Senate Finance approves several HB2 fixes for transportation, delays others; renewable energy amendment set for later packet

The New Hampshire Senate Finance Committee met in executive session and on multiple HB2 items, approving several Department of Transportation technical fixes and funding shifts while placing other requests on hold for further review.

Committee members approved an internal reallocation that shifts $1,750,000 per year within the Department of Transportation’s winter maintenance budget to a winter employee retention program; they also approved an amendment that directs a new $120 expedited driveway permit fee into the highway fund and adds funding for a DOT permit position tied to that fee. The committee approved language enabling DOT to seek reimbursement for costs to remove abandoned vehicles and campers from park-and-ride rest areas.

The committee voted to deny a request from the New Hampshire Adult Parole Board to fund a currently filled secretary position that had been left unfunded in the governor’s recommendation; that request was for $192,830 of general funds over the biennium. Several other agency requests and technical accounting changes were held for later review, including a banking department request to exempt the Consumer Credit Administration license fund from a 5% assessment fee and a DOT accounting/encumbrance procedure change.

Why it matters: the committee’s actions alter how existing dollars move within agency budgets and how some new fees and positions will be funded. The decisions also preserve legislative review for items the committee put on hold, including several energy-related sections that senators said require more work.

What the committee did and why

- DOT winter retention reallocation: Senators approved shifting $1,750,000 per year from operations/consumables within winter maintenance to a winter employee retention program. Members said winter cleanup costs can be large in a single storm and flagged the likelihood of further fiscal requests from DOT during winter months. The motion passed.

- Driveway permitting fee and position (amendment 2093s / SB153 related): The committee approved an amendment that establishes a $120 fee for expedited DOT driveway permits, directs fee revenue to the highway fund, and adds funding in HB2 to pay for the DOT position the fee is intended to support. The committee described this as a technical fix intended to align fee revenue with the position the statute creates.

- Reimbursement authority for removal of vehicles/campers (amendment 2090s): The committee approved enabling DOT to seek reimbursement for removal costs from vehicle owners or towing companies for items left in park-and-ride/rest areas.

- Expanding an existing prohibition to include state-owned railroad property (amendment 2091s): The committee approved language to extend an existing prohibition and penalty (for causing water or other hindrances onto a state highway or road) to apply to state-owned railroad property as well.

- Police Standards and Training equipment timing: The committee agreed to appropriate $250,000 in fiscal 2026 for equipment identified by the Police Standards and Training Council and to allow funds available this year to lapse; staff said the change lowers near-term rainy day fund needs and is net zero across the 2025–2027 window.

- Parole board secretary request denied: The New Hampshire Adult Parole Board sought funding to support a currently filled secretary post (the request was $192,830 of general funds over the biennium). The committee moved to deny that request and the motion carried.

Held or deferred items

- Banking assessment exemption: The banking department requested that the Consumer Credit Administration license fund be exempted from a 5% assessment on dedicated funds. One senator asked for a broader list or an administrative approach to the assessment; the committee put the item on hold for further discussion.

- DOT accounting/encumbrance change: The committee held a requested change on how DOT handles encumbrances and task orders pending additional information from the Department of Administrative Services and the comptroller.

- Multiple energy sections and renewable energy fund amendment: Senators discussed removing several renewable-energy–related sections from HB2 and noted an amendment — sponsored by Senator Pearl and Senator Waters — that would retain up to $5,000,000 annually from the Renewable Energy Fund for the Office of Energy Innovation’s personnel and to fund projects (community solar, school projects, housing, etc.), with amounts above $5,000,000 sweeping to the general fund. Committee members did not take the amendment up today; staff said the amendment will be included in the Department of Energy packet for later consideration.

Other committee housekeeping and next steps

The committee marked several sections for deletion or further work (including deletions of sections covering site evaluation committee language and renewable-energy subsections), updated its recap packet for items tied to particular agencies, and noted that several tabled bills could be reintroduced in smaller-dollar amendments. The committee scheduled another packet and planned an additional meeting on Friday to prepare items for floor consideration.

Votes at a glance

- Insurance Department — consumer service position (other funds): committee recommended “ought to pass.” Vote recorded as 7–0 in favor.

- Department of Labor — amendment (workers’ compensation/second-injury fund hearings): held for further work (no final vote).

- Department of Employment Security budget item: dropped from the committee’s packet.

- New Hampshire Adult Parole Board — fund existing secretary position ($192,830 GF over biennium): motion to deny passed (tally not specified in transcript).

- Department of Transportation — reallocate $1,750,000/year to winter employee retention program: approved; vote recorded as 7–0 in favor.

- DOT amendment 2091s (expand prohibition/penalty to state railroad property): approved (tally not specified).

- DOT amendment 2090s (enable DOT to seek reimbursement for removal of vehicles/campers from rest areas): approved (tally not specified).

- DOT accounting/encumbrance procedure change: held pending additional information from DAS/comptroller.

- DOT amendment 2093s (expedited driveway permitting fee $120; route revenue to highway fund; fund position): approved (tally not specified).

- Police Standards & Training — delay appropriation of $250,000 to fiscal 2026 (net zero across 2025–2027): approved (tally not specified).

- Multiple section deletions (e.g., sections 02/24–02/27 and 02/31–02/40): motions to delete carried (tallies noted as “ayes have it” in the record; precise counts not always specified).

What the committee did not do: Several items were explicitly held for later packets or referred to the Department of Energy or another department’s recap, including the renewable energy fund amendment and the DOT encumbrance accounting question. The committee also deferred additional tabled bills pending fiscal review or written amendments.

Speakers and attributions in this report are drawn only from named participants in the transcript. Where a specific vote tally or mover/second was not recorded in the transcript excerpt, the article notes that the tally or mover/second was not specified.

Ending: The committee adjourned after setting a follow-up packet for Friday and instructing staff to include pending amendments in agency recap packets for the next meeting.