[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6547010,"mediaKeyId","3406797-214c4cfd55f17b389d7f6b3b9314fe84","parentId",3406797,"title","Ways and Means seeks conference after Senate rewrites gaming bill to an opt‑out approach","audioSeconds",2384,"startMs",3568000,"endMs",5952000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3406797-214c4cfd55f17b389d7f6b3b9314fe84&start=3568&end=5952","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3406797-214c4cfd55f17b389d7f6b3b9314fe84/thumbnail_3568000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6547010/New-Hampshire/Ways-and-Means-seeks-conference-after-Senate-rewrites-gaming-bill-to-an-optout-approach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547010-1ca15fc25aa558091f06a7209610a246/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440206&Signature=JaN66sHQ1L7Jw8~~C8~zjgWNcNpZ6mnWmAepo0QQmxEMvv1ZGXVHfUiAKGpg~yFbuI2I~d4IqD2A817aN60e77hcokxw8SYJ1VEtkUGkie1XvQs0GbOxzNgBudukaY1gPzgx6hr545Etkid9UA9oAUz3FdvcB7BZLcdj9oKUYoj1lSPgvcpjU76cyuwnfGkda~AE20zAT0Kh2gHtS4qq5JkYy8U78ckmPWoWnXlBTboOe6hnZVe9v~eoVh2oxl74LuCp-ncLay8j-3xAAdrGriZiuZDGIfGYqHkGX~C75Cnk~a42-onWY0poG20JPCIVNJosOMVOoTeRKOJkU92nvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","The House Ways and Means Committee opened a work session on the Senate message for House Bill 737, a gaming measure, and heard public testimony before ultimately indicating it will not concur with the Senate changes and will ask for a committee of conference.

The House originally passed an opt‑in framework for charitable gaming and keno; the Senate amended the measure to treat new games of chance as allowed by default and to give municipalities the option to opt out by local referendum. That change prompted public testimony and extensive discussion.

Dr. Debbie Warner of Littleton, who helped coordinate the original House bill, told the committee the original House language gave voters a clear local voice. \"It retains the people say in Keno, and it establishes the people say in casinos,\" she said of the compromise language the House had approved. Warner told members her group organized after a proposed commercial casino surfaced in Littleton and said residents felt powerless under existing law; she said the revised conference language is \"functional\" and will work, but that the House's original opt‑in approach better preserves local control.

Bernie Deshais, representing the New Hampshire Municipal Association, told the committee the association preferred the House's opt‑in language and opposed the Senate's opt‑out approach for keno specifically. \"We have deep concerns about the senate's addition of this keno language,\" Deshais said, arguing opt‑out would create voter confusion and require municipalities to reeducate residents who previously voted on keno.

Testimony and committee discussion cited RSA 39:3 and RSA 675:4 (statutory references on how local warrant articles are presented) and stressed that the petition warrant article process under RSA 39:3 allows a municipality to put an article before voters without waiting for November election timing. Dr. Warner said that process was part of the House compromise and that it could allow towns to seek a local decision on casino or keno status within a municipal meeting calendar.

Committee members expressed a variety of views: several voiced principle support for local choice and for the House’s prior opt‑in language, while others said the Senate language at least preserves some local voice through the opt‑out mechanism. Representative Southworth said she preferred opt‑in, calling opt‑out confusing for voters. Representative Ors and others argued the Senate changes were an imperfect but workable compromise that at least gave towns some local authority that did not previously exist for charitable casinos. Several members noted that municipalities with an existing casino are grandfathered and cannot later force the operation to close by a future local vote.

At the end of the work session the chair conducted a straw poll about the committee position. Members broadly preferred a non‑concur posture and asked the chair to seek a committee of conference with House conferees to try to restore the House‑passed opt‑in language (or keep the House position). The chair said he would non‑concur and request a committee of conference.

Public testimony and municipal association comments emphasized voter clarity—witnesses and multiple representatives said voters understand a clear opt‑in question more easily than an opt‑out question that requires a \"yes\" vote to prohibit gaming. Committee members generally said they favored maintaining the House’s original position when possible.

