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Legislative Review

Shifting into high gear.

The House and Senate are in high gear with dozens of bills under consideration. Here are a few BIA is focused on this week:

Senate Ways and Means will be hearing a targeted, but important business tax bill, SB 189 FN. This bill would “de-couple” New Hampshire from section 163(j) of the Internal Revenue Code. Doing so would allow companies to once again deduct 100% of business interest rather than the new federal limit of 30%. Sixteen states have already de-coupled giving their businesses a competitive advantage over those doing business in New Hampshire. BIA is supporting this legislation.

Late last week, the House Science, Technology, & Energy Committee unanimously voted “inexpedient to legislate” on HB 633, relative to electric distribution company market share, prohibiting certain electric rate increases, and requiring enforcement against Eversource. The committee heard testimony earlier that day from a variety of stakeholders expressing constitutional concerns with the bill regarding protections under the 5th Amendment takings clause. BIA testified in opposition to the bill because it undermines the autonomy of the New Hampshire business community.

BIA will be opposing HB 298, when it goes before the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee this week. The bill would allow state and local authorities additional authority in the review of applications for personal wireless service facilities, creating overreaching and redundant permitting requirements and making it more difficult to site new wireless transmitters in New Hampshire.

Two privacy-related bills opposed by BIA have seemingly run aground. The House Judiciary Committee voted 19-0 to retain HB314-FN, which sought to regulate the collection, retention and use of personal information and establish a cause of action for violations of an individual's expectation of privacy in personal information. BIA fought the bill because of its vague and overly broad definition of personal information. The Judiciary Committee also voted 19-0 to recommend HB 320-FN as "inexpedient to legislate." The bill would have prohibited, with limited exceptions, censorship of speech on social media platforms and established a civil right of action for violation of the statute. BIA concerns included that the law would be difficult to enforce and was likely unconstitutional.

BIA's Legislative Review will be updated weekly and published every Monday of the 2023 legislative session. You can check the status of individual bills using the links below.