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House rejects amendment to narrow Hampton Beach pier fund; bill advances to finance committee
Summary
Lawmakers debated an amendment to Senate Bill 241 that would broaden a proposed Hampton Beach pier fund into a general accessibility fund for Hampton Beach State Park. The amendment failed in a division vote; the main committee report for SB 241 was adopted and the bill was referred to the House Finance Committee.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted down a floor amendment to Senate Bill 241 that would have replaced language authorizing a continuously appropriated fund for a Hampton Beach public pier with broader language creating a Hampton Beach State Park Accessibility Fund.
Representative Will Darby, who offered floor amendment 1814h, said the amendment would allow the parks division, "in consultation with the governor's commission on disability, to use the fund for developing and maintaining all accessibility projects, 1 of which may be a pier." Darby said a 2023 feasibility study showed many lower-cost accessibility improvements and noted a 2022 pier study estimated planning and construction costs "from 12,000,000 to over 20,000,000" with a 10-year construction timeline and up to "$300,000 annually for repairs and maintenance." He argued the amendment would fund near-term accessibility improvements such as parking, ramps and dune crossings.
Representative Nicholas Bridal presented the committee report. Representative Harb spoke against Darby’s amendment, saying it "totally changes the focus of the original bill, which was to build a public pier with voluntary funds," and that Parks already "have funds and a budget to help with accessibility."
The House held a division vote on amendment 1814h; the presiding officer announced the state of the vote as "159 in the affirmative, 179 in the negative," and the amendment failed. The House then took up the main motion on SB 241; the chair said, "The ayes have it and the report's adopted." The clerk announced that SB 241 was referred to the House Finance Committee.
Why it matters: supporters of the amendment argued the change would produce quicker, lower-cost accessibility work for Hampton Beach State Park. Opponents said the amendment altered the bill’s original purpose of establishing a dedicated pier fund and risked defeating the pier project.
The bill will next be considered by the House Finance Committee; no appropriation or final enactment occurred at today's session.
