[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6688243,"mediaKeyId","2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703","parentId",2381927,"title","Governor’s Commission on Disability highlights ABLE savings, tele‑equipment assistance and call‑center demand","audioSeconds",525,"startMs",18735000,"endMs",19260000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703&start=18735&end=19260","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703/thumbnail_18735000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6688243/New-Hampshire/Governors-Commission-on-Disability-highlights-ABLE-savings-teleequipment-assistance-and-callcenter-demand","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688243-2f58676b7e21ccde73c07b8b1bebe326/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194466&Signature=B4h~eIx75DUlwOnoOnA-waPKdVFtPGowSR3qP11g74ukXUFuXNEkeHdD85vOfa7uClrX3tG5Rzt2xH5HvIPE-uhfXUIc-~gk30fYsnzKeAKelEy5zCrFquADCkLsaKfu~e35EhZVlMIPhZRSORtRLcFRWNde1eMX9Qq8l4S8FzrvjV3H0zs2mAA0ZfrWddN9Yz2xps9AnvZgi6Q9BaMetSv5P-q75p~I-8RAAmABB4GPVDAQ1f5JC6pPiuwafkPtitilniV~2SLtbaIoraWEVncPld-LyIqNu2OOdc2RHBAwZgFS3FgE1yYeCFUqYrGLCEHhuVbJoMXC4FJ69nP2CA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-02-24T21:37:55.993Z","article","The Governor’s Commission on Disability (GCD) presented its FY26–27 operating plan to House Finance Division I, summarizing program work on accessibility, technical assistance and direct consumer supports such as New Hampshire’s ABLE savings accounts and a telecommunications equipment assistance program (TEEP).

Executive Director Chuck Seah said the commission’s work is grounded in the Americans with Disabilities Act and state statute and includes advising the governor and legislature, supporting an Architectural Barrier‑Free Design Committee (ABFDC) that issues opinions on state‑leased or owned facility accessibility, and operating several grant and assistance programs.

Seah said the GCD co‑administers New Hampshire’s ABLE plan with the State Treasurer. He told lawmakers the plan holds roughly $12.2 million in assets across about 1,900 accounts and is designed to let people with disabilities save without endangering means‑tested benefits. On equipment assistance, the GCD runs a federally referenced or PUC‑funded program that provides devices and communications aids to people with sensory disabilities; the current vendor is Future Insight.

The commission also highlighted routine intake demand and public inquiries: Seah said the GCD receives nearly 500 calls and email inquiries annually and that the “number 1 call that comes into the GCD is service animals.” The commission requested $7,500 in fiscal 2026 for communication access services (CART and ASL) to make public meetings accessible and said prior benefit‑estimate errors required a correction to health‑insurance benefit budgeting in its smaller, personnel‑heavy office.

The GCD asked the Legislature to amend terms for governor‑appointed members (in a trailer bill) to extend member terms from two to three years so volunteers can contribute more consistently without turnover eroding institutional knowledge. The department also noted a vacant part‑time ADA coordinator position and said two council positions (the Statewide Independent Living Council program assistant) are supported by a Department of Education contract.

What’s next: The commission will follow the committee’s direction on staffing and prioritized needs; it will continue administering ABLE and TEEP programs and provide requested documentation of program draws and vendor activity.

Ending: The GCD stressed that most work is small‑budget, staff‑intensive outreach and technical assistance that helps individuals with disabilities access basic public services and that modest funding for communication access and staffing stability would improve program delivery.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance Division I (02/24/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The Governor’s Commission on Disability told House Finance Division I that it manages programs that help people with disabilities save and obtain assistive communications equipment, and that routine public inquiries — especially about service animals and accessibility — are the commission’s largest single demand.","taxTitle","Finance - Division I, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17750,"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},6688253,"DOIT warns legislators subscription software, cloud shifts and carry‑forwards are driving costs higher",265,11789000,12054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703&start=11789&end=12054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703/thumbnail_11789000.jpg","/articles/6688253/New-Hampshire/DOIT-warns-legislators-subscription-software-cloud-shifts-and-carryforwards-are-driving-costs-higher","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688253-d66a134184e49a9ac41da6fa5fcf19eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194465&Signature=QRFu8q4BlsVfLHB8eqRizjjfwJhAJ8jjc2x2XGQqMWgQvcZlvbM9WmJIQFOVGDLH1AYHVJCqffZtQr2O5AqKdVpUz5ofaS5ZQ6xLArnN4KpXTADT28~DrvFNb53581JDa1m25fHecHR6iPK-eN8sBF7hUGDVRQ0XpeHMe6RYsVGqkII02sV2sk3Cx~BrE-O2lmpb90HKMxcluJ5~~C7JsgP1c7EVUlqWIpDdO~TUgvvriRZAf~hbBYFdIV1Eq354rq8LmaCaBQpvpPUQQxgLAZfttuPpTYRqM0Bg-53jt7INkjN1vwgKZZyOMLRmHCcPxBc1x-Q3LitjpqhYMiwSbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Hampshire Department of Information Technology told House Finance Division I members that ongoing transitions in how government software is sold and supported — from capital‑purchase licenses to subscription (cloud) models — are raising recurring costs and complicating budgeting.

