House, Senate Committees busy at work ahead of “crossover” deadline

At the beginning of March, the New Hampshire General Court returned from a weeklong break – set to coincide with Winter Recess in most school districts – and will be busy at work ahead of key deadlines.

The next big dates are the Crossover Deadlines, by which a bill that originates in one chamber must be passed to the other to remain in play. In the Senate, that date is March 27; the House’s deadline to send bills to the Senate is April 10. From there, lawmakers in each body will have until late June to work through bills that are still alive and resolve any differences.

Governor Ayotte’s Budget

And, of course, they have to pass a new state budget along the way. Governor Ayotte rolled out her two-year budget plan in mid-February with an emphasis on finding efficiencies, reducing costs, and no new taxes. The budget proposal contains $16.5 billion in all-funds spending over the next two years, up from $15.2 billion in the current biennium.

NFIB NH applauded the governor’s focus on fiscal responsibility and hopes that lawmakers can find room to continue the successful business tax cuts of the Sununu years.

Governor Ayotte’s budget predicts a swift rebound in business tax revenue, and a smaller deficit in the current fiscal year than some other projections ($81 million compared to $113 million). Some lawmakers are anticipating a wider deficit and lower revenue, so it will be interesting to see how the numbers shape up after first quarter tax payments.

General Court Legislation

Here’s a look at bills that NFIB NH is keeping an eye on (floor vote is pending unless otherwise noted):

HB 299: In workers’ compensation cases, this would’ve created a right to attorney fees and costs when a claimant prevails at the department level. Currently, fees and costs are automatically awarded only in limited circumstances. This bill would have led to more disputed claims and increased workers’ comp costs.

NFIB NH opposed. House vote: Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL).

HB 378: Requires employers with 15 or more employees to pay out unused vacation time or PTO upon separation from employment when the business closes, changes ownership, or there is a “reduction in force.” This is an unfunded mandate that, even if interpreted narrowly, would add strain in times of financial distress and could reduce the value of a business. Payout of unused vacation or PTO is at the discretion of the employer in the vast majority (40) of states, and this would make New Hampshire an outlier.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL

HB 379: Restricts 16- and 17-year-olds from working past 9p on a school night, limits their ability to pick up extra shifts during shortened school weeks, and shortens the time frame for summer break when workers of this age face fewer restrictions.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL.

HB 487: Requires all employers with 15 or more employees to provide all hourly employees with a copy of their work schedule at least 7 days in advance.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL.

HB 503: Undoes all the pro-growth tax reform of the past ten years, returning the I&D to 5%, BET to .75%, and BPT to 8.5%, and increasing the Rooms & Meals Tax to 9%. The proposal also increases the BET and BPT that is deposited into the Education Trust Fund. In testimony to the committee, NFIB NH outlined the harmful impacts this would have on Main Street.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL.

HB 542: Increases the maximum weekly unemployment insurance payout from $427 to $669. Testimony from the NHES indicated this would come close to causing UI Tax hike increases under low unemployment and would definitely cause tax rates to increase in a mild recession. In a severe recession, the UI fund would run a negative balance – triggering both higher state and federal UI Taxes.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL.

HF 744: Increases the maximum payout for temporary total disability workers’ comp claims from 60% to 66 2/3%. Testimony indicated this would increase premiums by 5% to 10%.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL.

SB 176: Sets a statewide minimum wage and increase it to $15/hour by July 2026. Recent analysis of $15/hour minimum wage laws from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis shows a significant negative impact on the average number of hours, jobs, and total earnings of workers – particularly in retail, lodging, and all types of restaurants.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: ITL.

SB 246: Dubbed the “Momnibus 2.0,” this bill follows on legislation passed two years ago aimed at providing more support for working mothers with newborn children.

The original version of the proposal contained a right to unlimited time off for women who are pregnant or have given birth for a wide range of reasons and would have applied very rigid FMLA reinstatement rights to anyone who participates in the state’s voluntary Paid Family and Medical Leave program. NFIB NH and other business groups raised a range of concerns with the author, Senator Ricciardi (Bedford), and she made the following changes:

– the time off mandate was narrowed to 25 hours for employee medical appointments related to childbirth, postpartum care, and their child’s medical appointments, and it applies to employers with 20 or more employees;

– the PFML reinstatement rights language was removed

Ultimately, this bill interferes with the relationship between employer and employee in a way not seen elsewhere in New Hampshire law. For businesses with fewer than 50 employees (who are not subject to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act), this provision sets a bad precedent.

Proponents argue that employment regulations like this are key to attracting more families to the state and adding more workers.

However, during and after the pandemic – when states with seas of employment regulations held themselves out as safe havens for workers – U.S. Census data shows a much different story. Highly regulated states saw substantial population declines, while those known for letting people keep more of what they earn saw sizeable growth.

Population Change, April 2020 to July 2023:

California: -573,019 (-1.45%)

Massachusetts: -31,534 (-0.45%)

New York: -631,104 (-3.12%)

Florida: +1.07 million (+4.98%)

Texas: +1.37 million (+4.66%)

In that period, New Hampshire’s population grew by 24,530, or 1.78% – far faster than the average rate of 0.26% throughout New England.

This trend isn’t driven by retirees, either. According to IRS data, from 2020 to 2021 – again, a time when employment regulations are supposed to be a feature – Massachusetts, New York, and California all experienced a net loss of millennials (in 2025, those aged 29 to 44) to domestic migration.

Meanwhile, Texas, Florida, and New Hampshire were in the top ten for millennial domestic in-migration from 2020 to 2021.

Working people are looking for economic opportunity, not employment regulations, when they decide to relocate.

NFIB NH opposed. Committee recommendation: Out to Pass (OTP).

SB 256: Sets standards for how Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) handle the delivery and handling of expensive specialty drugs that are generally administered by a physician (i.e., injectable chemo). Doctors and patients attest that these PBM practices sometimes result in spoiled medication and delays in time-sensitive treatment.

We worked with the bill author, Sen. Tim McGough (Merrimack), to ensure that patient access to important drugs was balanced with language ensuring these very expensive drugs are administered in the lowest cost setting except in emergency situations. Physician administered drugs are among the most expensive and fastest growing pharmaceuticals, and cost significantly more to acquire and administer in hospital settings compared to outpatient clinics.

For small businesses, this bill increases the value of health coverage (timely access, safety) while holding down the cost of drugs (preventing hospitals from reaping a windfall).

NFIB NH supported. Committee recommendation: further review needed.