February 3, 2025
Action Picks Up At New Hampshire General Court
State lawmakers must wade through over 1,000 bills in next two months.
With over 1,000 bills introduced at the New Hampshire General Court, the action has been brisk over the first month of the legislative session. NFIB New Hampshire is in Concord talking to lawmakers and testifying in committee to protect the right of our members to own, operate, and grow their businesses.
House and Senate Committees are in the process of vetting numerous bills every week. Here’s a look at some of the recent action at the State House.
Taxes: NFIB testified in support of HB 155 (Rep. Sweeney, Salem), which would reduce the Business Enterprise Tax from the current rate of 0.55% to 0.50%. A modest reduction, it would save employers about $20 million over the next three years.
With the state struggling under the weight of spending increases over the past decade, the prospects for tax relief are unclear. NFIB will continue to advocate for small business relief from the BET, Business Profits Tax, and property taxes.
Employment Mandates: Every year, lawmakers consider more than a few bills that mandate additional paperwork, workplace management, or financial costs onto small employers. This year is no different.
Proposed mandates include required payout of unused PTO/vacation upon separation from employment (HB 378; Rep. Michael Cahill, Newmarket), a $15/hour statewide minimum wage (SB 176, Sen. Altschiller, Stratham; HB 726, Rep. Staub, Manchester), automatically awarding attorneys fees to workers compensation complainants (HB 299, Rep. Stephen Pearson, Derry), and increasing unemployment benefit payments (HB 542, Rep. MacKenzie, Manchester).
Healthcare Costs: Several bills have been introduced that mandate commercial health insurance plans cover certain equipment, procedures, tests, or other types of medical care. The proposed mandates included coverage of prosthetic devices for adults, biomarker testing, and continuous glucose monitoring devices.
NFIB’s concern with these proposals is that they widen the affordability gap for small businesses. The cost of health insurance coverage has been a top concern for small businesses for decades. State coverage requirements apply only to the fully-insured health coverage market, including the individual and small group markets where many small business owners and employees get their coverage.
These mandates do not apply to federally regulated self-insured health plans, which are not an option for many small businesses and puts them at an even greater disadvantage when trying to offer or maintain such an important employee benefit.
The cost of each coverage mandate may range from only a few dimes to a few dollars per person every month, but when applied to a group policy of 20, 30, or 40 employees can add up very quickly.
Lawmakers must find a way to help those who need assistance without exacerbating the affordability problem.
Right to Work: HB 238 (Rep. Popovici-Muller, Windham) passed the House Labor, Industrial, and Rehabilitative Services Committee on a party-line vote after more than six hours of testimony from both sides. NFIB NH members have expressed broad support for Right to Work, with 82% saying New Hampshire should adopt the policy.
The bulk of proponent testimony emphasized either the economic benefits or ensuring the right to free association and free speech. The latter issues form the core of the federal Janus decision that ended mandatory fair share/agency fees for public sector employees in 2018.
NFIB testified in support, focusing on the economic benefits of making union membership fully voluntary found by nonpartisan academic researchers: population growth, higher employment, more manufacturing, greater upward mobility, lower unemployment, and lower poverty.
Rep. Brian Labrie (Bedford), a small business owner, spoke passionately in favor of Right to Work, echoing NFIB’s call to allow small businesses and workers to determine their own futures. You can watch Rep. Labrie’s comments here: Jan. 28 House Labor Executive Session.
Energy Costs: NFIB supported HB 224 (Rep. Notter, Merrimack), which would rebate as much as $7 million per year back to electric utility ratepayers. The money comes from compliance payments made under the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Lawmakers expressed frustration with a lack of transparency and cost/benefit analysis for money dispersed from this fund. While the savings represents only a fraction of a cent per kilowatt hour, it’s a small step toward reducing electric costs.
These are just a few of the bills and issues we’re watching on your behalf at the State House. If you have thoughts on these proposals or any others, please reach out to the NFIB New Hampshire State Director, John Reynolds: john.reynolds@nfib.org.
NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.
Related Articles