Commissioner Dennis Goulet said DOIT is managing a broad transformation from on‑premises licensed systems to cloud subscription services, noting the subscription model “is the gift that keeps on giving,” in that vendors shorten life cycles and shift revenue streams so that operating expenses rise over time. He told lawmakers the operating model typically increases recurring costs compared with older capital‑purchase models.

Goulet highlighted the department’s recent financial figures: FY24 expenditures of roughly $121.8 million plus a carry‑forward encumbrance of about $14.8 million. He said carry‑forward encumbrances reflect large multi‑year contracts that were placed but not fully expended during the fiscal year. The department also said it had already unfunded 39 full‑time positions (37 classified, two unclassified) to meet biennial budget targets and described stopping routine backfills of vacancies in late fall to reduce personnel spending.

DOIT presented several recurring challenges for state IT budgeting: cybersecurity and privacy obligations from new technologies (including AI), higher indirect cost rates now approved by DOIT’s cognizant agency, and a continuing shift to subscription pricing for core systems that drives steady year‑over‑year increases. Goulet said central DOIT services run “very close to the edge,” with little headroom for unplanned events and few nonessential line items to cut.

Lawmakers asked about specific agency increases that are scheduled in HB 1 — including Lottery, DRA and others — and Goulet said some large increases reflect capital implementations moving into operating budgets (for example, a major DRA RIM replacement transitioning from capital procurement into ongoing operating and consultant costs). Committee members asked for agency‑level explanations and the department agreed to provide detail on high‑variance line items.

What’s next: DOIT agreed to supply further line‑by‑line explanations for notable agency increases and to follow up on requested capital‑to‑operating transitions. The department also said it would provide a corrective‑action plan for recent audit findings and had hired a new finance director to support the effort.

Ending: The DOIT presentation framed a central tension for the budget: long‑term modernization reduces some operational friction but often raises recurring costs that must be built into operating budgets rather than capital accounts.","DOIT informed the House Finance Division I that cloud subscription pricing, cybersecurity requirements and large encumbrances are increasing recurring costs for statewide IT operations, while the department has unfunded dozens of positions to meet biennial budget targets.",{"_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},6688258,"Lawmakers press Energy Department on proposed $10 million transfer from Renewable Energy Fund to general fund",179,2171000,2350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703&start=2171&end=2350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703/thumbnail_2171000.jpg","/articles/6688258/New-Hampshire/Lawmakers-press-Energy-Department-on-proposed-10-million-transfer-from-Renewable-Energy-Fund-to-general-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688258-bfa2b86cd92c8241df5ca8610911e16c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194465&Signature=Vrl4bX1MlTxUXZzPIddiRpTn~Q9zBU1fCSjJ~TBri24I3veUu65sb7Z7~VHrOuaV2ng8kXUENK0HSkleB~6-VYceOU-7qcAN-BETSssBXBwqxI6c01n8EEtals8RyKH-6DKAe~HOGKh067flshDJeJKoaFnK~r4LVmvkehZhQjibtyYLr4yqYMkjLlGGK4jJzBOSJO4sxMZXlI3wC-wyPXscF9UXVhmXxtwd~Bunh1BCJ~t4eIQRNG42EgExddJ8FgC2Npn2xZtrI8WSjl7JKxqQAhJMfZhprAAfiGnoPz3heAb9zOgSxqPQWQIHH0zKXxfkmxUJvDus~yF6ziFV8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Hampshire Department of Energy told the House Finance Division I that it can carry out statutory programs for fiscal 2026 even after a proposed transfer of $10 million from the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) to the general fund — but multiple lawmakers voiced concerns that moving dedicated revenue into general coffers undermines the fund’s purpose.

Energy Commissioner Jared Chicoine and Deputy Commissioner Chris Sounds outlined how the REF is financed: the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires electric suppliers to buy renewable energy certificates (RECs) or, if supplies are scarce or prices high, pay an alternative compliance payment (ACP) that flows into the REF. Sounds said revenues can fluctuate and that recent compliance years produced an unusually large inflow.

