today. While it is tempting to look at the lists of arrests week after week in the paper and think we are just one more arrest from a solution, it is clear that the enforcement-centric approach is a failure.
  * During the public hearing, testimony was provided that indicated that there is no evidence that mandatory minimum drug sentences reduce use of drugs, drug sales, or overdose deaths.
  * WIth or without this bill, fentanyl remains illegal in the state.

• Anti-libertySB 414relative to establishing a mandatory minimum sentence for the crime of distribution of a controlled drug with death resulting.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill would require a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for cases where a death results from sharing a controlled drug.

  * As written, this bill would remove discretion from a judge when sentencing individuals involved in tragic situations. If a couple, unwisely but voluntarily, regularly purchases and shares controlled substances and then one member dies as a result of the use, the judge would now be required to sentence the surviving member to 10 years in prison.
  * The bill may have unintended consequences of increasing deaths, as a friend may flee when there is still a chance to save an individual, for fear of this prosecution that leaves no room for understanding the totality of circumstances.

• Anti-libertySB 418relative to THC concentrations for driving offenses.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would dramatically increase penalties for refusing a blood alcohol test to one year (from 180 days).

  * The state can seek and achieve a conviction for driving under the influence without a blood test and is already able to introduce into evidence the fact that an individual has refused a test into evidence during trial.
  * The existing RSA 265-A:14 and this enhanced penalty without conviction update allow police to request a blood test and institute the penalty upon refusal to take the test that is "offered" under duress. In Mitchell v. Wisconsin, the US Supreme Court found that implied consent laws that included blood tests (but not breathalyzer tests) are an unconstitutional violation of the 4th Amendment, as a blood test is more invasive and reveals more information than a breathalyzer and accordingly requires a warrant.

• Anti-libertySB 525relative to administration of the education freedom accounts program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would create perverse incentives for families to limit their income to prevent their child from being forced back into a specific government school after having acclimated to a learning environment that better suits their needs.

  * Under this bill a family would be required to have their finances re-evaluated each year to see if the taxpayer dollars that are allocated for their children's education are allowed to be used to continue to support attendance at the school of their choice. On the margin, this will force families to choose between increased economic output that benefits themselves and the community and the educational options available to the child.
  * Parents often seek alternate education environments after bullying or other adverse encounters with staff or students in a particular school, and this may force a child back into an environment where they do not feel safe.

• Anti-libertySB 533relative to physical quorums at public meetings.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill enables a majority of the members of a public body to participate in a meeting via electronic means.

  * Under current law, while a small number of members of a public body may participate and vote in a public meeting remotely, a quorum is still required to be physically present. This physical presence allows members of the public who would like to be heard to have physical access to officials who are spending our money and controlling aspects of our public and private lives.
  * This bill places the members of the public body in a special category as compared to the public, as it allows members to participate remotely but only requires that the public body must listen to the members of the public who are physically present.
  * It allows for public officials to have the ability to dodge public accountability and not allow for in-person confrontation and debate to take place. It also sets a dangerous precedent moving forward that will continue to hinder the ability of citizens to engage with their government in a public way.
  * RSA 91-A:1 states that <i>"Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people."</i> — while this bill would leave this provision in place, it eliminates the reference to the paragraph which previously held that <i>"Any meeting held pursuant to the terms of this paragraph shall comply with all of the requirements of this chapter relating to public meetings, and shall not circumvent the spirit and purpose of this chapter as expressed in RSA 91-A:1".</i>

• Anti-libertySB 559relative to the definition of vaccine for purposes of the New Hampshire vaccine association.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill revises the definition of vaccine for purposes of the New Hampshire Vaccine Association.

  * Under existing RSA 126-Q, the New Hampshire Vaccine Association extracts fees from HMOs, insurance companies, health service corporations, and other entities based on the number of individuals under 19 years of age being provided services by the organization. These fees are extracted regardless of whether or not the children or adults make use of vaccines provided by the program. In that sense, it is an indirect tax that all families that make use of the healthcare system must pay regardless of whether they actually use the service.
  * With the proposed new definition of vaccines, this tax will now not only be used to pay for products that provide some level of immunity to life-threatening and disabling diseases, but will also apply to all products that protect against diseases caused by infectious pathogens. As a result, this would cover products that would protect against diseases such as athletes foot, impetigo, or any number of relatively minor diseases. While parents may ultimately decide that the risk benefit of such products makes sense for their children, expanding the program to cover generally trivial infectious diseases that everyone will now be forced to pay for is an overstep of the intent of the vaccine association program.

• Anti-libertySB 563relative to federal immigration enforcement.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill requires cities and towns to comply with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detainer requests that hold individuals for whom there is no criminal warrant reviewed by a judge.

  * An ICE detainer request is not a warrant. They are issued by an official from the executive branch without any judicial review to determine if probable cause exists to hold the individual named in the request. As events in the last several years have revealed, unfettered power in the hands of federal agencies can and will be abused if not held at least partially in check by a moderately independent judicial branch.
  * The lack of oversight in ICE detainers increases the risk of errors. U.S. Army veteran and U.S. citizen Rennison Castillo was held for seven months by ICE before they realized their error (<a href=https://www.foxnews.com/world/rennison-castillo-gets-apology-and-400000-after-government-wrongly-tries-to-deport-him>www.foxnews.com/world/rennison-castillo-gets-apology-and-400000-after-government-wrongly-tries-to-deport-him</a>).
  * The Frequently Asked Questions published by ICE (<a href=https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/detainers/ice-detainers-frequently-asked-questions>www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/detainers/ice-detainers-frequently-asked-questions</a>) state that if a local law enforcement agency believes the individual to be a U.S. citizen, that they should notify the ICE Law Enforcement Support Center by phone. At this point, local law enforcement has kidnapped a U.S. citizen who has no criminal warrant, and the remedy is to make a phone call?

• Pro-libertySB 570establishing a misdemeanor for first-offense controlled drug possession.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill amends the penalty for obtaining, purchasing, transporting, possessing, or having under a person's control a controlled drug to a class A misdemeanor, and amends the penalty for a subsequent offense to a class B felony.

  * Whether harsh drug laws for first time offenses are actually effective, this much is certain — that they have either contributed to the drug problem that we have, or they have been powerless to prevent it. In either case these harsh penalties should not exist.

21 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1050relative to establishing a voluntary waiver of the right to purchase a firearm.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes a gun registry in New Hampshire, which would prevent those people on it from legally owning firearms.

  * This bill attempts to create an end run around the Second Amendment by establishing a gun registry and establishing the bureaucracy to do so in New Hampshire, ostensibly to reduce suicide risk.
  * The testimony in committee revealed that the potential consequence of this bill is that, in order to get healthcare, health insurance, or a variety of products required to function in society, citizens can be forced to renounce their Second Amendment rights by providers requiring them to be on this firearm registry.
  * Humans are generally smart and resourceful, and although firearms are one common means that is used, reducing access to firearms does not nessesarily result in lower suicide rates. South Africa's rate of suicide is 23.5 per 100,000 while the US rate is 16.1. (<a href=https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country>worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country</a>). South Africa has significantly more strict controls on private firearm access.
  * Once someone is placed on this registry, there is no legal recourse to have their name removed. Though the bill contains provisions that would appear to allow for removal, there is no way to require that the federal NICS system act upon a request for removal.

• Pro-libertyHB 1111relative to the penalty for false reports of suspected abuse and neglect made to the division for children, youth, and families.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, provides that reports of suspected abuse and neglect may include the name of the person making the report and that a report made maliciously or with the intent to cause harm may be subject to civil and criminal penalties.

  * This bill enhances liberty by providing a measure of safeguarding against knowingly false accusations of child abuse from unidentified individuals. Additionally, the claimant may be informed of their liability in the case that the claim was made maliciously or with the intent to harm.
  * The bill retains liability protections for those who make reports in good faith.
  * In committee, DCYF reported that an average of 10,000 calls are received annually regarding child abuse and/or neglect, 50% of which are weeded out. The Parents Rights Foundation's national statistics show that of 20,000 calls annually, 10,000 are weeded out, and that 83% of reports of child abuse are false reports, which increases to 96% when there is no penalty against false reports.

• Anti-libertyHB 1178relative to an employee's unused earned time.Oppose
  Why

  This bill requires an employer to pay an employee for unused earned time.

  * Individuals should be free to make whatever legal arrangements they see fit with a potential employer. The people are more than capable of deciding if what an employer is offering is acceptable and choose to accept, negotiate, or turn down arrangements as they freely choose.
  * This bill is an unforced error that will drive up the cost of employment in New Hampshire and cost potential jobs to people who are happy to accept the terms of employment with employers who don't conform to the mandates required in this bill.

