Committee Summary for Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs (03/18/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB1134 00:00:00.000 - 12:00:11 PM	Public Hearing	relative to the town meeting form of local governance.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2025
HB1135 00:25:00.000 - 12:25:11 PM	Public Hearing	prohibiting the acquisition of prescriptive rights in private roads through adverse use.	Aylward, Deborah(R)[B+]2025
HB1233 01:00:00.000 - 1:00:11 PM	Public Hearing	relative to the minutes of non-public sessions.	Beaulier, Calvin(R)[A+]2025
HB1369 01:05:00.000 - 1:05:11 PM	Public Hearing	relative to the manner of posting the warrant for a special town meeting.	Beaulier, Calvin(R)[A+]2025
HB1118 01:15:07.655 - 1:15:18 PM	Public Hearing	increasing the limit for moneys remitted to municipal treasurers.	Colby, Eleana (D)[F]2025
HB1151 01:17:00.000 - 1:17:11 PM	Public Hearing	relative to conservation commission appropriations.	Maggiore, Jim(D)[CT]2025
HB1151 01:20:00.000 - 1:20:11 PM	Executive Session	relative to conservation commission appropriations.	Maggiore, Jim(D)[CT]2025
HB1118 01:21:00.000 - 1:21:11 PM	Executive Session	increasing the limit for moneys remitted to municipal treasurers.	Colby, Eleana (D)[F]2025
HB1233 2021s 01:22:00.000 - 1:22:11 PM	Executive Session	relative to the minutes of non-public sessions.	Beaulier, Calvin(R)[A+]2025
HB1369 01:25:00.000 - 1:25:11 PM	General Working Session	relative to the manner of posting the warrant for a special town meeting.	Beaulier, Calvin(R)[A+]2025
HB1134 01:30:07.655 - 1:30:18 PM	Executive Session	relative to the town meeting form of local governance.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2025
HB1494 01:35:00.000 - 1:35:11 PM	Executive Session	increasing the maximum amount of the optional veterans' tax credit, optional combat service tax credit, and optional surviving spouse tax credit.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2025
HB1031 01:36:00.000 - 1:36:11 PM	Executive Session	enabling candidates for state office to use campaign funds to pay for security measures.	Thomas, Wendy(D)[CT]2025

HB1134: Representative Diane Power (Brookline, Mason, Greenville) Support00:00:00.000 - 12:00:11 PM; As prime sponsor, Representative Power introduces HB1134 as a procedural bill to clarify existing law on budget caps without changing substantive law. It addresses inquiries following HB200 and new caps for school districts and towns. The bill ensures appropriations accumulate in warrant article order for transparent totals and consistent rules for cap overrides requiring three-fifths votes, with secret ballots at traditional meetings. It updates SB2 references to three-fifths votes and prevents inconsistent application statewide, upholding cap laws and the 10% budget committee rule.
HB1134: Brody Deshaies (New Hampshire Municipal Association) Oppose00:10:00.000 - 12:10:11 PM; The NHMA opposes HB1134 as amended, as it formalizes DRA practices on the 10% limitation but restricts traditional town meetings' ability to reconsider and lower appropriations to avoid over-appropriation. It eliminates SB2 towns' ability to amend articles with contingency language and limits flexibility for tax cap towns, potentially changing traditional town meeting governance by requiring yes-no ballots for overrides.
HB1134: Representative Diane Power (response) Support00:15:00.000 - 12:15:11 PM; Responding to concerns, Representative Power clarifies the bill does not restrict reconsidering articles at traditional meetings, emphasizing the running total for cap overrides while preserving meeting authority.
HB1134: Brody Deshaies (response) Oppose00:20:00.000 - 12:20:11 PM; Deshaies reiterates concerns about stringent language in lines 13-15 and 17-18 limiting reconsideration and deliberative session changes, seeking clarity to avoid unreasonable limitations on prioritizing spending under tax caps or statutory requirements.
