New Hampshire HB 595: relative to the administration of the tobacco tax.

Bill Text

HB 595-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-0824

 08/09

HOUSE BILL 595-FN

AN ACT relative to coastal resilience zones.

SPONSORS: Rep. Muns, Rock. 29; Rep. Khan, Rock. 30; Rep. Malloy, Rock. 24; Rep. de Vries, Rock. 29; Rep. Grote, Rock. 24; Rep. Maggiore, Rock. 23; Rep. Edgar, Rock. 29; Rep. Balboni, Rock. 38; Rep. Manos, Rock. 12; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21

COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ANALYSIS

 This bill:

 I. Adds flood resiliency improvements to the definition of qualifying improvements for the purposes of C-PACE and R-PACE funding.

 II. Enables municipalities to offer property owners who engage in flood resilience projects a property tax abatement or tax assessment freeze for a specified period of time.

 III. Enable municipalities to assess a fee on properties in a flood resilience zone to be deposited into a non-lapsing flood resilience investment fund.

 IV. Makes an appropriation to the department of business and economic development to fund a statewide analysis of the costs and benefits of flood risk and flood risk mitigation efforts.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-0824

 08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT relative to coastal resilience zones.

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

 1 District; Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Districts. Amend RSA 53-F:1, II to read as follows:

 II. "District" means an energy efficiency and clean energy, or flood resilience district established under this chapter. 

 2 Definitions; Qualifying Improvement. Amend RSA 53-F:1, III to read as follows:

 III. "Qualifying improvement" means: 

 (a) "Energy conservation and efficiency improvements" means measures to reduce consumption, through conservation or more efficient use, of electricity, fuel oil, natural gas, propane, or other forms of energy on or off the property, including but not limited to air sealing, installation of insulation, installation of heating, cooling, or ventilation systems meeting or exceeding ENERGY STAR standards, building modifications to increase the use of daylighting, replacement of windows with units meeting or exceeding ENERGY STAR standards, installation of energy controls or energy recovery systems, and installation of efficient lighting equipment, provided that, to be covered by an agreement with a property owner and financed under this chapter, all such improvements must be permanently affixed to a building or facility that is part of the property and shall be qualifying improvements under RSA 53-F:6. 

 (b) “Flood resiliency improvement” means providing flood and water damage mitigation and resiliency improvements, prioritizing repairs, replacement, or improvements that qualify for reductions in flood insurance premiums, including raising a structure above the base flood elevation to reduce flood damage; constructing a flood diversion apparatus, drainage gate, or seawall improvement, including seawall repairs and seawall replacements; purchasing flood damage-resistant building materials; or making electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or other system improvements that reduce flood damage.

 3 Adoption by Municipality. Amend RSA 53-F:2, IV to read as follows:

 IV. The language of the question shall designate [an energy efficiency and clean energy] the district, which may cover all or a portion of the area within the municipality, or may designate all or a portion of the area within the municipality as part of [an energy efficiency and clean energy] a district that encompasses all or portions of multiple municipalities. 

 4 Authority. Amend RSA 53-F:3 to read as follows:

 53-F:3 Authority.

 To achieve the public benefits of protecting the economic and social well-being by reducing energy costs and enhancing resiliency in the community and risks to the community associated with future escalation in energy prices, threats to public and private property from more frequent and severe flooding, and addressing the threat of global climate change, any municipality which has adopted the provisions of this chapter and established [an energy efficiency and clean energy] a district may, upon a finding by the governing body of the municipality, after notice and hearing, that the [energy conservation and efficiency and clean energy] qualifying improvements will serve the public purposes as set forth in this chapter and not primarily be for the benefit of private persons or uses even though