• Pro-libertyHB 1186relative to firearm purchaser's privacy.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits the assigning of a specific merchant code to the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories, and provides a civil penalty for violations of this prohibition. This bill further provides a mechanism for enforcement of this prohibition.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, protects the privacy of New Hampshire citizens by prohibiting payment processors from assigning a merchant category code that would denote that a firearm or accessory was purchased.
  * This bill serves to stop the creation of a gun registry by banks who could then choose to defy the Second Amendment by denying the purchase of firearms and firearm implements, closing bank accounts, or preventing people on the registry from being banked.

• Pro-libertyHB 1288relative to establishing certain due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty members facing disciplinary actions by state institutions of higher learning.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed amendment, establishes certain due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty members facing disciplinary actions by state institutions of higher learning.

  * This bill establishes a minimum floor for due process to be administered by the Community College System of NH (CCSNH) and University System of NH (USNH) regarding students, organizations, and faculty accused of wrongdoing.
  * This bill enhances liberty by providing a floor of due process that may help alleviate abuse by some universities that in recent years have assigned guilt to students, whereas adhering to basic due process would have revealed the truth of their innocence.

• Anti-libertyHB 1322relative to the state minimum hourly rate.Oppose
  Why

  This bill establishes a state-dictated minimum wage.

  * Minimum wage laws decrease the number of entry-level jobs and make it harder for people of low skill to get their start in the workforce. The well-meaning carve out for younger employees adds a further barrier to older unskilled staff entering the workforce, potentially putting a path to employment forever out of their reach.
  * Securing higher wages for everyone is better accomplished through job creation — having more jobs available means more competition among businesses to hire workers, thereby driving up wages.
  * Employers and employees should be free to negotiate the terms of employment without interference.
  * Economic conditions and cost of living vary dramatically across the state. A "one-size-fits-all" approach to a minimum wage will put unreasonable pressure on areas of the state with limited employment opportunities and lower costs of living.
  * The very idea of a minimum wage is patronizing and demeaning as it implies that individuals don't know how much they're worth and are incapable of negotiating with an employer.

• Pro-libertyHB 1339relative to department of safety firearm background checks.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, provides a procedure for conducting a discretionary background check prior to the return of firearms and/or ammunition in a court proceeding.

  * This bill provides for a reasonable path for those whose firearms were seized by authorities to have them returned after passing a standard NICS background check.
  * This bill reinforces the rights of the innocent by safeguarding their Second Amendment rights once the court finds that their case is resolved and can return confiscated property.

• Pro-libertyHB 1377relative to granting workers free choice to join or refrain from joining labor unions.Support
  Why

  This bill prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join or contribute to a labor union and prohibits coercion and intimidation intended to compel an employee to join, affiliate with, or financially support a labor organization or to refrain from doing so.

  * The federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) contains several coercive mechanisms that infringe upon the rights of workers and business owners. Among these are section 9a, which mandates exclusive representation by a single union and mandates that the union representative is given opportunity to be present at grievance adjustment between employers and employees even if the employee does not wish that the representative is present. In addition, it forces employers to recognize and bargain collectively with unions following a majority vote of their workforces.
  * Right-to-work is the only way currently permitted under federal law to restore some of the freedom of dissenting workers and their employers to withhold support from unions with whom they disagree. While this bill interferes with freedom of contract, it does so in a way intended to remedy current, more egregious constraints on freedom of contract.
  * Public sector collective bargaining is often more harmful than private sector collective bargaining because taxpayers are not directly represented in negotiations. “It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt, who opposed public sector unions. Public sector right-to-work reduces union density in government and reduces government spending and taxes (Ichniowski & Zax 1991).
  * "...when it came to earning more than nonunion workers, union members in right-to-work states actually out-performed those in non-right-to-work states." (<a href=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bloomberg-law-analysis/analysis-are-unions-really-weaker-in-right-to-work-states>news.bloomberglaw.com/bloomberg-law-analysis/analysis-are-unions-really-weaker-in-right-to-work-states</a>). This is potentially due to the incentive for unions to be more responsive to their members' needs when they are not compelled to join.
  * Federal employees already have the option of joining or not joining the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). It is time to grant New Hampshire workers the same options that federal workers have had for decades. "The only federal employees who pay union dues are those who choose to do so. Each federal employee in a work unit that has voted for union representation chooses whether to join the union or not." (<a href=https://www.afge.org/take-action/lpc-dashboard/lobbying-tips/crippling-the-union-fast-facts/>www.afge.org/take-action/lpc-dashboard/lobbying-tips/crippling-the-union-fast-facts/</a>)

• Anti-libertyHB 1394relative to licensure and regulation of music therapists and making an appropriation therefor.Oppose
  Why

  This bill expands occupational licensing in New Hampshire.

  * Occupational licenses are permission slips from the government that routinely stand in the way of honest employment, and are designed to exclude entry into the marketplace. This bill creates a new license and prohibits individuals who do not have the license from the practice of music therapy.
  * Consumers and employers, not the state, should decide who is qualified for which jobs.
  * Music therapists already work in New Hampshire.

• Anti-libertyHB 1423requiring the commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state of New Hampshire.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would require taxpayer resources to be used to survey 1.5 million acres of mature and old growth forestland that is under public management.

  * The fiscal note indicates that this would require seven new Environmentalist III positions for three years. In practice, it's likely that there would be a call to continue to find work for these new positions long beyond that. This is a labor-intensive and likely error-prone method of data gathering.
  * Given the rapid pace of development of AI, it is likely that an airborne survey or analysis of existing imagery could provide the same data in the time frame envisioned by this bill and may provide other data which would be of value for the purposes envisioned by the minority.

• Anti-libertyHB 1472relative to rebates of energy efficiency funds for electric vehicles.Oppose
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed amendment, allocates $1.5 million from proceeds from the energy efficiency fund to create a point-of-sale subsidy to manufacturers of electric vehicles.

  * Although the mechanism for providing subsidies to EV manufacturers is accomplished by reducing the cost paid by a purchaser of the vehicle, the bill is nonetheless a subsidy to manufacturers, as it increases the base cost of a vehicle that a consumer can afford on the margins.
  * When combined with other actions of the state legislature in recent years, this bill is a shell game that is designed to make citizens believe their government is helping them, when in fact it is only distorting market forces that are already driving down the costs of EVs. In 2023, as part of HB2, the legislature passed a new $100 annual registration fee for EVs to offset the loss of fuel taxes for vehicles of this class. We now are considering a pre-purchase refund, paid for by NH utility ratepayers, and pretend to be "helping" as we shuffle dollars through a variety of state-controlled accounts.
  * Reduced spending on RGGI ratepayer rebates, which will be offset by this bill, would increase the cost of electricity by $1.5 million statewide.

• Pro-libertyHB 1517relative to the statewide education property tax and excess revenue from games of chance.Support
  Why

  This bill annually reduces the state education property tax by the amount of revenue paid to the state through games of chance in excess of the estimated amount paid in the 2023 fiscal year.

  * This bill will reduce the statewide property tax, while offsetting the reductions with gambling tax funding. This will reduce people's taxes while not reducing education funding.
  * This bill implements the intent of the finances collected from games of chance to supplement education funding with the revenue.

• Pro-libertyHB 1577relative to digital images of ballots.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed amendment, allows independent audits of ballot images.

  * In the democratic process, it is important for people to be able to verify that the ballots cast actually match what the election results claim.
  * Independent audits are common in many industries to ensure the quality of products and services. Open and honest elections should not run from audits, but welcome more transparency to provide voters confidence in NH elections.

• Anti-libertyHB 1583relative to the per pupil cost of an opportunity for an adequate education.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill increases the base annual cost of providing an opportunity for an adequate education. It also establishes relief aid funding and fiscal disparity aid.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would significantly increase multiple funding mechanisms to government-run schools, including base aid and differentiated aid. The total estimated new spending responsibility assigned to the taxpayer from this bill is approximately $130 million year.
  * The amount of money requested in this bill can be more readily sourced by harvesting efficiencies from reducing administrative costs, overhead, and waste and reducing the actual scope to that mandated in RSA 193-E:2.
  * New Hampshire taxpayers already shoulder an incredibly high $3.8 billion fiscal burden to educate children. There is no reasonable need to further increase this amount.

• Anti-libertyHB 1611relative to establishing a child care workforce fund.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill enables employers to pay below-market wages by creating taxpayer-subsidized childcare programs in the state.