Sounds said the fund currently holds roughly $12 million and that “if you subtract this $10,000,000, it would leave about $2,000,000” available for the current fiscal year. He said the department in September had already allocated about $6 million to programs and noted other recent legislative changes that redirected some prior rebate programs into larger municipal and programmatic efforts.

Several representatives expressed policy and legal concerns about sweeping dedicated funds into the general fund. Representative Ebel said such transfers weaken the rationale for dedicated funds and questioned constitutionality; Representative Leishman and others asked whether existing program commitments or pending applications would be affected. Chris Sounds and Commissioner Chicoine said the $6 million already allocated would not be affected and that no currently encumbered contracts would be voided by the transfer, but they acknowledged the transfer would limit any additional new program spending the department could undertake out of the REF.

The department said the $10 million would not immediately disrupt existing, encumbered program commitments but would reduce the available, uncommitted balance that could be used for new allocations. The department also noted the REF had been used historically for a range of programs — from residential solar rebates to municipal projects — and that legislative changes in prior years had repurposed some allocations.

What’s next: Committee members asked for more dedicated-fund detail and the department indicated it would provide the fund balance, encumbrances and the September allocations page for the committee to review during subsequent budget work.

Ending: The conversation underscored a recurring legislative dilemma: whether to use one-time or dedicated fund balances to address near‑term budget pressures, or to preserve them for the programs and statutory purposes for which they were originally collected.","During a Division I hearing, the Department of Energy defended a proposed transfer of $10 million from the Renewable Energy Fund to the general fund; lawmakers and the department debated the fund's recent revenue surge, existing program commitments and potential program impacts if the transfer proceeds.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6688262,"House Finance panel approves Banking Department budget after commissioners lay out staffing, exam demands",1282,93000,1375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703&start=93&end=1375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703/thumbnail_93000.jpg","/articles/6688262/New-Hampshire/House-Finance-panel-approves-Banking-Department-budget-after-commissioners-lay-out-staffing-exam-demands","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688262-7eb19613ea9d26d8dac070e1efde7ad1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194465&Signature=DHhXPELexE-u9sUVks1Ww059aN1m6LHIW0Aga~RilRUhQYzMJK~gr04laGMT~1WkqK~CrQdBZrNz~xTVxykz3C8SnmEkklz7KznWl39kQitLl9A-jPd~ezcR78ucmuVJQqlynHPzPpNBH~HkhHxCfCGkfEjkdyVQGYGQPOcHvr~XwbwExc8UJUxCMPryzfOkD-F~Studpgfn90FP05xNNNr-A5Kmt9azbUVN9W~9cZ4d3qJ6rL181stG0YJcI4lsgNSe9i68kPcPXnIWtGXXq2DMIGOWT1u-U-TJCrl0gZ3dp~orEZoj0bx3a2zX6Wpnu-uvXWP09P5HSOwk2vH3JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Finance Division I approved the New Hampshire Banking Department’s fiscal 2026–27 budget after Bank Commissioner Amelia Galdieri told lawmakers the self-funded agency needs to expand travel and training lines to supervise growing trust-company assets and fintech licensees.

Galdieri, who introduced the department’s request, said the department is “a consumer protection focused regulatory agency that supervises a wide variety of financial institutions” and described two operating “buckets” — a banking and trust division and a consumer credit division. She told the committee the trust industry is growing in New Hampshire and that recent legislation will expand routine examinations of auto dealers that take finance applications, increasing the department’s exam load by roughly 300 exams over the next two fiscal years.

The department is largely people-centered: Galdieri said the budget is roughly 86 percent salaries and benefits and noted the department has 53 positions “and all of those positions will be filled on March 21.” She emphasized the need for travel and training budgets to allow examiners to go on‑site to large fintech and money‑transmitter firms and to learn complex technology-driven business models: “Most of these large companies want our examiners in their office doing the examination,” she said.

Galdieri explained the Banking Department is self-funded. She described the standard cycle: the Legislature provides an initial appropriation, the department collects fees and fines during the fiscal year, and if collections fall short the statute permits an assessment on chartered and licensed entities to fully refund the initial appropriation. She also pointed committee members to RSA 383:11 for the statutory method that apportions the year‑end assessment by asset size.

Lawmakers pressed for detail about where additional revenue will come from and whether fees are rising. Galdieri said fees charged to licensees were not increasing; instead the department’s revenue rise largely reflects scheduled staff step increases and assessments tied to asset size. She described how the department converted some administrative positions to examiner roles and reduced office footprint and paper storage to absorb additional exam workload without requesting new permanent positions.

Representative (unspecified) moved to accept the Banking Department budget as presented in HP 1; Representative Griffin seconded the motion. Committee minutes record a show-of-hands approval with no roll-call tally provided.

