Legislative Policy Committee Reviewing Current Legislative Bills

2021-03-26

RPC’s Legislative Policy Committee is tracking approximately two dozen bills related to goals and policies in the RPC Regional Master Plan as well as bills likely to be of interest to RPC member communities. The tracking list is available on our website. The Legislative Policy Committee is still determining whether RPC will submit comment on any of the measures. Most bills at this point have been acted on by their initial committee of referral. Many House bills are awaiting the next floor session the week of April 6. Crossover Day, the deadline for action in the chamber where a bill is introduced, is April 10. Examples of measures being tracked include the following:

SB099 - Relative to the amount of meals and rooms tax revenue that is distributed to municipalities. This would remove the annual increase limit on the distribution of meals and rooms tax revenues to municipalities so that 40 percent of net revenues are distributed annually. Current status: Laid on the Table

HB216 - Relative to public notice of and access to meetings under the right-to-know law. This bill would allow continued use of virtual meetings by public bodies subject to RSA 91-A following the end of the Governor’s Emergency Order on COVID-19. RPC has found virtual meetings to increase public participation. Provisions of the bill allow remote meetings if all participating can hear all other participants and requires the meeting be adjourned if electronic connection fails. Current Status: In Committee

HB279 - Relative to the maximum allowable vehicle gross weight for a combination of truck-trailer and single semi-trailer with 4 or more axles. This bill increases the maximum gross weight allowed on any tandem axle from 36K to 40K lbs per axle for a combination of truck-tractor and single semi-trailer with 4 or more axles that carries forest products. NHDOT opposes this bill based on the damage that overweight vehicles do to roads and the increased maintenance and reconstruction costs. If passed this would likely set a precedent for expansion to include other types of freight beyond forest products. Current Status: In Committee

CACR9 - Providing that a municipality may not raise property taxes more than two percent per year and no more than one percent per year on disabled citizens or senior citizens. NHMA notes that this is a limit on total tax revenue, not just rate, so if a town was able to lower its budget and tax burden in one year it would reset revenue limit at a lower level going forward. CACR9 was voted Ought to Pass in the House Municipal & County Government Committee by a vote of 10-9. Current Status: Report Filed

Instructions on how to testify for Capitol House and Senate Bills click here.