  * This bill would provide taxpayer subsidies in an attempt to increase the supply of daycare workers by providing taxpayer funds to provide benefits to childcare workers.
  * As designed, the program would provide subsidies in a manner that could result in the upper middle class effectively receiving subsidized childcare at the expense of renters who can't even afford to start a family due to the total tax burden they face from state and local governments.
  * The bill has perverse incentives that, on the margin, may require more families to choose to be dual income in order to pay taxes when they would otherwise have chosen to have one parent stay home. While this program falls short of universal taxpayer-funded daycare, it is reasonable to assume that the marginal impacts will be similar. A study on the effects of universal low-cost day care in the province of Quebec found that the participants were more anxious as children and committed more crimes as teenagers (<a href=https://www.mcgill.ca/epi-biostat-occh/files/epi-biostat-occh/baker_et_al_nber_wp-long_run_impact_of_quebecs_childcare_program.pdf>www.mcgill.ca/epi-biostat-occh/files/epi-biostat-occh/baker_et_al_nber_wp-long_run_impact_of_quebecs_childcare_program.pdf</a>).

• Anti-libertyHB 1630relative to extended producer responsibility.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a new program requiring funding to enact extended producer responsibility for packaging.

  * This bill assigns new bureaucracy and requirements to producers of most packaged goods.
  * The great cost incurred by this program on producers and the creation of new state bureaucracy is a direct increase in costs and/or taxes to the New Hampshire resident. These programs aren't free, and it is only the people who pay.
  * Most recycled plastic goods are not actually recycled in the US. Most are shipped to Canada, Mexico, and India where they can "recycle" the materials outside the domestic regulatory performance theater.

• Pro-libertyHB 1633relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations therefor.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill legalizes cannabis in New Hampshire.

  * This bill would increase personal freedom by allowing adults 21 and older to purchase, possess, transport, and give away (but not sell) up to four ounces of cannabis, ten grams of concentrated cannabis, and infused products with up to 2000 milligrams of THC.
  * Legalization would not only prevent innocent people from having their lives significantly impacted by minor possession arrests, but would also reduce the expense of the criminal justice system, allowing police and prosecutors to focus on serious crimes where innocent people have been victimized.
  * Polls have consistently shown that a substantial majority of Granite Staters support legalizing cannabis (<a href=http://scholars.unh.edu/survey_center_polls/689>scholars.unh.edu/survey_center_polls/689</a>).
  * A federal judge has recently ruled that prohibitions on firearms ownership simply for the use of cannabis is unconstitutional. While it is likely that further court battles on the topic remain, concerns expressed over the potential impact to gun rights are paternalistic.

• Anti-libertyHB 1649relative to prohibiting certain products with intentionally added PFAS.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, restricts the use of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances in certain consumer products sold in New Hampshire.

  * Identified areas of groundwater PFAS contamination within New Hampshire are primarily the result of contamination primarily linked to industrial discharge from manufacturing facilities, fire stations, and military bases rather than the consumer products targeted for a ban under this legislation.
  * This bill will lead to an unnecessary increase in the cost and lack of availability of common goods in New Hampshire as manufacturers will have to engage with the bureaucracy, decide whether or not to continue to provide the product, or update the product and generate custom processes to support this new law — all costs which will be passed on to the consumer.

• Pro-libertyHB 1674relative to establishing the New Hampshire legal tender act and establishing a state bullion depository.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill designates specie legal tender as legal tender in the state of New Hampshire.

  * This bill, with the proposed amendment 2024-0373h, states that specie legal tender (specie coin issued by the United States or gold/silver as authorized by the New Hampshire state treasurer) is legal tender in New Hampshire.
  * This bill enhances liberty by allowing a path for those who seek to exchange gold/silver instead of dollars to do so without risk of violating federal law. 18 U.S. Code § 486 states, <i>"Whoever, except as authorized by law, makes or utters or passes, or attempts to utter or pass, any coins of gold or silver or other metal, or alloys of metals, intended for use as current money, whether in the resemblance of coins of the United States or of foreign countries, or of original design, shall be fined under this title [1] or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."</i>
  * Vote NAY IS and then support YEA OTP/A.

• Anti-libertyHB 1680relative to prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats by retail pet shops.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits the sale of dogs and cats by retail shops in New Hampshire.

  * While the intent of the bill is likely to reduce support for breeders that utilize inhumane approaches to breeding and keeping dogs, it ultimately is likely to have the opposite effect. As written, the bill would prohibit the sale of cats and dogs in retail shops in the state of New Hampshire by prohibiting new shops and eliminating others through attrition. Ultimately, this will result in more cats and dogs being purchased from shelters that import pets from out of state. Rather than having pets be obtained from a mix of local and out-of-state breeders, this will ultimately increase the demand for out-of-state breeders where both the consumer and the state have less visibility into the conditions under which the pets were reared.
  * Pet ownership is one of the joys of life that certain people have difficulty realizing with some species or breeds of pets. By outlawing pet stores' ability to sell dogs and cats, potential owners may be deprived of finding an appropriate pet to suit their needs.

• Pro-libertyHB 1689relative to the use of personal identifying information by state agencies.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill clarifies the law regarding how identifiable information contained within vital records is collected and reported to other state agencies.

  * The bill limits state agencies' access to personal identifiers in vital records, ensuring individuals' privacy is protected against unnecessary government intrusion. This restriction underscores a commitment to safeguarding citizens' rights to privacy by minimizing the collection and use of sensitive personal information.
  * This bill minimizes the risk of personal data misuse by ensuring that state agencies only access non-identifiable data for statistical purposes, thereby balancing public health research needs with individual privacy rights.
  * With cyber attacks and data breaches becoming more common, the disclosure of personally identifiable information should be avoided at all costs.
  * The bill's provisions empower individuals by ensuring that their personal information remains confidential and is not unnecessarily exposed to state scrutiny. By setting clear boundaries on the access and use of personal data, it reinforces the principle of personal liberty, emphasizing that individuals retain control over their own information in interactions with the state.
  * Vote NAY IS and then YEA OTP.

23 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertySB 219(New Title) requiring mandatory reporting by school districts of school expenses.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires school districts to post mandatory reports of school expenses, including average cost per pupil, average teacher salaries, and top administrator salaries. It also creates a civil remedy for the enforcement of this requirement.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, will enhance public awareness of the cost incurred by public school administrators through requiring the posting of administrator salaries before any meeting in a school district where a budget is under consideration.
  * Enhanced transparency in government increases public trust and awareness.

• Anti-libertySB 342relative to school building aid funding.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes a new school district building aid funding program using state funds allocated to each district and makes an appropriation therefor.

  * This bill will drive up the cost of public education by establishing a new school building fund and commits the state to adding $80 million every year to said fund from the general fund.
  * This form of funding incentivizes the 'spend it or lose it' mentality at a very expensive rate, which will drive up taxation in New Hampshire.
  * To control costs and reduce taxes, the New Hampshire taxpayer is better served when school districts compile specific needs and submit those specific needs to the state department of education to be decided upon on a case-by-case basis.
  * Spending on education has ballooned out of control to the tune of $3.8 <i>billion</i> per year (2022-2023 school year).

• Anti-libertySB 352establishing an early detection cancer screening pilot program for active and retired firefighters.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes an early detection cancer screening pilot program in the Department of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services, for retired and full-time active firefighters in New Hampshire.

  * New Hampshire already heavily subsidizes the healthcare insurance of first responders in New Hampshire.
  * This bill is the $5 million start of a large, new program whose ongoing price tag is to be assumed by the New Hampshire taxpayer.
  * First responders who believe they are at an increased risk of cancer can consult with their professional medical doctors and decide on an appropriate course of action to be covered by the health insurance they currently have.

• Anti-libertySB 494relative to establishing a farmer assistance fund.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill establishes the farmer assistance for natural disasters fund and makes a continuing appropriation of up to $5 million annually therefor.

  * This bill creates a $5 million hole in the state budget that the New Hampshire taxpayer must cover every year.
  * All business owners are expected to accept responsibility for the risks of their endeavors, as they are anticipating to reap the rewards. The possibility of experiencing poor and/or failed crops is the acceptable risk that any farmer is expected to take. Creating a dependence on the state will incentivize a degradation of the farmer's skill and create pressure on the state to increase the burden on the taxpayer to rescue more farmers who were previously able to manage occasional loss on their own.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferrable, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertySB 552relative to lapse of funds from the education trust fund.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill requires that any amount exceeding $175 million in the education trust fund at the close of a fiscal year shall be transferred to a dedicated fund to be expended on teacher shortage and teacher retention programs. It also creates a legislative advisory group to provide advice and consent for the use of such funds.

