Legislative Update
Legislative to-do list
Fall will be study time for New Hampshire lawmakers
By Bob Quinn
Government Affairs Director, NH REALTORS®
Various legislature committees will meet later this year to try to shine a little light on issues which they could not agree on this past session. Topics ranging from access to broadband internet (HB 238), upgrading state building and fire codes (HB 80, HB 92, HB 168), creating a lead paint remediation fund for landlords (SB 247), stormwater permitting (SB 121), adopting statewide wetlands buffers (HB 486) and whether to allow the extension of temporary seasonal docks (HB 195) are all on the legislature’s to-do list this year.
REALTOR input needed on short-term rentals
Thank you to everyone who has so far responded to NHAR’s request for input on House Bill 654, which passed earlier this month and creates a legislative study commission to discuss potential new laws to limit rentals in private homes. NHAR is the only voice in opposition to these potentially restrictive regulations.
If you are involved in short-term rentals and do not want to see a property owner’s ability to rent diminished, we hope you would be willing to participate in the discussion.
To do so, please contact NHAR Government Affairs Director Bob Quinn at bob@nhar.com
Governor Sununu: ‘DRED is Dead’
Indicating that things were pretty far from okay at the Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED), the state budget has chopped the Agency into two parts. The newly created Department of Business and Economic Affairs takes the existing DRED divisions of Economic Development as well as Travel and Tourism.
The Governor has nominated Taylor Caswell, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, to become Commissioner of Business and Economic Affairs.
Current DRED Commissioner Jeff Rose will become Commissioner of the newly named Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which now includes forest and land, parks, the State Council on the Arts, and historical resources.
For more information, contact NHAR Government Affairs Director Bob Quinn at 603-225-5549or bob@nhar.com.