Committee Summary for Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs (01/27/2026)

Gray, James(Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Lang, Timothy(V Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
Rochefort, David(R)[B-]2025	Long, Pat(D)[F]2025

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB534 00:18:28.640 - 8:17:14 AM	Public Hearing	relative to foreign funding and influence in constitutional amendment and local ballot question campaigns.	Avard, Kevin(R)[B]2025
SB643 00:31:20.080 - 8:30:06 AM	Public Hearing	requiring cities and towns to hold a public hearing and conduct a roll call vote when seeking to override a tax or spending cap.	Avard, Kevin(R)[B]2025
SB586 00:47:29.760 - 8:46:15 AM	Public Hearing	requiring school districts to publish a school administrative unit audit report after the end of the fiscal year.	Murphy, Keith(R)[A]2025
SB585 01:02:29.280 - 9:01:15 AM	Public Hearing	relative to audits for communications districts.	McConkey, Mark(R)[B]2025
SB495 2024-1453h (estimated) 01:19:14.480 - 9:18:00 AM	Public Hearing	increasing the limit for transfers of appropriations in Carroll County.	McConkey, Mark(R)[B]2025
SB495 01:20:24.000 - 9:19:10 AM	Executive Session	increasing the limit for transfers of appropriations in Carroll County.	McConkey, Mark(R)[B]2025
SB489 2026-0161s 01:23:49.600 - 9:22:35 AM	Executive Session	requiring the address column to be the first column on the voter checklist.	Avard, Kevin(R)[B]2025
SB436 01:25:46.560 - 9:24:32 AM	Executive Session	relative to zoning board of adjustment membership criteria.	Abbas, Daryl(R)[B-]2025
SB437 01:27:47.280 - 9:26:33 AM	Executive Session	making a line on the return that enumerates the number of people who attempted to register to vote but were denied registration due to lack of required documentation.	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
Unclear 01:37:49.679 - 9:36:35 AM	Executive Session	hardship in zoning regulations
SB586 01:38:37.040 - 9:37:23 AM	Executive Session	requiring school districts to publish a school administrative unit audit report after the end of the fiscal year.	Murphy, Keith(R)[A]2025
SB585 01:39:40.000 - 9:38:26 AM	Executive Session	relative to audits for communications districts.	McConkey, Mark(R)[B]2025

