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Committee approves updating state code to 2023 electrical standard and ratifies board amendments
Summary
The committee voted to recommend passage of HB 134 to adopt the 2023 National Electrical Code and to ratify multiple Building Code Review Board amendments. Industry witnesses and the board chair told the committee the package updates model codes on a three‑year cycle and includes carry‑forward amendments and a small set of cost‑saving changes.
Representative Carol McGuire opened the public hearing on House Bill 134, saying the measure would update the state's building code to adopt the 2023 edition of the National Electrical Code and ratify Building Code Review Board amendments submitted through the bill's cutoff date.
Steven Rancourt, representing the Electrical Contractors Business Association, told the committee he is a licensed electrician and that the 2023 update is a routine piece of three‑year code work. "It's something that's done every 3 years," he said, describing a subcommittee review and collaborative process that included electrical stakeholders.
Philip Sherman, chair of the New Hampshire Building Code Review Board, provided context for the committee. He explained that the state building code is built from several model codes—seven published by the International Code Council and the electrical code published by the National Fire Protection Association—and that the board's process intends to remain on a three‑year updating cadence, one public step behind the model publishers as required by statute. Sherman said the board voted unanimously to recommend the 2023 NEC and related amendments and that most changes are carry‑forward amendments; he noted three new amendments that save cost and five that were dropped because they were no longer needed.
The committee considered the bill in executive session and voted to recommend passage. The roll call recorded unanimous support; the committee recorded the motion "ought to pass" and the clerk's tally was 13–0.
Why it matters: Updating to the 2023 NEC brings New Hampshire's electrical rules into alignment with the latest model standards and ratifies board amendments intended to keep state practice in sync with technical changes. Industry groups urged the committee to move the package on to allow consistent statewide application for contractors and inspectors.
Action: Committee recorded an "ought to pass" recommendation 13–0.