What’s next: The Banking Department will use the approved FY26–27 appropriations to increase travel and training lines for examiners and to continue implementing the department’s reorganization to meet the growth in trust companies and fintech licensees.

Ending: The department left the committee with a reminder that the office is heavily examiner-driven and that, absent the travel and training resources approved in the budget, Galdieri said she sometimes must tell licensed entities she cannot send examiners on site even when the company is willing to reimburse travel costs.","The House Finance Division I approved the New Hampshire Banking Department’s fiscal 2026–27 budget after Commissioner Amelia Galdieri described rising exam workload from trust companies, fintech and auto-dealer examinations and how the self-funded department plans to cover costs largely through assessments and fees.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6688247,"Treasurer explains debt‑service timing, meals-and-rooms omission and unclaimed‑property escheats at budget hearing",503,15152000,15655000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703&start=15152&end=15655","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381927-4c24e0369400b060180e841068dc0703/thumbnail_15152000.jpg","/articles/6688247/New-Hampshire/Treasurer-explains-debtservice-timing-meals-and-rooms-omission-and-unclaimedproperty-escheats-at-budget-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688247-c91db547acc4c6dd0e41eb8177918f26/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194465&Signature=FLGoZudJyS42-Tk-bsi0cyUk3dmWKQWAq2W3JszWBAf3ssRtoJQBDujLXR~TDMYghcbKcu5zehSYGSpCn-pwXrN9b~eftjP05KsPFzMNCNAYeP0WV2So1Tc4ldEm8anbx6IPiM9HlT8qbXdSBMaZ1slYKRPIAy6Sw2eF4GOwoM~9WEgBvdYlCZeP50DPo-Keg-~6VqcyN7T50-eznWVkEe8bymkBVyv0Lq5CbsUx3jAxgAD6CftJpTBlsb2SqVmtN2eR03OfzvFnMYGLR~kXbYqqt9eKf4XpcVOBcIXfdcrZ7devNCAd~WUoJVN16RSPC603NyEeiBXXxAPX5l3VoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State Treasurer Monica Mazzappelli updated House Finance Division I members on several budget items that shape the General Fund picture: debt‑service timing for planned capital borrowing, the accounting treatment of the meals‑and‑rooms distribution and the state’s unclaimed‑property (escheat) receipts.

Mazzappelli said the capital program and its timing — particularly a previously approved $40 million authorization tied to a correctional project — drives the year‑to‑year debt‑service profile. She emphasized that the Treasury issues bonds only when projects are ready to spend: “We will only bond when they’re spend the money, not before,” she said. The committee discussed the effect of the $40 million and asked for an amortization schedule to show how new borrowing would impact annual debt service; the treasurer agreed to produce that schedule.

On the meals‑and‑rooms distribution, Mazzappelli told the committee the item was removed from the budget appropriation in the last cycle’s Senate version, but actual distributions to municipalities continue to be made from the accounting system. She said FY25 activity recorded those distributions even though the appropriation line was not present in the published budget language.

Mazzappelli also discussed the unclaimed‑property program, which returns dormant accounts to owners or — after a statutory period — escheats the funds to the state. She said that in 2024 about $19 million was escheated to the General Fund and that the Treasure’s office expects similar amounts in coming years (she cited an estimate of roughly $22–26 million across FY25–FY27). The Treasurer noted the administrative expense line for abandoned‑property claims is budgeted conservatively because audit and recovery timing varies year to year.

Lawmakers requested detail and schedules: Representative Leishman asked for an amortization schedule for the $40 million and the treasurer agreed to provide a breakdown as the committee prepares further budget work. The committee also asked for historical unclaimed‑property receipts and escheat figures to understand the volatility and size of that revenue source.

Ending: The treasurer promised follow‑up documents — an amortization schedule for proposed borrowing and a fund‑by‑fund reconciliation of escheated property and dedicated distributions — and the committee signaled it would review those materials as part of upcoming budget deliberations.","State Treasurer Monica Mazzappelli told the House Finance Division I how debt‑service timing and capital borrowing plans affect General Fund outlays, explained why the meals‑and‑rooms distribution was removed from the executive budget text though payments continue, and described unclaimed‑property escheats that provided roughly $19 million to the ","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Governor’s Commission on Disability highlights ABLE savings, tele‑equipment assistance and call‑center demand

DOIT warns legislators subscription software, cloud shifts and carry‑forwards are driving costs higher

Lawmakers press Energy Department on proposed $10 million transfer from Renewable Energy Fund to general fund

House Finance panel approves Banking Department budget after commissioners lay out staffing, exam demands

Treasurer explains debt‑service timing, meals-and-rooms omission and unclaimed‑property escheats at budget hearing