SB534: Trisha Milo, Senate Majority Caucus Director on behalf of Senator Avard Support00:18:28.640 - 8:17:14 AM; Trisha Milo introduced Senate Bill 534 on behalf of Senator Avard, explaining that it aims to close a gray area in current laws prohibiting foreign national contributions to candidates by extending restrictions to local ballot questions and state constitutional amendments. The bill requires certifications that donors are not foreign nationals and adds sections to RSA 664 (664:24 to 664:31) for the Secretary of State to manage these certifications.
SB534: Olivia Zink, Executive Director of Open Democracy Action Information Only00:22:14.000 - 8:21:00 AM; Olivia Zink testified for information only, supporting the concept of banning foreign money but stating the bill is not ready as drafted. She raised concerns about referencing RSA 664:2 for local measures, suggesting it should be reserved for state-level constitutional amendments. She proposed alternatives like extending existing bans via RSA 664:1 or RSA 664:14-22 to local elections. She noted challenges with foreign land purchases and provided a 58-page NCSL report on foreign contributions, including court cases, for the committee's review.
SB643: Trisha Milo, Senate Majority Caucus Director on behalf of Senator Avard Support00:31:20.080 - 8:30:06 AM; Trisha Milo introduced Senate Bill 643 on behalf of Senator Avard, stating it requires public hearings and roll call votes for overriding local tax or spending caps to enhance transparency and notice to the public about who votes for such overrides.
SB643: Brody Dea, New Hampshire Municipal Association Oppose00:32:31.200 - 8:31:17 AM; Brody Dea opposed SB 643, arguing it would impose burdensome requirements like separate 60-minute public hearings for each budget item exceeding the tax cap and roll call votes of all attendees at town meetings, which would undermine secret ballots in SB2 towns. He highlighted logistical impossibilities for traditional town meetings or large voter bodies, potential issues with charter tax caps, and the impracticality of listing hundreds or thousands of names on tax bills. He noted only six municipalities have local tax caps and questioned applicability to revenue caps like Manchester's.
SB643: Trisha Milo, clarifying intent Support00:43:13.440 - 8:41:59 AM; Trisha Milo clarified the bill's intent: it targets only elected officials for roll call votes on tax overrides, not all voters at town meetings, and the 60-minute public comment period is to ensure adequate time without cutting off discussion after short durations. She acknowledged potential need for language changes but emphasized the goal of transparency for elected officials' votes.
SB586: Senator (Unnamed, sponsor) Information Only00:47:29.760 - 8:46:15 AM; The sponsor explains the background of issues with the Claremont School District, highlighting delays in required audits that contributed to a $5 million deficit. The bill aims to ensure timely submission of audits by withholding state aid until audits are completed, without intending to punish SAUs but to encourage compliance. The sponsor supports potential amendments for grace periods.
SB586: Senator Berna Information Only00:48:39.599 - 8:47:25 AM; Senator Berna inquires about providing grace periods or assistance for under-resourced districts to meet audit requirements, emphasizing efficient use of taxpayer dollars and high-quality schools.
SB586: Senator (Unnamed, sponsor responding) Information Only00:49:43.440 - 8:48:29 AM; The sponsor clarifies that audits are already required by law and the bill only withholds aid until submission, not permanently. Supports amendments for grace periods if desired by the committee, stressing the need to avoid extreme delays.
SB586: Senator L. Support00:50:40.559 - 8:49:26 AM; Senator L. expresses support for the bill and suggests adding a deadline for the commissioner and Department of Education to verify audit completeness against prior years before any penalties.
SB585: Trisha Milo, Senate Majority Caucus Director on behalf of Senator McConihe Information Only01:02:29.280 - 9:01:15 AM; Trisha Milo introduces the bill, which provides an exception to the requirement for communications districts to hire outside accountants for audits if annual revenue is under $50,000 or $2 million in the prior fiscal year, with additional conditions for waiving the requirement by the Department of Revenue.
SB495 2024-1453h (estimated): Eric Wind, Member of the Board of Tax and Land Appeals Information Only01:19:14.480 - 9:18:00 AM; Eric Wind states that the board does not take a position on the amendment but is present to answer questions. Describes it as a housekeeping measure to make explicit what is already implicit in the statute.
SB495: Chairman Gray and Committee Members Vote01:20:24.000 - 9:19:10 AM; The committee enters executive session to discuss SB 495. Discussion on procedural handling of the amendment, considering attaching it to another bill like SB 489 as a replace-all committee amendment. Debate on making non-germane amendments germane via public hearing. Motion for Ought to Pass (OTP) on SB 489 with amendment #161 redrafted as a replace-all.
SB489 2026-0161s: Committee Members Information Only01:23:49.600 - 9:22:35 AM; The committee discusses adopting an amendment to SB 489 that replaces the bill with language for the BTLA effective upon passage, removing paragraph two. They vote to adopt the amendment and then the bill as amended, followed by a vote for consent.
SB436: Senator Lang Oppose01:25:46.560 - 9:24:32 AM; Senator Lang moves ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate) for SB 436, citing that ethics issues should be handled locally and pointing out mechanical problems in the bill, such as vague language on line five regarding circumstances that might reasonably require recusal, especially with the mandatory 'shall'.
SB436: Committee Members Vote01:25:46.560 - 9:24:32 AM; The committee seconds the motion, discusses, and votes in favor of ITL. They then vote on consent.
SB437: Senator Lang Oppose01:27:47.280 - 9:26:33 AM; Senator Lang moves ITL for SB 437, referencing testimony from the Secretary of State about potential issues with collecting data on the official record opening doors to other problems. He offers to work with the Secretary to find an alternative way to collect data from cities and towns.
SB437: Unidentified Speaker (likely Senator) Support01:27:47.280 - 9:26:33 AM; The speaker supports the bill, emphasizing the need to understand the consequences of election laws to ensure security without turning away legitimate voters. They discuss making voting easier, availability of records like birth, marriage, DMV, and prior voting data at polls, and suggest public service announcements. They note out-of-state marriage records as a remaining barrier and stress the importance of data to verify if laws enhance security and access.
SB437: Chairman Information Only01:27:47.280 - 9:26:33 AM; The Chairman agrees to hold the bill for at least a week to allow collaboration with the Secretary of State.
SB437: Senator Lang (continued) Oppose01:33:58.400 - 9:32:44 AM; Senator Lang withdraws his ITL motion out of courtesy but expresses concerns about the bill's ambiguity, potential for data manipulation, and inaccurate numbers (e.g., the cited 200 turned-away voters may not reflect actual non-voters). He highlights recent strides in making records available to prevent turn-aways and insists on ensuring data accuracy before proceeding.
SB437: Unidentified Speaker (likely Senator) Support01:36:52.080 - 9:35:38 AM; The speaker appreciates the committee's consideration, reiterates the importance of data for improving the system, and commits to addressing concerns with the Secretary of State, emphasizing voting as a fundamental right.
SB437: Committee Members Information Only01:36:52.080 - 9:35:38 AM; The committee agrees to not act on SB 437 until at least next week.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:37:49.679 - 9:36:35 AM; The speaker discusses working with NHMA on language for hardships in zoning regulations, aiming to define hardship as a condition of the land making strict adherence inappropriate, while retaining the term 'hardship' to preserve existing case law.
Unclear: Committee Member Information Only01:38:37.040 - 9:37:23 AM; The member agrees that the existing paragraphs describing hardship are sufficient and should not be changed to avoid invalidating case law.
SB586: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:38:37.040 - 9:37:23 AM; The speaker plans to draft an amendment for SB 586 to clarify timelines for board responses to audit reports, validation, and fund withholding from school districts, considering remediation processes to avoid unnecessary withholding.
SB586: Chairman Information Only01:38:37.040 - 9:37:23 AM; The Chairman acknowledges the plan.
SB585: Senator McCy Support01:39:40.000 - 9:38:26 AM; Senator McCy presents SB 585, which allows communication districts to petition for exemption from external audit requirements if revenues are under $50,000 or under $2 million without taxation authority. He reads excerpts from testimony by the chairman and Matthew Platch from Wolfeboro, highlighting the Carroll County Communications District's (CCCD) situation where audit costs ($3,500) exceed other expenses ($2,500) for $6,628 total budget, making the audit disproportionately expensive.
SB585: Committee Members Information Only01:39:40.000 - 9:38:26 AM; The committee notes receipt of prior testimony and invites questions, but none are raised.
SB585: Chairman Vote01:43:15.920 - 9:42:01 AM; The Chairman moves to come out of executive session, which is seconded and approved by voice vote, concluding the business.