Legislative Sessions
NH LAKES works with New Hampshire legislators, state agency staff, and partners, to submit and support bills that will help restore and preserve our lakes.! While NH LAKES takes strong positions of support or opposition on some bills, we also track a large number of bills as they move through the legislative process, so we can respond if they become important to our cause. Learn more about some of the bills we support and track.
For more information, email or call Michelle Davis Farnham, NH LAKES Advocacy Program Coordinator, at mdavis@nhlakes.org or (603) 226-0299.
We give lakes a voice at the State House and help advance lake-friendly policy.
During the New Hampshire legislative session, we rely on individuals close to and passionate about lakes to reach out to elected representatives by making calls and writing letters. We also call upon individuals to attend hearings, sign in for or against bills, and give testimony.
See what happened with bill NH LAKES tracked in previous New Hampshire Legislative Sessions:
2019:
House Bill 325: requires boaters to use AIS prevention technologies at public boat access facilities, if they are available. This important addition to existing clean and drain requirements will further help to prevent the spread of AIS in New Hampshire by encouraging boat access facility owners to invest in AIS prevention technologies.
House Bill 625: requires out-of-state boaters to purchase a $20 decal annually for AIS prevention and management. This additional revenue will help reduce the increasing AIS prevention and management cost burden that local groups and municipalities have to bear.
2021
House Bill 426: relative to shoreland septic systems was an opportunity to improve water quality by identifying underperforming and uninspected septic systems to prevent harmful nutrients, like phosphorus, from leaching into New Hampshire’s lakes. The proposed bill, which was retained by the House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee and not recommended for further legislation, would have required assessment at the time of sale for certain septic systems on properties within the developed waterfront.
2020:
Senate Bill 713-FN: would have expanded the Green SnowPro program to municipalities. SB 713-FN was ‘Laid on the Table’ by the House, which killed the bill. Through the Green SnowPro program, commercial salt applicators are relieved of some liability associated with using less salt on roads, sidewalks, and parking lots when they participate in training to use salt in ways that reduce its impact on lakes and other water resources.
2021:
House Bill 82: would have allowed landowners and the state legislature to negotiate potentially harmful amendments to conservation easements. Undisturbed natural lands help soak up and filter runoff water, keep pollutants out of lakes, provide beneficial wildlife habitat, and are generally good for lake health. House Bill 82 was retained in the House Judiciary Committee, meaning it is being held on to for more work or possible reconsideration.
House Bill 158: would have increased the area of a wetland eligible for a prime wetland designation but was killed in the House. This legislation aimed to include the “fingers and toes” of a wetland that meets certain exceptional function criteria. Wetlands help protect and improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and reduce the impacts of floods.
House Bill 177: would have prevented new landfills from being sited within two miles of any state park in New Hampshire. A landfill could have significant detrimental water quality impacts for nearby waterbodies, including contaminating surface water and groundwater. The bill was defeated in the Senate.
2020:
Senate Bill 491: relative to shoreland water quality would have increased the natural woodland buffer standard (set in place by the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act) from 25% to 50% on lots larger than one-half acre. SB491 was ‘Laid on the Table’ by the Senate, which killed the bill. This increase would have safeguarded our lakes and protected them against polluted runoff water, while still allowing property owners to enjoy shorefront homes.
House Bill 1124: relative to the definition of a prime wetland was ‘Laid on the Table’ by the Senate, which killed the bill. The bill would have increased the area of a wetland eligible for a prime wetland designation to include the “fingers and toes” of a wetland that meet certain exceptional function criteria. Wetlands help protect and improve water quality, provide wildlife habitats, and reduce the impacts of floods.
2021:
House Bill 99: requires that anyone seeking to anchor a floating dock, seasonal platform, inflatable platform, or float on public waters observe requirements specified by the New Hampshire Department of Safety.
House Bill 115: relative to wake surfing added the activity of ‘wake surfing’ to existing safety legislation and came out of consensus from the Wake Boat Study Commission. The bill requires participants to wear a life jacket, have a spotter, and a few other safety provisions.
House Bill 229: would have defined wake boats in statute. When used in certain ways, wake (ballast) boats pose a threat to the health of New Hampshire’s lakes in the form of shoreline erosion, property damage, disturbance on the lake bottom, and the spread of aquatic invasive species. The bill died after being voted ‘Inexpedient to Legislate’ in the House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee, but was not acted upon by the full House of Representatives.
2020:
Senate Bill 627: would have created a voluntary program for dock owners to register their dock with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in an attempt to reduce complaints and conflict, improve record keeping, and ensure routine permit requests are hassle-free and environmentally protective. SB 627 was ‘Laid on the Table’ by the House, which killed the bill.
House Bill 1609: relative to seasonal platforms on public waters of the state would have allowed the Department of Safety, Division of Marine Patrol, to regulate the placement and safety of large, inflatable seasonal platforms. HB1609 was ‘Laid on the Table’ by the Senate, which killed the bill.
2019:
House Bill 137: established a wake boat study commission, made up of an inclusive group of stakeholders, to identify the impacts of wake boats on shoreline erosion, private property, and the safety of swimmers and other boaters. The study commission concluded in November 2020 and you can read the report here.
by NHMB