Next steps: The committee chair will transmit the committee’s non‑concur position and request a committee of conference. If conferees are appointed, they will meet with Senate conferees to try to reach a compromise that the full House and Senate will accept; if conferees do not reach agreement, the bill could fail or be retained for further action in a later session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Ways and Means (05/20/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The House Ways and Means Committee opened a work session on the Senate message for HB 737 — a gaming bill — and, after testimony from Littleton residents and the New Hampshire Municipal Association, signaled it would non‑concur with the Senate amendments and ask for a committee of conference.","taxTitle","Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17769,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6547015,"Committee advances SB 110 setting new fees and a ‘permit by notification’ for terrain alteration",2546,427000,2973000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3406797-214c4cfd55f17b389d7f6b3b9314fe84&start=427&end=2973","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3406797-214c4cfd55f17b389d7f6b3b9314fe84/thumbnail_427000.jpg","/articles/6547015/New-Hampshire/Committee-advances-SB-110-setting-new-fees-and-a-permit-by-notification-for-terrain-alteration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547015-e2cf48b0d17aff667a6166235d7bc18e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440206&Signature=Mz5CBdNP0fmiYYJtcCG9VHLCdQOymVQZ8DhzNCZGEbOIWqeuQIb2~Bb8iSma7Hy2y7JyP8M1tUhaGdBGRZ0K-AfNF1U42bqusf-JLM4Q9CDKzLRGgVyE3-jg7QCMMlRxACUetyWzS7QqE6OxnZX7IJ6izBuM3vsywOYb9uxa5p8m2KXl-Yjnwmh65Ac~ul0nYXn4KG3r3ellgcsYgnZeXHL-le7~g070DhAlZVhr5kltxCbh3jN9jtzkEv2MPXSZgJU5rp6jy-j0wZia9uGovsFAk7M50FVzvT2degamtYKKHlmWwHZ~knPweKoRaVCCYgF9-lOua~MziV7Kp55kcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members voted in executive session to recommend \"Ought to Pass\" on Senate Bill 110, a measure that sets application fees for alteration of terrain permits and directs the Department of Environmental Services (DES) to adopt rules establishing a permit‑by‑notification process for some projects.

The bill folds two preliminary reviews into DES as a single point of contact, creates fee tiers and an optional expedited fee track paid by applicants, and is intended by supporters to speed reviews while funding additional staff at DES.

Tricia Malillo, who introduced the bill for Senator Lang, told the committee the Department of Environmental Services worked with the sponsor on the amended language and is prepared to answer questions. \"This bill was amended by the Senate and the Department of Environmental Services is here to answer any questions you may have,\" she said.

Matt Mayberry, CEO of the New Hampshire Home Builders Association, testified in support: \"We're in strong support of SB 110,\" and said the expedited review would be optional and paid by developers. \"We're not asking the taxpayers for any money at all,\" Mayberry added, saying the change consolidates what had been a three‑step review process (natural heritage, fish and game, then DES) so applicants have \"one point of contact, one stop shopping.\"

Philip (Phil) Trowbridge, manager of Land Resources Management at DES, described the technical structure and several thresholds in the bill. He said shoreland projects—those affecting protected water bodies—have lower thresholds for review: \"For a project that touches any part of protected shoreland, that threshold goes down to 50,000 square feet.\" He also said DES would continue to carry out habitat and endangered species reviews and consult federal law where required.

Committee members pressed staff and proponents on several fee specifics and program impacts. Questions and answers from the hearing record include:
- An initial expedited or application fee of $3,125 was cited by Mayberry when asked for a figure for the \"initial fee.\" Mayberry said the builders would pay that fee as part of the optional expedited route.
- DES told the committee that a $5,000 fee applies to projects of 50,000 square feet or greater in shoreland areas, and that larger projects move to the standard, larger fee schedule. Trowbridge explained a per‑square‑foot component appears in the language, summarized in the bill as \"$500 plus $0.005 per square foot of disturbance\" for \"all other projects,\" with additive $2,500 increments for each additional 100,000 square feet disturbed.
- DES projected the revised fee schedule across water‑related programs would generate roughly $1.2 million in additional revenue for fiscal year 2025 and would fund several additional staff positions (DES estimated 4–6 new staff), according to testimony.

DES described the change as a mix of consolidating reviews and moving some habitat and species checks into the department so the applicant can submit once. Trowbridge said, \"This does not limit the reviews needed for Shoreland. It doesn't actually change anything regarding our reviews for alteration of terrain projects that are near a protected water body.\" He also acknowledged the fee increases represent roughly a 92 percent overall increase in some fee lines compared with prior levels and described the package as a \"beta test\" that can be adjusted.

Several members asked for the department's supporting calculations; Trowbridge said DES had spreadsheets and would share its underlying calculations and that the agency had reviewed the numbers with legal counsel. Representative Olmi and others flagged wording concerns about how the statute describes which projects fall under which fee lines, saying the text could be ambiguous and vulnerable to challenge.

During executive session the committee moved an \"Ought to Pass\" recommendation on SB 110. Representative Tierney made the motion and Representative Alme seconded. On a roll call the committee recorded 15 votes in favor and 1 against; the motion passed and the bill was placed on the consent calendar for the next House floor consideration. The committee recorded no minority report.

The committee hearing record shows proponents say the change will speed permitting and be paid by applicants, while some members warned the statutory language could be clearer to avoid litigation and requested DES share the fee calculations and supporting spreadsheets.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted 15–1 to recommend OTP (Ought to Pass) on SB 110; the committee also agreed to place the bill on the consent calendar for floor action.

SB 110 will proceed to the full House; the committee record shows proponents and DES staff will provide requested fee spreadsheets to members.","Committee members voted in executive session to recommend \"Ought to Pass\" on Senate Bill 110, a measure that sets application fees for alteration of terrain permits and directs the Department of Environmental Services to adopt rules establishing a permit‑by‑notification process for some projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Ways and Means seeks conference after Senate rewrites gaming bill to an opt‑out approach

Committee advances SB 110 setting new fees and a ‘permit by notification’ for terrain alteration