[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6361168,"mediaKeyId","2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f","parentId",2170863,"title","House hearing on HB 451 spotlights industry-backed paint takeback plan","audioSeconds",2041,"startMs",257000,"endMs",2298000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f&start=257&end=2298","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f/thumbnail_257000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6361168/New-Hampshire/House-hearing-on-HB-451-spotlights-industry-backed-paint-takeback-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361168-e4a8b10191832eebca9eaac3ff03fd0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774939839&Signature=DxCD-2e02GOV3mUvVktckdHWO52CgXcOUEe1b1OvilPIHKG2wH9KufaOiHXZFozcX2ZyavROJGEHGlBqbLdlfPV~7ncTgp1QmjeAXkhurAzws9POBhA5Gjftm0FDJYgOiej86nB819IId-JQj6VL8ohImP2JVT1X2lW5VBrKAK3KjXKPa9i-I55N6CYBhmjCk9C481hWkQxlPW93IxCYaBTL2pELBBbaARDQermsZ3SoNdLBt9knSAJW1E38sES9Dn8wFCnb~8zX3kGQpSwXc4tJNV00HUYZLfCeaMAEGeq6icA8m4hvl7g3dXL79kr1Kv5MP54O57EqoWRc2KBzVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","NH House of Representatives Committee","date","2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","article","House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee members heard testimony on HB 451 on an industry-run program to collect and recycle leftover paint.

Representative Karen Ebel, sponsor of HB 451, told the committee the bill would establish a post-consumer paint stewardship program run by manufacturers and funded by a small surcharge at point of sale. \"This bill would create a post consumer paint stewardship program,\" Representative Ebel said, noting she chaired the Solid Waste Working Group and had distributed the group's interim report to the committee.

The bill would let consumers and businesses bring leftover paint to participating retailers or municipal collection locations for recycling at no charge to the person dropping off product. Under the model used in other states, manufacturers create and fund a nonprofit stewardship organization (PaintCare) that develops collection networks, contracts haulers and processors, and submits a program plan for state review.

Why it matters: supporters said HB 451 would divert a large portion of household hazardous waste from landfills, reduce municipal disposal costs and reduce improper disposal that can threaten soil and groundwater. Representative Judy Aaron, a co-sponsor and chair of House Environment and Agriculture, said the program would keep “toxic paint waste out of our landfills” and could allow some recovered latex paint to be reused.

Details and funding: Representative Ebel and Heidi McAuliffe, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Coatings Association, said the program is funded entirely by an assessment added to paint at the time of sale and paid to the stewardship organization. McAuliffe described how manufacturers would calculate sales and remit funds to PaintCare, which would then set budgets, issue contracts to transporters and processors, and pay the Department of Environmental Services (DES) an administrative fee for oversight. \"100% of the revenue that funds this activity is that fee for service,\" McAuliffe said.

Stakeholder support and process: sponsors and witnesses presented the bill as a collaborative product of the Solid Waste Working Group, DES, paint manufacturers and municipal groups. Representative Peter Bixby, ranking member of House Environment and Agriculture, said the current draft improves on earlier models and urged passage. Representatives of municipal recycling groups and waste companies — including Reagan Bissonnette (Northeast Resource Recovery Association), Mark Morgan (Casella Waste Systems) and Henry Mailloux (Waste Management) — described municipal costs for household hazardous waste events and said paint represents a large share of collected material by weight.

Program operations and recycling outcomes: McAuliffe and other presenters said operational plans would be submitted to DES for approval; transporters would be hazardous-waste certified contractors and processors would separate materials. McAuliffe said about 75–80% of collected latex paint is typically recycled into paint or other products; solvent-based paints that cannot be recycled are routed to waste-to-energy facilities. She said containers are accepted and metal cans are recycled where capacity exists, while plastic container recycling depends on regional infrastructure.

Questions and clarifications from members focused on fee collection, collection of legacy (pre-program) paint, treatment of containers, and whether small businesses would have pickup service. Representative Miles, Representative Speer and others pressed how the surcharge would be collected at retail and on internet sales; McAuliffe and sponsors said manufacturers remit fees to PaintCare based on state sales and that retailers would reflect the fee in price. Representative Ebel and McAuliffe emphasized that program budgets and the per-can assessment would be established once contracts and state sales figures are known; McAuliffe noted the typical program average in other states is about $0.75 per gallon but sponsors cited statutory caps and language that would limit the fee.

