Concord, NH – This week, Gov. Chris Sununu signed 54 bills into law with one criticized and two immediately praised by Democrats.

Sununu also vetoed two bills, one relative to the obligation of collective bargaining units to negotiate in good faith and the other establishing a safety program for off-highway recreational vehicles.

And one signing Wednesday was witnessed by a bunch of red deer, HB 119, at a Plymouth farm relative to homestead food operation licensure and making provisions for the sale of meat from uninspected bison, elk, or red deer.

One contentious signing was HB 75, which creates new districts for Strafford County Commissioners, replacing the districts established in the normal redistricting process last session.

House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm, D-Manchester, said the governor’s signature on HB 75 sets a dangerous precedent and will further erode trust in government. 

“The decennial redistricting process was conducted just last year, and at no point did the residents of Strafford County request the changes proposed by Republicans in HB 75. 

“This bill opens the door to disruptive redistricting battles every year, creating unnecessary confusion among voters and sowing distrust in the legislative process,” Wilhelm said.

Following Sununu’s signing of HB 358, relative to the filing and adoption of proposed administrative rules and relative to overpayment of unemployment compensation and relative to policies relating to nursing mothers, and HB 421, relative to providing menstrual hygiene products at no cost to individuals who biologically menstruate in state and county correctional facilities, into law, state Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, issued the following statement:

“Today, the state of New Hampshire took important steps forward to respect the rights of women with the signing of HB 358 and HB 421 by Governor Sununu. 

“HB 358 marks the passage of the final piece of what was SB 175, also known as the New Hampshire ‘MOMnibus.’ The language within this bill contains workplace protections that require certain employers to provide access to sufficient space and a reasonable break period for nursing mothers to express milk during working hours, ensuring that the rights of women are respected in the workplace. This will not only benefit our working moms and their babies, but it will also foster a strong, resilient, and modern economy for our state.

“HB 421 also works to ensure that the rights of women are respected, even if they happen to be incarcerated. It is vital that we have menstrual equity in all New Hampshire correctional facilities, and the signing of HB 421 will guarantee that individuals receive the necessary menstrual products,” Whitley said.

Gov. Sununu signed the following bills this week:

HB 75: Relative to the election of Strafford County commissioners

HB 83: Relative to county commissioners’ authority on county buildings

HB 97: Establishing an additional penalty for violation of privacy

HB 119: Relative to homestead food operation licensure and making provisions for the sale of meat from uninspected bison, elk, or red deer

HB 211: Relative to a report by the department of energy on the effectiveness of the system benefits charge

HB 233: Relative to useful thermal energy under the renewable portfolio standards

HB 238: Relative to the role of quality control and the developmental disability service system

HB 244: Relative to the delivery of absentee ballots

HB 275: Relative to schools approved for a school tuition program by a school board

HB 287: Removing fentanyl and xylazine testing equipment from the definition of drug paraphernalia in the controlled drug act

HB 296: Relative to local authority for granting driveway permits

HB 308: Relative to a quorum for meetings open to the public to include remote presence

HB 321: Relative to minutes from nonpublic sessions under the right to know law

HB 349: Relative to a special purpose school district for Bridgewater, Hebron, and Groton

HB 358: Relative to the filing and adoption of proposed administrative rules and relative to overpayment of unemployment compensation and relative to policies relating to nursing mothers

HB 384: Relative to building a new legislative parking garage and making an appropriation therefor, renaming the capital project overview committee, and establishing the joint legislative parking garage oversight commission

HB 408: Relative to foster children and vaccinations

HB 421: Relative to providing menstrual hygiene products at no cost to individuals who biologically menstruate in state and county correctional facilities

HB 442: Relative to the removal of derelict fishing gear

HB 467: Relative to public playground accessibility

HB 492: Requiring the department of education to provide the house and senate standing committees responsible for education with copies of the laws and rules relative to education

HB 536: Relative to the chartered public school joint legislative oversight committee, and relative to chartered public school use of unused district facilities

HB 642: Relative to budget flexibility for services for the developmentally disabled

SB 11: Relative to African American burial grounds

SB 15: Relative to the use of tree stands and observation blinds

SB 21: Relative to the due date and delivery on monthly reports and fees to the liquor commission

SB 44: Relative to the license requirements for certain alcohol and other drug use professionals

SB 54: Relative to purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities

SB 58: Relative to arrests without a warrant while in the care of a medical professional on the premises of a residential care or health facility

SB 59: Relative to the director of charitable trusts

SB 71: Relative to workers compensation for firefighter cancer disease

SB 74: Relative to the department of administrative services

SB 78: Relative to subdivision regulations on the completion of improvements

SB 94: Relative to residential childcare licensing of childcare institutions and agencies

SB 99: Relative to the responsibilities of insurers in conducting reviews of the operations of administrators

SB 105: Relative to information collected by the division of vital records administration as part of the live birth worksheet

SB 107: Relative to the general administration of regulatory boards and commissions

SB 111: Relative to the town council-town manager form of local government

SB 142: Relative to the regulation of forms and rates for property and casualty insurance

SB 147: Relative to the board of dental examiners

SB 150: Relative to the family mediator certification board

SB 160: Relative to the use of OHRV’s on designated trails

SB 170: Relative to a small group child day care centers

SB 172: Allowing court-appointed guardians to receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits

SB 187: Relative to driver’s licenses for certain visa holders

SB 188: Relative to catalytic converters

SB 195: Relative to the purchase of steel products with the Buy America certification

SB 200: Relative to optometrists

SB 207: Relative to mental health critical incident intervention and management, and relative to mental health practice

SB 213: Relative to educational institution policies on social media

SB 216: Making changes to the requirements for civics education in schools

SB 225: Establishing the commission to study the assessing of power generation

SB 228: Relative to the Hilton Park boat ramp

SB 240: Relative to conditions for genetic testing

Governor Chris Sununu vetoed the following two bills this week:

SB 193: Relative to the obligation of collective bargaining units to negotiate in good faith

SB 256: Establishing a safety program for off-highway recreational vehicles

Gov. Sununu vetoed the following two bills:

• SB 193: Relative to the obligation of collective bargaining units to negotiate in good faith
• SB 256: Establishing a safety program for off-highway recreational vehicles

Note: A copy of the SB 193 veto message can be read here.

Note: A copy of the SB 256 veto message can be read here.