HB1135: Representative Deborah L. Ward (Andover, Danbury, Hill, Salisbury, Webster) Support00:25:00.000 - 12:25:11 PM; As sponsor, Representative Ward introduces HB1135 to protect private roads and trails from adverse possession or prescriptive claims, mirroring protections for public property under RSA 477:34. Crafted with a private road litigator, it passed the House unanimously. It prevents contentious disputes among co-owners and unauthorized claims, based on her personal experience. She notes a recent memo from a property attorney and suggests amending to 'fully ripened' claims instead of 'fully adjudicated.' Provides a rebuttal to opposition testimony.
HB1135: Dennis McKinney (Bennington) Oppose00:30:00.000 - 12:30:11 PM; A landowner and land surveyor for 39 years, McKinney opposes HB1135 for removing longstanding common law principles of adverse possession and prescriptive easements, required in surveys and upheld by courts. It imposes a one-size-fits-all solution on nuanced, site-specific property disputes, hostile to private property rights, and retroactively terminates established easements without addressing them.
HB1135: Thomas Lacey (Keene) Oppose00:40:00.000 - 12:40:11 PM; Lacey, a 65-acre landowner, opposes HB1135 as unnecessary and damaging, driven by unfounded fears of technology-enabled claims. He shares his experience with a private road mis-mapped as public, resolved by asserting rights through gates, signs, and GPS corrections without needing common law changes. Property owners should handle encroachments responsibly rather than discarding centuries-old rules.
HB1135: Jason Stock (New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association) Oppose00:50:00.000 - 12:50:11 PM; Initially supportive, the Association now opposes HB1135 after member feedback on impacts to sugar bush access, timber roads, and camp arrangements reliant on prescriptive rights. It upsets traditional neighborly access on private lands, especially in rural areas with extensive private roads. Suggests other mechanisms exist for specific issues without altering common law.
HB1135: Mark Condo Demetraki (Laconia) Oppose00:55:00.000 - 12:55:11 PM; Owning over 200 acres and urban property, Demetraki opposes HB1135, citing his successful prescriptive easement litigation for a 100-year-old alley providing access and utilities. The high bar for prescriptive rights protects against abuse, but the bill would allow blocking such essential access for thousands of properties, enabling opportunistic denials of longstanding uses.
HB1233: Sarah Burke-Cohen (New Hampshire Municipal Association) Oppose01:00:00.000 - 1:00:11 PM; The NHMA opposes HB1233 as redundant with RSA 91-A, which already requires motions specifying non-public session purposes and limits discussion to those topics. Adding requirements for listing sessions with start/end times duplicates existing practices; many boards already note times. Suggests formal complaints to the Attorney General for violations instead.
HB1369: Brody Deshaies (New Hampshire Municipal Association) Oppose01:05:00.000 - 1:05:11 PM; The NHMA opposes the House-amended HB1369 for adding newspaper posting requirements alongside websites for special town meeting warrants, increasing burdens amid declining newspapers. Original bill allowed website or newspaper; suggests aligning with annual meetings by requiring two physical postings and website, offering to draft an amendment for accessibility without mandating costly newspapers from 1945-era statutes.
HB1369: Brendan McQuaid (New Hampshire Press Association) Support01:10:00.000 - 1:10:11 PM; The Press Association supports the House amendment requiring both website and newspaper postings, as access requires notice; people won't seek unknown meetings on fragmented town websites. Newspapers provide independent, free access to notices without paywalls, ensuring broad awareness of town government actions.
HB1118: Representative Elena Colby (Hopkinton and Bow) Support01:15:07.655 - 1:15:18 PM; Representative Colby introduced HB 1118 as a bipartisan bill to increase the allowable limit for municipalities to hold cash in offices from $1,500 to $3,500 before remitting to the treasurer. She noted that the current limit is outdated, as many statutes referencing it have not been amended in 20 years, and municipal fees like vehicle registrations, building permits, and recreation fees have increased significantly. The state has also raised fees collected at the municipal level. This adjustment will particularly benefit smaller communities without nearby banks, allowing employees to continue working without closing offices to make deposits.