  * This bill would eliminate an opportunity to reduce taxes and instead would inflate spending on education in New Hampshire even further.
  * The average spending per pupil is currently $20,383 and the total spending on education alone in New Hampshire during the 2022-2023 school year was over $3.8 billion. This bill further exacerbates the over-spending.
  * Given the stunning size of the current education spending, teacher retention funding could be easily achieved by harvesting efficiencies from reducing administrative costs, overhead, and waste.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferrable, IS is acceptable.

16 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1000relative to classifying New Hampshire legislators' service as public service for certain federal purposes.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill allows for the service of a current or former member of the general court to be deemed by the state to qualify as full-time public service for the purposes of federal public service student loan forgiveness programs.

  * This bill is an unethical attempt to enrich the political class by taking advantage of a corrupt program that is canceling the publicly-funded debt of a chosen few at the expense of those who have paid their loans or never indebted themselves in the first place.
  * This bill further exacerbates the tax burden to all because of the choices of a few.
  * The school loans incurred by those attending college were offered by the people with the understanding that the people would be repaid in a reasonable time frame. This bill would deny those individuals who accepted the taxpayers' generous offer the opportunity to fulfill their responsibility by repaying their loans in full.

• Anti-libertyHB 1212relative to eligibility for free school meals.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill increases the eligibility for free school meals to household incomes up to 350% of federal poverty guidelines.

  * This bill significantly increases the cost burden of the public education system by over $50,000,000 per year to the state of New Hampshire taxpayers.
  * A parent's fundamental responsiblility is to feed their children. This bill further and unnecessarily drives the state between the child and their families by inducing dependence.
  * Lowering taxes by reducing the cost of the public school system and returning that money to the taxpayers is a far more effective way to allow parents to supply high-quality foods to their children. If the state would stop interfering in the private lives of families, families wouldn't need or want food from the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1560relative to unassigned moneys in the education trust fund.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires that any surplus in the education trust fund be transferred to the general fund at the end of each fiscal year.

  * By moving surplus education funding annually to the general fund, this bill creates the opportunity to lower taxes, as the surplus is revealed in the general fund to be unnecessary to collect from taxpayers.
  * If realized, this future tax cut opportunity would drive more efficiency in state spending, therefore improving the availability of funding in the hands of our productive citizens so that they may choose to enhance their investment in New Hampshire.

• Pro-libertyHB 1652relative to establishing a local education freedom account program.Support
  Why

  This bill allows school districts to adopt a program for local Education Freedom Accounts for a parent of an eligible student to receive a grant from a scholarship organization for qualifying educational expenses at a public school, chartered public school, nonpublic school, or program approved by the Department of Education.

  * This bill increases the availability of the Education Freedom Accounts to all school districts who choose to enact it at their level.
  * This bill enhances liberty by moving access to superior forms of education down to the local level and is available to all who are interested.
  * Education Freedom Accounts provide an alternative for parents who are not interested in exposing their children to undesirable cultural programming or insufficient and inefficient "academics" at public education institutions.
  * EFAs ultimately create an opportunity to reduce property taxes as EFAs cost taxpayers far less to educate a student than the current public school bureaucracy.

• Pro-libertyHB 1677relative to participation in education freedom accounts based on school or school district proficiency scores.Support
  Why

  This bill extends eligibility for the Education Freedom Accounts program to students who participated in the program in the preceeding year, students whose enrollment transfer requests were denied, and students in school districts that performed at 49% or below in statewide assessments.

  * This bill improves the Education Freedom Accounts program to fulfill one of its cornerstone paradigms, which is to allow parents whose children are suffering in poor-performing schools to get a better education elsewhere.
  * This will improve educational outcomes for all children in an area, as it will drive efficiencies in the public education system while permitting those parents who would prefer to educate their children elsewhere to do so without shouldering the extra burden of paying to educate their children twice.
  * This bill is an excellent example of enhancing liberty through increasing opportunites for people to freely choose what they want without state coercion.

• Pro-libertyHB 1696relative to electronic record requests under the right-to-know law.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill clarifies a public body or agency's ability to accept record requests by electronic means and to provide such records electronically.

  * This bill enhances the capacity for transparency in local government by providing for Right-to-Know requests to be satisfied by utiliziing document databases accessed via the Internet.
  * This is a common sense bill that seeks to modernize government records retention and access through digitizing documents and making them readily accessible on the Internet.
  * This accessiblity of information would reduce the number of Right-to-Know requests the government sees, as requesters can readily find the information openly available to them online.

9 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertySB 219(New Title) requiring mandatory reporting by school districts of school expenses.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires school districts to post mandatory reports of school expenses, including average cost per pupil, average teacher salaries, and top administrator salaries. It also creates a civil remedy for the enforcement of this requirement.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, will enhance public awareness of the cost incurred by public school administrators through requiring the posting of administrator salaries before any meeting in a school district where a budget is under consideration.
  * Enhanced transparency in government increases public trust and awareness.

• Anti-libertySB 320requiring the public utilities commission to establish a gas and electric performance incentive mechanism.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill requires the public utilities commission to develop a performance incentive mechanism for the approval of electric and gas utility rates.

  * This bill adds a significant amount of cost, oversight, and bureaucratic red tape to the already cumbersome process that private utilities have to contend with to do business in New Hampshire.
  * It is far more likely that any perceived "efficiencies" this bill hopes to force out of utility companies will in fact be overcome by the cost of its implementation, oversight, and enforcement, while also adding to the cost the utility companies will be forced to pass on to New Hampshire residents.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferrable, IS is acceptable.

• Pro-libertySB 339relative to repealing the graduation requirement regarding Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill removes the requirement that students file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form or a waiver for such form prior to graduation.

  * Parents and children who are often at or near the age of majority are in the best position to determine if filling out onerous federal forms is in their interest. This new mandate for graduation was passed in 2021 and presumes to insert the preferences of the state over those of parents and young adults.
  * There are those who have characterized the existing student loan system as being a predatory lending system whereby students are pressured into taking out loans that may not be discharged through bankruptcy and then use the funds to get degrees that do not offer sufficient value to repay the loan. Whether or not a contract that is entered into voluntarily is reasonable to deem as predatory may be a matter of discussion; however, for those who hold such a position, it is clear that the state of New Hampshire should not mandate that individuals begin the process of engaging with such a system.

• Anti-libertySB 346prohibiting the use of dogs while hunting coyotes.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits the use of dogs while hunting coyotes.

  * Coyotes are typically hunted to reduce their population as they are often a threat to livestock and pets and can be a threat to children. Making it harder to hunt coyotes by prohibiting the use of dogs means coyotes which have become a threat are more likely to evade hunters and continue to predate.
  * This bill may disincentive those who enjoy hunting coyotes with dogs when the community needs them to help eliminate the threat.

• Anti-libertySB 360relative to extreme risk protection orders.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a 'red flag' firearm confiscation process defined as an extreme risk protection order.

  * This bill violates the Fourth Amendment protections under the US Bill of Rights and Article 19 of the NH Bill of Rights: <i>"[Art.] 19. [Searches and Seizures Regulated.] Every subject hath a right to be secure from all unreasonable searches and seizures of his person, his houses, his papers, and all his possessions."</i>
  * The language in the bill allows for hearsay "evidence" to be admitted into the trial violating Article 15: <i>"[Art.] 15. [Right of Accused.] No subject shall be held to answer for any crime, or offense, until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and formally, described to him;"</i>
  * The respondent will be stripped of personal property and will need to spend time and money via the court system for return of the property without having committed a crime.
  * Under this bill, courts are not bound by the traditional rules of evidence typically given to the defendant (159-F:3 IX).

• Anti-libertySB 541relative to retail pet stores.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill prohibits the sale of dogs and cats by retail pet shops.

  * Pet ownership is one of the joys of life that certain people have difficulty realizing with some species or breeds of pets. By outlawing pet stores' ability to sell dogs and cats, potential owners may be deprived of finding an appropriate pet to suit their needs.
  * While a motion of ITL would be preferrable, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertySB 559relative to the definition of vaccine for purposes of the New Hampshire vaccine association.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill revises the definition of vaccine for purposes of the New Hampshire Vaccine Association.

  * Under existing RSA 126-Q, the New Hampshire Vaccine Association extracts fees from HMOs, insurance companies, health service corporations, and other entities based on the number of individuals under 19 years of age being provided services by the organization. These fees are extracted regardless of whether or not the children or adults make use of vaccines provided by the program. In that sense, it is an indirect tax that all families that make use of the healthcare system must pay regardless of whether they use the service.
  * With the proposed new definition of vaccines, this tax will now not only be used to pay for products that provide some level of immunity to life-threatening and disabling diseases, but will also apply to all products that protect against diseases caused by infectious pathogens. As a result, this would cover products that would protect against diseases such as athletes foot, impetigo, or any number of relatively minor diseases. While parents may ultimately decide that the risk benefit of such products makes sense for their children, expanding the program to cover generally trivial infectious diseases that everyone will now be forced to pay for is an overstep of the intent of the vaccine association program.