No formal committee vote was recorded during the hearing. Supporters asked the committee to advance the bill for further consideration and rule-making with DES oversight.

Ending: The committee concluded public testimony after a series of supportive municipal and industry witnesses. Sponsors and industry representatives said they would supply additional program data and case studies from states that have implemented paint stewardship programs.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (01/30/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee members heard testimony on HB 451 on an industry-run program to collect and recycle leftover paint.","taxTitle","Commerce and Consumer Affairs, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17743,"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},6361162,"Liquor subcommittee: summary of committee votes and placements",1214,1563000,2777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f&start=1563&end=2777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f/thumbnail_1563000.jpg","/articles/6361162/New-Hampshire/Liquor-subcommittee-summary-of-committee-votes-and-placements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361162-665c17b47194d27113cf559e70eaf0be/orig.mp4?Expires=1774939839&Signature=a9x9XAKHWxlL6tJ023NHibTEBDHS-POk1emRn6OQAFMQGHquWQ0KhpISg4muSolludIzicPk4S2fxDInd98YEnkE024ZzkgbFa7cIqX8cmhKKyLr4cxFXEH2261MFIoiXh-LU7HY-~8n3hjjFBbyZiH3LMkvcuNJvplW15DZVau-X6cKwwQ5ydPzzyNmD5vZR0RO0gB4-EkB5eC4REnH2fyIF~R3Yiw1iQEWoDRrUo1bJTuzz~WZpSv4br-Iofk5xv5iFfojJXSCHBSJdebmYtv2PwVhWaRMUZpQ-YMqii~gpmpQ1nX1jah2DWCMnMHS4RzViQ9ItQQ5F0Xx0Z7jWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee’s liquor subcommittee met in executive session and recorded committee-level actions on several bills. Below is a concise listing of formal outcomes recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance:
- House Bill 242 — Committee vote: 15–0 in favor of the motion; committee placed HB 242 on the consent calendar.
- House Bill 81 — Amendment passed (recorded roll call): 16–0; committee later passed the measure as amended (roll-call result recorded as 16–0) and moved it forward.
- House Bill 77 — Committee placed the bill on the consent calendar (subcommittee reported unanimous support in subcommittee; transcript records passage to consent without a final roll-call tally in the exec transcript).
- House Bill 79 — Committee voted 'inexpedient to legislate' (ITL): 16–0.
- House Bill 276 — Committee voted 'inexpedient to legislate' after roll call; final tally recorded in transcript as 10–8 (majority ITL).

What this means: items placed on the consent calendar will be carried forward as noncontroversial recommendations when the committee report is prepared. Bills voted ITL by the committee are recommended not to advance this session; some received minority reports, per transcript notes.

Sources: roll-call tallies and recorded outcomes in the committee’s executive session recorded in the meeting transcript. Individual lawmakers recorded in roll call included Representatives Petusek, Burrows, Hunt (chair), and others present on the liquor subcommittee; the clerk conducted roll-call votes for final tallies.

","During an executive session the committee recorded votes on several bills (committee-level actions). Outcomes included unanimous consent placements and motions to report bills 'inexpedient to legislate' on others. Committee members recorded roll-call votes for several measures.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6361163,"Public hearing on HB 186 focuses on legalization, regulation and public-use limits",1814,13119000,14933000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f&start=13119&end=14933","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170863-305371eb5e43d28453a8e74c8831719f/thumbnail_13119000.jpg","/articles/6361163/New-Hampshire/Public-hearing-on-HB-186-focuses-on-legalization-regulation-and-public-use-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361163-f4d69226953a4aa000882a739a7c35a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1774939839&Signature=cwdiJz2zM0NCOPKhhC1TCjliaddq2KMu6VdBkvFOb4qRJusRE-8SgsU-fatxGoPyJWtjAvl91Sw5PrV-szJV-azDR1OTOrjRyRqpHUxKIm~WNpqK3I04Sp-4uQLNap4N2BG1o5EKHbn96EmlPe8AIWxF~VXahsJJ-QqYrFU2WPytJ74DS-j8xPmH56Tx4Heo2GizgN5aAjYAW76Q8pkvfqb67jAarBUsQvBZkJpnJOGEFKRbR6G1V34qWi2p-f-djdni0Wh3MdmRtu-nHX~JNL4X00jiypqFp0l57t6fYf7HP0LMKj2uaaYSqWmFbOQp9~xEpWzjcOYBdFNz890mgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee opened a public hearing on HB 186, a bill to legalize, regulate and tax adult possession and sale of cannabis.