HB1151: Representative Jim Maggiore (Northampton) Support01:17:00.000 - 1:17:11 PM; Representative Maggiore introduced HB 1151 as a simple administrative bill. Research into RSA 36-A:5-1 revealed that while town treasurers' authority over conservation commission funds is cited, the citation for city treasurers is missing in paragraph 2. The bill adds the missing citation to RSA 44:16 for city treasurers.
HB1151: Senator (Unspecified) Vote01:20:00.000 - 1:20:11 PM; Motion for Ought To Pass (OTP) on HB 1151, seconded, passed unanimously with no discussion. Approved for consent calendar.
HB1118: Senator Rothford Vote01:21:00.000 - 1:21:11 PM; Motion for Ought To Pass (OTP) on HB 1118, seconded, passed unanimously with no discussion. Approved for consent calendar.
HB1233 2021s: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:22:00.000 - 1:22:11 PM; Discussion on HB 1233, noting that current RSA 91-A provisions and non-public session rules are clear, with training provided. The bill is deemed unnecessary. Motion for Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), seconded, passed unanimously with consent.
HB1233 2021s: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:23:00.000 - 1:23:11 PM; Reference to Municipal Association input indicating existing provisions and procedures in law. Suggestion of legal recourse for constituents facing issues with compliance. No further discussion.
HB1369: Senator Wong Information Only01:25:00.000 - 1:25:11 PM; Desire to work towards a solution on HB 1369 regarding posting warrants for special town meetings. Concerned about mandatory physical postings in North Country and small towns, but believes online should not be the only access. Suggests two physical postings at locations like library and town hall or fire department. Willing to hear from other senators and notes similar legislation last year.
HB1369: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:26:00.000 - 1:26:11 PM; Supports Senator Wong's proposal as consistent with prior actions. Recalls similar legislation from last year and offers to look into it. Notes Senators Layton and Perkins-Claus are working on it.
HB1134: Moderator (Unspecified) Information Only01:30:07.655 - 1:30:18 PM; As a moderator with 15+ town meetings experience, expresses nervousness about the bill's restriction on reconsideration, which could create problems at the end of meetings. Suggests sorting motions by highest to lowest dollar amount to handle tax cap requirements efficiently, considering capital projects and debt service implications. Notes selectmen discuss warrant order for voter attendance.
HB1134: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:31:00.000 - 1:31:11 PM; Shares concerns about restating the 10% tax cap in a separate section with additional language. Suggests prioritizing big ticket items but acknowledges valid concerns. Proposes motion for interim study to address policy needs without current approach. Questions prevalence of the problem and suggests NHMA data on affected towns.
HB1134: Rosie (NHMA) Information Only01:32:00.000 - 1:32:11 PM; Cannot provide exact number but few legal inquiries, mainly from Brentwood seeking procedural guidance from DRA and counsel. Key issue is limiting legislative body's ability to reorder warrants, reducing flexibility to prioritize spending like parks positions over bonded items.
HB1134: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:33:00.000 - 1:33:11 PM; Notes one town (Brentwood) has solved the problem.
HB1494: Senator White Vote01:35:00.000 - 1:35:11 PM; Motion for Ought To Pass (OTP) on HB 1494 as drafted, seconded, passed unanimously with consent. Discussion on supporting the bill but considering future comprehensive removal of upper limits to let communities set their own, distinguishing from disabled veterans credits. Notes personal vote against raising limits in Rochester.
HB1494: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:34:00.000 - 1:34:11 PM; Supports bill as is but suggests next year comprehensive bill to remove upper limits across tax credits, setting only a floor.
HB1031: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only01:36:00.000 - 1:36:11 PM; Discussion on adding amendment for Article 5 training to HB 1031 by Friday. Volunteer to draft amendment for next meeting.

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