• Anti-libertySB 571relative to requiring a background check prior to any commercial firearm sale.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill seeks to add a requirement for a criminal background check to all private and public firearm transfers.

  * This bill is a direct infringement on the right to bear arms and therefore a direct violation of Article 2-a of the New Hampshire Constitution and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  * This bill makes it illegal for private citizens to sell or gift their firearms without submitting to a third party and having the sale registered by the state — another direct violation of Article 2-a and the Second Amendment.
  * Currently New Hampshire is regarded as the safest state in the nation due in no small part to its hands-off approach to firearms ownership. This bill would destroy that and invite empowered and armed criminals to prey on a population disarmed by a malicious state leveraging a bevy of red-tape procedures to hinder the free ownership and trade of firearms.
  * This bill creates a de facto gun registry, which is a serious violation of privacy and makes it very easy for the state to later choose to confiscate all firearms.

• Anti-libertySB 577relative to imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a waiting period for the delivery of a firearm, subject to certain exceptions.

  * This bill is a direct infringement on the right to bear arms and therefore a direct violation of Article 2-a of the New Hampshire Constitution and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  * This bill seeks to establish an arbitrary and capricious three-day waiting period after purchasing a firearm for the lesser people, while permitting those in law enforcement to circumvent this wait.
  * This bill serves no positive purpose other than to infringe on the process of law-abiding citizens to freely obtain, own, and enjoy their firearms.

16 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1002relative to fees for records under the right-to-know law.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill allows a public body to charge fees for records made available under RSA 91-A.

  * Support the motion for reconsideration and oppose this bill.
  * People have a right to know how their money is being spent and what policies are being enacted in their name. Pragmatically, transparency is required in order to keep corruption and waste in check. While it is always challenging for the public to hold officials accountable, without reliable information it is nearly impossible.
  * Public bodies already have a very strong upper hand in denying unreasonable records requests: they can simply deny the request and force the party seeking records to sue. If a request is indeed unreasonable the court will easily affirm.
  * This bill will have a chilling effect on transparency by enabling public bodies to provide high estimates for access to public data, or worse, to take explicit actions that would indeed result in <i>actually</i> higher labor costs to recover the data. For example, the city of Nashua delayed the processing of a 91-A request long enough that relevant emails had been purged from the system and were only available on backup tape (<a href=https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/nh-supreme-court-sides-with-nashua-resident-in-right-to-know-case/article_7f1f10ab-3519-52f3-b982-8366fe4b1d73.html>www.unionleader.com/news/courts/nh-supreme-court-sides-with-nashua-resident-in-right-to-know-case/article_7f1f10ab-3519-52f3-b982-8366fe4b1d73.html</a>), requiring the supreme court to take action directing the city to recover the records.
  * The bill will have unintended consequences of growing the cost of government in an attempt to mitigate costs. Under current law, public bodies have some incentive to optimize data storage and retrieval systems and make data easily available to constituents. With this bill, even with the proposed amendment, public bodies are incentivized to retain antiquated and labor-intensive systems.

• Pro-libertyHB 1116relative to certain firearms to be used for taking of game.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, removes the existing requirement that the firearm be lever action.

  * The action of the rifle is largely unreleated to the ballistics or power of the pistol round fired and thus its suitability for the purpose of hunting.
  * Removing an arbitrary restriction allows hunters to select the tool that is available to them that is best suited to the task.

• Pro-libertyHB 1396relative to prohibiting municipal inspections of owner-occupied units of multi-unit housing.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits municipal inspections of owner-occupied units within residential structures of four units or less.

  * The NH Constitution enshrines the right to privacy; having municipalities conduct inspections of owner-occupied units in buildings of four units or less greatly infringes on that constitutionally-protected right.
  * This bill prevents the government from violating the sanctity of one’s home by conducting inspections without the owner’s consent.
  * Most NH homeowners would view it as ridiculous if their homes were inspected by the municipality. Just because a small-building owner chooses to occupy one of the units in the building doesn't mean they shouldn't have the same privacy protections as any other homeowner; there is no reason why multi-family homeowners should be treated as second-class citizens in terms of their protections from municipal inspections.

• Pro-libertyHB 1634relative to universal eligibility for the education freedom account program.Support
  Why

  This bill enables universal access to the Education Freedom Accounts program.

  * This bill would allow all Granite Staters to opt out of public school and choose a program that will cost the taxpayer generally half as much as the public option while providing the opportunity for superior education outcomes.
  * This also allows for greater innovation in the field of education in the state as the public schools are now having to compete for students as well as the private programs needing to innovate to be successful.
  * Education Freedom Accounts provide Granite Staters with greater access to private, home, charter, or other alternative schooling options for their children with an ultimately lower tax burden for taxpayers, as only funds considered required by the state for an adequate education are allocated to the account, and not additional optional funding that often is added at the municipal level.

• Pro-libertyHB 1665relative to student eligibility for the education freedom accounts program.Support
  Why

  This bill raises the household income criteria for eligibility to receive funding for the Education Freedom Accounts program.

  * This bill would allow more Granite Staters to opt out of public school and choose a program that will cost the taxpayer generally half as much as the public option while providing the opportunity for superior education outcomes.
  * This also allows for greater innovation in the field of education in the state as the public schools are now having to compete for students as well as the private programs needing to innovate to be successful.
  * Education Freedom Accounts provide Granite Staters with greater access to private, home, charter, or other alternative schooling options for their children with an ultimately lower tax burden for taxpayers, as only funds considered required by the state for an adequate education are allocated to the account, and not additional optional funding that often is added at the municipal level.

13 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 135(New Title) relative to requisites for a criminal search warrant.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill raises the bar for the execution of no-knock warrants.

  * "No-knock" warrants allow law enforcement to use force to gain entry into a residence without giving any prior notice or announcing their entry. This is dangerous both for the police and the potentially-innocent occupants of the household, as the resulting confusion dramatically increases the probability of inadvertent injury or death.
  * Originally conceived as a means to prevent the destruction of evidence, no-knock raids have been misused by law enforcement, executed at incorrect addresses, and resulted in fatalities, both to law enforcement personnel and to civilians. Between 2010 and 2016, 81 civilians and 13 officers have died during no-knock raids (<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/18/us/forced-entry-warrant-drug-raid.html>www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/18/us/forced-entry-warrant-drug-raid.html</a>).
  * Per the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Manual (<a href=https://www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/documents/law-enforcement-manual.pdf>www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/documents/law-enforcement-manual.pdf</a>) the purpose of 'knock and announce' is to protect people's rights to privacy in their homes and to prevent unnecessary violence that could result from unannounced entries.
  * While rare, there are instances across the country of no-knock warrants being executed at the wrong address due to typographical or other errors that have at times lead to disastrous consequences. As such, a complete prohibition on the ability to execute a no-knock warrant would be preferable. However, this bill is a small step in the right direction.
  * When individuals are not aware of who is trying to break down their door, they can, will, and should use deadly force to defend their property. This bill is a small step to reduce the risks to the public and police of no-knock raids.

• Anti-libertySB 217establishing a rural and underserved area educator incentive program for higher education and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes the rural and underserved area educator incentive program and makes an appropriation therefor.

  * This bill is unnecessary, as no part of New Hampshire is educationally underserved due to the universal geographic access of the Education Freedom Accounts.
  * Increasing the unnecessary bloat of the already-overfunded public education department creates an unjust burden on everyone forced to pay taxes.
  * There is very limited actual incentive created by this bill as the federal government is already forgiving billions in college education loans.

• Anti-libertySB 347relative to infrastructure appropriations for reimbursement to the city of Laconia.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill makes an appropriation of $3,000,000 to the Department of Administrative Services for reimbursement to the city of Laconia for expenditures related to the public water, sewer, and road infrastructure improvements needed for the development of the former Laconia state school campus property.

  * The overtaxed citizens of New Hampshire do not need to absorb the cost of private development in Laconia.
  * The state would be fairly served to offer an interest-free loan to Laconia to be paid off at a rate of 50% of the initial property taxes collected for the developed property.

• Anti-libertySB 352establishing an early detection cancer screening pilot program for active and retired firefighters.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes an early detection cancer screening pilot program in the Department of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services, for retired and full-time active firefighters in New Hampshire.