Representative William Sullivan (sponsor) told the committee the measure is modeled on earlier proposals that advanced in the House. \"This bill is largely modeled on the bill that we passed, close unanimously out of our committee in 2023,\" Sullivan said, adding the proposal would use the state rooms and meals tax framework for revenue and create an independent cannabis commission to develop regulations.

Nut graf: The bill would legalize adult possession, establish a licensing regime for commercial cultivation and retail, create a Cannabis Commission to oversee rulemaking, and prohibit public smoking. Sponsors framed the measure as a way to stop criminal enforcement for possession, capture out‑of‑state consumer spending and establish state rules for packaging, labeling and market protections. Law-enforcement and public-safety witnesses raised concerns about impaired driving, workplace safety and federal conflicts.

Sponsor and co-sponsors: Representative Sullivan and co-sponsor Representative Heath Howard said legalization would produce new revenue and reduce criminal enforcement of possession offenses. Sullivan said the commission — to be appointed by the governor and populated with technical experts — would create rules on product safety, labeling and retail oversight. He also said the bill includes prohibitions on smoking in public as a compromise to assuage concerns about secondhand exposure.

Public-safety concerns: Patrick Sullivan, executive director of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police (retired Goffstown police chief), told the committee the association opposes legalization. He said marijuana is a Schedule I drug under federal law, raised concerns about impaired driving and said there is no reliable per-se test for driving under the influence of cannabis. \"Currently, a person cannot possess a firearm under federal law while using marijuana,\" Patrick Sullivan said. He said the bill’s private‑employment protections and home‑grow provisions could conflict with federal rules and complicate safety-sensitive jobs.

Medical and public-health perspective: Dr. Joe Hannon, former member of the Governor’s commission on cannabis regulation and an advisory board member of the New Hampshire Cannabis Association, supported HB 186. He emphasized that legalization provides regulated access and that arrest-based enforcement has not been applied uniformly; he also pointed to existing labeling and marketing restrictions in the bill. Dr. Hannon noted the scientific and policy limits on roadside impairment testing and urged more funding for training and drug-recognition expertise for law enforcement.

Key provisions highlighted in testimony and questions:
- Licensing and oversight: the bill establishes a Cannabis Commission to craft detailed rules after licensing authority is created in statute. Sponsors said initial administrative costs are likely before license revenue is available.
- Taxation: Representative Sullivan said the proposal would use the state rooms and meals tax rate (8.5% under current law) rather than a separate cultivation tax; sponsors argued this would keep retail prices comparatively low regionally.
- Public use: HB 186 contains a prohibition on public smoking of cannabis with escalating fines; sponsors said that addresses secondhand exposure concerns raised by members and witnesses.
- Employment and safety: witnesses and committee members discussed whether employers could bar impairment at work; sponsors said the bill prohibits discrimination but does not allow impairment on the job and that private employers retain workplace safety policies.

Questions from the committee ranged from scientific evidence on potency and impairment to how labeling, marketing restrictions, and workplace protections would be enforced. Representative Gibbs and others pressed law-enforcement witnesses on cross-state comparisons for impaired-driving enforcement and training needs; police representatives said states that legalized cannabis have reported increases in impaired driving and related fatalities in some datasets.

Ending: The committee closed the public hearing after hearing a mix of supportive and opposing testimony and said the bill will be assigned to subcommittee for further study. Sponsors and opponents both asked for additional technical work on impairment testing, workplace safeguards and labeling requirements.","Supporters and opponents testified on HB 186, a bill to legalize and regulate adult cannabis sales. Sponsors emphasized revenue and a regulatory commission; law enforcement warned about impaired driving, workplace safety and federal conflicts. The bill prohibits public smoking and creates a cannabis commission to write rules.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House hearing on HB 451 spotlights industry-backed paint takeback plan

Liquor subcommittee: summary of committee votes and placements

Public hearing on HB 186 focuses on legalization, regulation and public-use limits