New Hampshire HB 1655: establishing a funding source for maintaining state owned dams.

Bill Text

HB 1655-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

12Feb2026... 0170h

2026 SESSION

 26-2978

 08/07

HOUSE BILL 1655-FN

AN ACT establishing a funding source for maintaining state owned dams.

SPONSORS: Rep. Darby, Hills. 11; Rep. Dunn, Rock. 16; Rep. Malloy, Rock. 24

COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development

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ANALYSIS

 This bill establishes fees on property that has waterfront access to a body of water created by a state-owned dam and directs such fees to the maintenance of state-owned dams.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

12Feb2026... 0170h 26-2978

 08/07

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT establishing a funding source for maintaining state owned dams.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Subdivision; Shorefront Property Fee for State-Owned Dams. Amend RSA 76 by inserting after section 21 the following new subdivision:

Shorefront Property Fee for State-Owned Dams

 76:22 Fee for Waterfront Property on Waterbody Impounded by State-Owned Dam.

 I. The department of revenue administration shall identify the properties and landowners with waterfront access and deeded water rights to waterbodies impounded by state-owned dams. The department shall provide each municipality with a list of such properties. The department may contract with an outside organization to collect this information. Following a conveyance of real estate with waterfront access or deeded water rights to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dam, the grantee shall inform the municipality of the grantee mailing address.

 II. The municipality shall assess a fee of $100 per year on real estate with waterfront access to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dam. The moneys collected from such fee shall be deposited in the dam maintenance fund established in RSA 482:55 to be used for the operation, maintenance, and repair of state-owned dams.

 III. The municipality shall assess a fee of $50 per year on real estate with deeded water access to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dam. The moneys collected from such fee shall be deposited in the dam maintenance fund established in RSA 482:55 to be used for the operation, maintenance, and repair of state-owned dams.

 IV. Real estate with waterfront access or deeded water rights to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dam in current use or a working farm shall not be assessed the fee listed in paragraphs II and III.

 V. In addition to the fees required by paragraphs II and III, the municipality may collect $5 to be retained by the municipality as compensation for management, collection and disbursement of moneys collected. Each year, when submitting collected fees to the dam maintenance fund, the municipality shall provide a list of properties, owners, owner addresses, fees remitted and fee owed by not remitted to the department. The department shall seek payment for unpaid fees for properties with waterfront or deeded water rights to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dam. Repayments received shall be deposited in the dam maintenance fund.

 VI. Interest at 8 percent per annum shall be charged upon all taxes except resident taxes, except as otherwise provided by statute, not paid on or before December 1. Interest payments received shall be deposited in the dam maintenance fund. The department may acquire a lien against land and buildings for unpaid fees owed for waterfront access or deeded water rights to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dams. Tax liens placed according to RSA 80 shall have priority over department of environmental services liens. The department of revenue services shall administer the collection of fees, interests and liens for waterfront access or deeded water rights to a waterbody impounded by a state-owned dams.

 VII. The department shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A in order to execute and enforce this chapter.

 2 Dam Maintenance Fund; Expenditure. Amend RSA 482:57 to read as follows: 

 482:57 Expenditure.

 I. Notwithstanding other provisions of law, the commissioner of environmental services shall expend such sums from the dam maintenance fund as are necessary for performance of work on state-owned dams and property associated with and contiguous to state-owned dam sites, as well as noncontiguous property, such as rainfall and stream gages, that is essential to the safe operation of the dam only in the following categories:

 [I.] (a) Minor projects and emergency repairs, including emergency action plans, which may be completed by force acco