  * New Hampshire already heavily subsidizes the healthcare insurance of first responders in New Hampshire.
  * This bill is the $5 million start of a large, new program whose ongoing price tag is to be assumed by the New Hampshire taxpayer.
  * First responders who believe they are at an increased cancer risk can consult with their professional medical doctors and decide on an appropriate course of action to be covered by the health insurance they currently have.

• Anti-libertySB 380relative to moving the state primary date.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill changes the date of the state primary election to the second Tuesday in June (from September).

  * This bill will substantially restrict the ability of third parties to secure enough petitions in time to qualify as a legitimate party. It further expends taxpayer resources to enable entrenched private political parties to make use of election apparatus for free while reducing the time and thus increasing the costs for third party candidates to qualify to be on the ballot.
  *This can be easily made at least neutral if it is amended to include an amendment to RSA 655:43 to untether the dates of independent filing from the primary to prevent inadvertently dramatically raising the bar for ballot access for these candidates.

• Anti-libertySB 445establishing a voter-owned elections fund for eligible candidates to executive councilor and making an appropriation to the fund.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes taxpayer-funded campaign financing for eligible candidates for executive council.

  * Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for the campaign activities of any candidate, particularly those with whom they vigorously disagree.
  * While the bill initially appropriates only $1 to the newly created fund, this is a placeholder which will eventually be funded with taxpayer dollars.

• Pro-libertySB 446allowing voters to vote for multiple candidates for an office.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill would allow voters to show support for multiple candidates in a given race.

  * With this simple ballot change voters will be able to easily express their opinion on every candidate.
  * This eliminates the "wasted vote" problem in which voters believe that votes for a less popular candidate will be wasted because the candidate has little chance of winning.
  * Approval voting enabled by this bill requires no complex method for tallying votes to determine the winner(s) of a race, as vote tallying works the same as with the current system — that is to say, the vote total for a candidate is the sum of all votes cast for the candidate.

• Anti-libertySB 454increasing the annual real estate transfer tax revenue contribution to the affordable housing fund.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill doubles the cost of the affordable housing fund.

  * This bill doubles the cost to the general fund of New Hampshire for the Affordable Housing Fund from $5 million to $10 million annually.
  * It is more efficient, ethical, and rational to reduce the cost of housing by reducing the high property taxes associated with housing than to incur the cost of taxing citizens and returning a small portion of that to a few select people.

14 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyCACR 13relating to slavery and involuntary servitude. Providing that slavery and involuntary servitude shall be prohibited in the state of New Hampshire.YEA OTP
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment modifies the New Hampshire Constitution to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude.

  * The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude in all states but not under all conditions; specifically, slavery is still allowed "as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted". This amendment would create a similar right within the New Hampshire Constitution without an explicit exclusion.
  * Enumeration of this right in the NH Constitution ensures that even as a sovereign entity, New Hampshire would continue to reject the forced extraction of value from those within our boundaries.

• Anti-libertyHB 1002relative to fees for records under the right-to-know law.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill allows a public body to charge fees for records made available under RSA 91-A.

  * People have a right to know how their money is being spent and what policies are being enacted in their name. Pragmatically, transparency is required in order to keep corruption and waste in check. While it is always challenging for the public to hold officials accountable, without reliable information it is nearly impossible.
  * This bill would have a chilling effect on transparency by enabling public bodies to provide high estimates for access to public data, or worse, to take explicit actions that would indeed result in actually higher labor costs to recover the data. For example, the city of Nashua delayed the processing of a 91-A request long enough that relevant emails had been purged from the system and were only available on backup tape (<a href=https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/nh-supreme-court-sides-with-nashua-resident-in-right-to-know-case/article_7f1f10ab-3519-52f3-b982-8366fe4b1d73.html>www.unionleader.com/news/courts/nh-supreme-court-sides-with-nashua-resident-in-right-to-know-case/article_7f1f10ab-3519-52f3-b982-8366fe4b1d73.html</a>), requiring the supreme court to take action directing the city to recover the records.
  * The bill would have unintended consequences of growing the cost of government in an attempt to mitigate costs. Under current law, public bodies have some incentive to optimize data storage and retrieval systems and make data easily available to constituents. With this bill, even with the proposed amendment, public bodies are incentivized to retain antiquated and labor intensive systems.
  * Public bodies currently have a very strong upper hand in denying unreasonable records requests: they can simply deny the request and force the party seeking records to sue. If a request is indeed unreasonable the court will easily affirm.

• Anti-libertyHB 1068relative to establishing a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools.Oppose
  Why

  This bill establishes a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools.

  * This bill adds an unnecessary expense and barrier for families trying to educate and care for their children.
  * This bill intrudes on the privacy and autonomy of parents and their children.
  * There is no communicable condition related to someone with high lead levels in their system; therefore there is no reason for the state to be forcing the drawing of blood from small children.

• Pro-libertyHB 1338relative to New Hampshire's enforcement of the Military Selective Service Act.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits state or local enforcement of the Military Selective Service Act except in times of foreign military invasion or declared war. This bill further repeals the state penalty provisions for lack of compliance with the Military Selective Service Act, and allows for the marking of "conscientious objector" when registering with the division of motor vehicles.

  * This bill is a strong statement for liberty as it seeks to protect New Hampshire citizens from being conscripted by the federal government as slaves by denying state resources to the federal government.
  * This bill would remove selective service registration as a requirement to attend state schools.
  * This bill allows for conscientious objector status to be registered alongside of selective service.
  * The legislation strengthens the New Hampshire Constitution's existing Art. 13 protections: "No person, who is conscientiously scrupulous about the lawfulness of bearing arms, shall be compelled thereto."
  * We recommend this bill pass in its original form without amendment by 2024-0214h.

• Pro-libertyHB 1372relative to prohibiting torture.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a criminal prohibition against torture at the New Hampshire state level.

  * With respect to federal torture law, this bill strengthens and specifies crimes identified as torture at the level of the state of New Hampshire.
  * Cruel and unusual punishment is prohibited by the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Part I, Article 33 of the New Hampshire Constitution.
  * While assault statutes exist in New Hampshire, they don't adequately cover the elevated egregiousness of actual torture by a government official operating under the color of law.
  * This statute would punish actions defined as torture as a Class A felony.

• Pro-libertyHB 1391allowing new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.

  * This bill is a common sense bill that recognizes that a brand new car doesn't need to be inspected for safety as soon as it is purchased.
  * This bill reduces unnecessary expense in time and money for New Hampshire citizens.

• Anti-libertyHB 1520establishing a family assistance car ownership pilot program in the department of health and human services.Oppose
  Why

  This bill creates a taxpayer-funded program to gift vehicles to those in poverty to enable businesses to pay below-market wages and increase the cycle of poverty.

  * Government programs create dependency and perverse incentives that often do far more harm than good. Effective social assistance is based on sincere care for a person, and most often occurs in the context of a genuine personal relationship.
  * This bill will come at a cost to the taxpayers and will only exacerbate the problem that it seeks to resolve. The increased spending and ultimately higher taxes will push more individuals who are living on the margins to become dependent on programs like this.
  * The state could reduce the barriers to accessing affordable transportation by joining other states, including many other cold weather states, in eliminating annual vehicle inspections.

• Anti-libertyHB 1598relative to the department of health and human services management of social security payments and veterans benefits for children in foster care.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill places the full cost of raising children in state custody on New Hampshire citizens. It also takes the money the state collects from the federal government for this pupose and holds it in trust as a payout for when the child leaves state care.

  * This bill is a misappropriation of funds. It takes money from the federal government intended for the support of children and decides to save it as a payout to the child for when he or she is released from state care. It presumes instead to charge New Hampshire citizens again for the support of children in state care.
  * An unintended consequence is that impoverished parents may decide to surrender their children to state care so those children can get cash payouts on the backs of New Hampshire citizens.

11 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 135(New Title) relative to requisites for a criminal search warrant.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill raises the bar for the execution of no-knock warrants.

  * "No-knock" warrants allow law enforcement to use force to gain entry into a residence without giving any prior notice or announcing their entry. This is dangerous both for the police and the potentially-innocent occupants of the household, as the resulting confusion dramatically increases the probability of inadvertent injury or death.
  * Originally conceived as a means to prevent the destruction of evidence, no-knock raids have been misused by law enforcement, executed at incorrect addresses, and resulted in fatalities, both to law enforcement personnel and to civilians. Between 2010 and 2016, 81 civilians and 13 officers have died during no-knock raids (<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/18/us/forced-entry-warrant-drug-raid.html>www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/18/us/forced-entry-warrant-drug-raid.html</a>).
  * Per the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Manual (<a href=https://www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/documents/law-enforcement-manual.pdf>www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/documents/law-enforcement-manual.pdf</a>) the purpose of 'knock and announce' is to protect people's rights to privacy in their homes and to prevent unnecessary violence that could result from unannounced entries.
  * While rare, there are instances across the country of no-knock warrants being executed at the wrong address due to typographical or other errors that have at times lead to disastrous consequences. As such, a complete prohibition on the ability to execute a no-knock warrant would be preferable. However, this bill is a small step in the right direction.
  * When individuals are not aware of who is trying to break down their door, they can, will, and should use deadly force to defend their property. This bill is a small step to reduce the risks to the public and police of no-knock raids.

• Pro-libertySB 194allowing students under age 21 to taste wine in educational settings.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill allows students under age 21 to taste wine for instructional purposes at accredited educational institutions.

  * This bill allows students studying enology or brewing, who may be under 21, to fully participate in the class.
  * This bill increases access to education by creating a small and reasonable exception to the alcohol age limit.

• Pro-libertySB 323relative to the definition of salon.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill amends the definition of "salon" to provide an exception.

  * This bill improves liberty for barbers and stylists by eliminating their personal homes from the definition of salons.
  * This will improve access to the barber and cosmetology professions by allowing New Hampshire citizens to use space in their home to practice without the administrative burden of labeling their home a salon.

• Pro-libertySB 442relative to student eligibility for education freedom accounts.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill expands the definition of "eligible student" for the Education Freedom Accounts program to include students whose enrollment transfer request was denied.

  * This bill improves liberty by including transfer students who were denied participation in the Education Freedom Accounts program because their parents tried to improve their child's educational outcome within the public school system but had these attempts rejected by the public education administration.
  * This bill expands access to Education Freedom Accounts, a popular and successful program that saves taxpayer money.

• Pro-libertySB 513relative to permitting charity auctions by non-profit corporations.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill permits non-profit corporations to conduct charity auctions using auctioneers.

  * This bill enhances liberty by allowing non-profit organizations to conduct charity auctions with contracted auctioneers, whereas previously this was prohibited.
  * With the passing of this bill, non-profits will have an opportunity to freely choose an additional tool to garner support for their respective causes.

• Pro-libertySB 63enabling municipalities to adopt a tax credit for qualified private community property owners.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  Amendment 2023-2430s limits the powers of municipalities to adopt public health ordinances to be only for conditions that are unique to the town.

  * If SB 63 is removed from table to adopt the amendment relative to the adoption of public health ordinances by municipalities, the motion and amendment should be supported.
  * This would limit the ability of towns to create public health restrictions on the public for conditions that are not unique to the town. Such restrictions only serve to limit the liberty of those in the town and can result in a confusing patchwork of restrictions that have both unindended consequences and negative impacts to liberty.

6 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 185relative to the determination of parental rights and responsibilities based on shared parenting and shared access to the child's records.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill provides that it is a state policy to support approximately equal parenting time between a child and parent when courts are determining a permanent order concerning parental rights and responsibilities, unless such an arrangement is clearly detrimental to the child.

  * While the bill as amended is only a small change compared to the existing RSA which only suggested "frequent and continuing contact", the change to approximately equal time ensures that both parents start on an equal footing in court when it comes to parental rights.
  * According to a report from the US Census bureau, in 2018 about 4 of every 5 (79.9%) of the 12.9 million custodial parents were mothers (<a href=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-269.pdf>www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-269.pdf</a>), and while not every instance is the result of a court proceeding, this bill would set a presumption for courts that equal parenting time for each parent is in the best interest of the child.
  * Kentucky passed a similar measure in 2017 (<a href=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/08/30/kentuckys-joint-custody-law-leads-decline-family-court-cases/2158216001/>www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/08/30/kentuckys-joint-custody-law-leads-decline-family-court-cases/2158216001</a>) and found that a drop in family court disputes followed. In addition, according to a meta analysis, kids who share time between both parents’ homes approximately equally have better outcomes related to academic achievement and physical and mental health (<a href=https://momsforsharedparenting.org/shared-parenting-research/>momsforsharedparenting.org/shared-parenting-research</a>).
  * While only a modest step in the right direction, the result is consistent with better outcomes for children and their parents as well as taxpayers who may be less likely to carry the costs of an expanding family court system.

• Anti-libertyHB 194requiring the director of the division of archives and records management to compile and maintain a list of public monuments.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires the director of the Division of Historical Resources to periodically compile and publish a survey of all monuments in the state.

  * While this is a seemingly innocuous bill, it does provide the pretext for growing spending in the state to perform an activity that is better served by private individuals and hobbyists.
  * To the extent that such a list provides some value, it is well within the reasonable purview of the director of the Division of Historical Resources to consider creating such a list without a time interval mandated by law.

• Pro-libertyHB 229relative to requiring an official declaration of war for the activation of the New Hampshire national guard.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill limits the activation of the New Hampshire National Guard for active duty combat to only those times where the United States Congress has passed an official action pursuant to Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution.

  * This bill helps to ensure that the state upholds the U.S. Constitution by requiring Congress to formally declare war before deploying National Guard units for overseas combat missions. This measure reinforces the separation of powers and prevents the executive branch from bypassing Congress in matters of war.
  * By keeping National Guard units within NH, the bill helps ensure that these resources are available for state emergencies, such as natural disasters. This allows New Hampshire to better protect our residents and respond to local crises more effectively.

• Pro-libertyHB 375relative to the licensure of nonresident aliens temporarily residing in New Hampshire.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill permits nonresident aliens living in New Hampshire on a temporary basis to obtain a driver's license upon completion of an application for asylum status to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

  * The state should not be placing barriers on the right to travel.
  * Denying individuals who are living legally in the state the right to a driver's license makes it more difficult for them to positively contribute to whatever household they are a member of and increases the need for public services.

• Pro-libertyHB 470relative to fentanyl test strips and other drug checking equipment.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, legalizes test strips and drug checking equipment used to inform individuals of whether a substance contains another another synthetic opioid, a different controlled substance, or an undisclosed chemical compound or contaminant.

  * This bill as written allows individuals and harm reduction agencies to possess test strips provided by the market without having to have the legislature act for each new test, as long as the tests are not intended for use with the manufacture or sale of controlled substances for illegal sales.
  * While it's true that no test can be 100% accurate, it should not be the role of the state to prohibit individuals from possessing test equipment.
  * The bill also allows people testing their drugs to possess and transport a “nominal amount" of a controlled substance for the purposes of drug checking activity.

• Anti-libertyHB 546relative to the school building aid program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would increase the amount of state aid for building of schools by $30 million per year and mandate a minimum of $50 million per year in state aid.

  * The NH public school student population has been shrinking for many years and is down more than 10,000 students since 2018 as parents find better options for educating their children and demographic shifts occur in the state. Unchecked spending will increase already high property taxes and will further burden the NH economy. Schools should be more, not less, accountable in order to rein in spending.
  * With state building aid, local districts will fund more extravagant schools than they would if they had to pay the full cost themselves.

• Pro-libertyHB 559establishing a state retirement plan group for new state employee members of the retirement system.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the associated amendment, creates a new Group III within the NH Retirement System comprised of newly-hired state employees in Group I, changing the plan from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan.

  * Defined benefit plans have largely been replaced in the private sector by defined contribution plans, meaning that under the current system, employees of the state are being provided with a benefit that is unavailable to those who are paying for the plan.
  * Defined contribution plans are more honest, as defined benefit plans are a long-term promise to provide a benefit that the state may be unable to meet given the fiscal and demographic changes in the economy. Further, a majority of state employees do not work for the state long enough to qualify for the existing benefit, meaning that these workers are subsidizing the benefits for the employees who remain.

• Anti-libertyHB 620(New Title) establishing a division of early learning in the department of education and relative to a pre-kindergarten pilot program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes an executive branch department of early childhood education and creates a new taxpayer-funded pre-kindergarten program.

  * Though this bill only seeks to create a pilot program, the intended outcome is to establish a constituency for a new taxpayer-funded program that will grow in scope and costs in the coming years.
  * While the statement of findings makes a claim of the long-term benefits of such programs, randomized studies of similar programs demonstrate that any of the perceived benefits are inconsistent and/or short-lived and vanish by first grade: <i>"However, the benefits of access to Head Start at age four are largely absent by 1st grade for the program population as a whole." </i> (<a href=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507847.pdf>files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507847.pdf</a>).

• Anti-libertyHB 628requiring certain non-public schools or education service providers that accept public funds to perform background checks on all employees and volunteers.Oppose
  Why

  This bill imposes state-mandated background checks on private businesses.

  * Parents who opt to participate in various education choice programs already have the option to select providers who perform background checks. There is no need to mandate such checks in state law.

• Pro-libertyHB 644relative to regulating barbers, cosmetologists, and estheticians.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would make it legal to offer "blow-dry styling, makeup application, and eyebrow threading" without having to have a New Hampshire cosmetology license.

  * Occupational licenses, particularly for low-risk activities such as blow-dry styling, are not meant to protect consumers. They do however entrench established players in the industry by burdening those trying to create new small businesses. They also unnecessarily grow government and thereby discourage competition and innovation.
  * Relaxed occupational licensing laws will enhance entrepreneurial enterprise creation, spur growth, and strengthen the free market's ability to judge value.

• Anti-libertySB 263extending the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program and reestablishing the commission to evaluate the effectiveness and future of the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would eliminate the sunset provision on NH Medicaid Expansion.

  * This bill makes Medicaid Expansion permanent. Medicaid Expansion provides able-bodied, childless adults in NH who are above the poverty line with free healthcare.
  * Federal money always comes with strings attached, and it is not free. The national debt, which is nearly $34 trillion, is arguably the largest threat to national security.
  * The federal government will not keep its promises. Federal money will dry up and the financial transfer mechanism will break because hospitals and insurance companies will be unable to transfer the entire cost onto paying customers. This will place the costs squarely on the state’s General Fund, which will only be able to support it through a new broad-based tax, such as a sales or income tax, thereby destroying what remains of the New Hampshire Advantage. While there are protections in the existing law, one only need to look at the public hearing, where stakeholders showed up in support of this bill to recognize that the longer we run this 'temporary' program, the greater the constituency will be to keep it running even as it eventually grows to consume additional state funding.
  * A free market approach to health care should be the main priority of the legislature. This is the only way to sustainably lower costs and increase access for the majority of Granite Staters.

55 bills with no position.

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• Pro-libertyHB 135prohibiting no-knock warrants.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill raises the bar for the execution of no-knock warrants.

  * "No-knock" warrants allow law enforcement to use force to gain entry into a residence without giving any prior notice or announcing their entry. This is dangerous both for the police and the potentially-innocent occupants of the household, as the resulting confusion dramatically increases the probability of inadvertent injury or death.
  * Originally conceived as a means to prevent the destruction of evidence, no-knock raids have been misused by law enforcement, executed at incorrect addresses, and resulted in fatalities, both to law enforcement personnel and to civilians. Between 2010 and 2016, 81 civilians and 13 officers have died during no-knock raids (<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/18/us/forced-entry-warrant-drug-raid.html>www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/18/us/forced-entry-warrant-drug-raid.html</a>).
  * Per the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Manual (<a href=https://www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/documents/law-enforcement-manual.pdf>www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/documents/law-enforcement-manual.pdf</a>) the purpose of 'knock and announce' is to protect people's rights to privacy in their homes and to prevent unnecessary violence that could result from unannounced entries.
  * While rare, there are instances across the country of no-knock warrants being executed at the wrong address due to typographical or other errors that have at times lead to disastrous consequences. As such, a complete prohibition on the ability to execute a no-knock warrant would be preferable. However, this bill is a small step in the right direction.
  * When individuals are not aware of who is trying to break down their door, they can, will, and should use deadly force to defend their property. This bill is a small step to reduce the risks to the public and police of no-knock raids.

• Anti-libertyHB 250(Second New Title) relative to the accidental death benefit payable for a retirement system member.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill increases the amount of the state retirement annuity payable upon the accidental death of a group II member to 100% of earnable compensation (up from 50%) at the member's death.

  * Under current law, government employees who are eligible for the current benefit receive a value equal to 50% of earnable compensation at the date of the member's death. As a result, the existing benefit already rises as wages rise. This bill would increase the benefit to 100% of earnable compensation.
  * Employees eligible for this increased benefit are generally covered by collective bargaining agreement. There is little evidence that expanding the total compensation/benefit package outside of the bargaining process does anything other than setting a new baseline expectation prior to the start of negotiations. If these employees would find this expanded benefit to be valuable, it should be sought through their collective bargaining process.
  * Per the fiscal note, this bill would require increased expenditures by local governments without full funding from the state and as such is a violation of Article 28-a of the New Hampshire Constitution.
  * While ITL is the preferred motion, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertyHB 572relative to eligibility for free school meals.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill increases the eligibility for free school meals to household incomes up to 300% of federal poverty guidelines.

  * The median income in 2023 in New Hampshire is $88,235, while in the United States it is $67,521. The poverty index for a family of four increased by 300% is $90,000. This bill would charge taxpayers for low-quality food to be provided to middle-class families.
  * The free school lunch program's intent was to make sure children from impoverished homes could have the energy to pay attention, learn, and perform in their education. This bill turns this into an entitlement for families who are doing well enough to feed their children.

• Anti-libertySB 133relative to changing the date of the state primary election and creates runoff election for federal primary election.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill changes the date of the state primary election to the second Tuesday in May (from September).

  * This bill will substantially restrict the ability of third parties to secure enough petitions in time to qualify. It further expands the use of taxpayer resources to enable entrenched private political parties to make use of election apparatus for free while reducing the time and thus increasing the costs for third party candidates to qualify to be on the ballot.
  * This bill can be made at least neutral if it is amended to include a change to RSA 655:41 to untether the dates of independent filing from the primary to prevent inadvertently dramatically raising the bar for ballot access for these candidates.

• Pro-libertySB 137relative to nano brewery licenses and beverage manufacturers licenses.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill improves brewery licensing by creating cheaper tiers for lower volume brewers.

  * This bill changes the price of a beverage manufacturer's licence from $1200 for under 15,000 barrels of domestic sales or less to a more graduated, multi-tiered system that is significantly less costly to the brewer.
  * Reducing the cost of doing business in New Hampshire improves liberty and increases the likelihood for successful businesses.

• Pro-libertySB 194allowing students under age 21 to taste wine in educational settings.NAY ITL
  Why

  Allowing students under age 21 to taste wine for instructional purposes at accredited educational institutions.

  * This bill allows students studying enology or brewing, who may be under 21, to fully participate in the class.
  * This bill increases access to education by creating a small and reasonable exception to the alcohol age limit.

• Anti-libertySB 196establishing a minimum amount of uninsured motorist coverage required for vehicles operating as part of transportation network companies in New Hampshire.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes a set minimum amount of coverage required for vehicles operating as part of a transportation network company in New Hampshire.

  * This bill will increase the cost of doing business by companies such as Uber and Lyft within New Hampshire, as they will likely pass the cost of their insurance premium increase onto the customer.
  * There is no benefit to a citizen operating a vehicle to be required to maintain insurance against the possibility that another motorist is underinsured or unable to financially cover their responsibility in the event of an accident.
  * This is a nanny-state bill ostensibly presuming that the responsible, capable citizens of New Hampshire can't freely manage on their own while commuting in their state.

• Anti-libertySB 214establishing a department of early childhood education and relative to a pre-kindergarten pilot program. YEA IS
  Why

  This bill establishes an executive branch department of early childhood education and establishes the authority for the department to design, create, and administer a public pre-kindergarten program.

  * Subsidized child care by the government will eventually push small/individualized private childcare providers out of business. Many parents prefer home-based childcare to formal institutionalized daycare centers, and while the pilot allows for such home-based childcare, the program's reliance on subsidizing licensed childcare will result in the destruction of purely private programs.
  * Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for the care of others' children while struggling to pay to raise their own children.
  While NAY OTP is preferable, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertySB 217establishing a rural and underserved area educator incentive program for higher education and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes the rural and underserved area educator incentive program and makes an appropriation therefor.

  * This bill is unnecessary, as no part of New Hampshire is educationally underserved due to the universal access of the Education Freedom Accounts.
  * Increasing the unnecessary bloat of the already overfunded public education department creates an unjust burden on everyone forced to pay taxes.
  * There is very limited actual incentive created by this bill as the federal government is already forgiving billions in college education loans.

• Anti-libertySB 219relative to a salary floor for public school teachers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a floor to teacher pay in districts where there is more than one assistant superintendent or one or more diversity professionals.

  * This bill at once seeks to decry the bloat of the inflated number and salaries of administrators while also claiming teacher compensation should have a floor based on said bloat.
  * The ratio of teacher pay to cost per pupil this bill seeks would be effectively and responsibly achieved by simply reducing the number of administrators and eliminating all diversity positions.
  * The cost per pupil of Education Freedom Accounts is $4,700, compared to $21,534 for those children trapped in the public education system. If we closed the public education department and doubled the allowance of the EFAs the citizens of New Hampshire would still save over half the cost to educate their children.

21 bills with no position.

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