Commerce committee advances multiple housing and leasing bills, sends several to full committee

The Commerce Committee met to consider a package of housing, leasing and permitting bills and took action on six measures, sending several to the full committee for final consideration.

Committee members recommended that House Bill 309 (making electronic rent payments optional) and a group of housing bills — including legislation on manufactured housing and accessory dwelling units — move forward, approved an amendment and recommendation on a building‑permit bill, and re‑referred one large housing proposal for more study. A separate bill on state agency leases was left without a committee recommendation so county officials can propose narrower language.

House Bill 309: electronic rent payments The committee recommended that House Bill 309, which would make electronic rent payments optional for tenants, ought to pass and be forwarded to the full committee. Discussion focused on tenants who lack access to banking services and on older residents who prefer paper checks. Committee members said landlords who testified at the hearing did not generally oppose the change; members also noted that an amendment may be filed at the full committee to address a statutory fine that was discussed during testimony.

House Bill 694: state leases and fair market rent A bill to require property leased by state agencies be leased at a fair market rate was discussed but not recommended. Committee members said the issue raised tradeoffs — for example, landlords sometimes accept below‑market rates to secure long‑term tenants — and asked the Association of Counties to propose targeted language that would address county concerns about consolidated lease costs. The committee agreed to hold the item for further discussion in executive session and to bring suggested edits to the full committee.

Senate Bill 631: residential uses in commercial zones The committee recommended that Senate Bill 631 ought to pass without amendment. Members said an amendment submitted earlier was withdrawn after discussion and that the language as revised addressed concerns about infrastructure and compatibility with existing zoning.

House Bill 410: larger housing proposal re‑referred A larger housing bill the committee described as ambitious and “inventive” was moved to be re‑referred for additional consideration, a motion the committee approved. Members said the proposal contains several moving parts and that some language (for example, use of the word “extraordinary”) could have unintended legal consequences; they urged more review before a committee recommendation.

House Bill 296: building permits on private lines (class 6 roads) House Bill 296 was approved with a committee amendment that deletes language in lines 7–12 of the draft that committee members said could conflict with a separate bill concerning development on class 6 roads. Testimony from planners and municipal officials prompted the change; after the deletion the committee recommended the bill ought to pass as amended.

House Bill 685: manufactured housing by right The committee recommended that House Bill 685, which would require municipalities to permit manufactured homes by right in residential districts, ought to pass. Members and witnesses discussed distinctions between modern manufactured homes and older units not built to HUD code, the role of local overlay districts and historic or village districts, and the existing statute (RSA 6:74:32) that already provides options for municipalities. Some asked for follow‑up study of how the July 2024 changes to RSA 6:74 are working in practice; despite concerns the committee voted to recommend passage.

House Bill 577: accessory dwelling units and carriage houses The committee recommended that House Bill 577 ought to pass. Members said accessory units often provide housing for aging relatives or younger family members, can generate rental income, and are a modest source of new housing stock in some communities; members also noted that past adoption in some towns has shown limited but steady uptake.

What was decided and next steps Several bills were recommended to the full committee (HB 309, SB 631, HB 296 as amended, HB 685, HB 577). House Bill 410 was re‑referred for further study. The fair‑market lease bill (HB 694) was not recommended pending proposed language from county officials and further review in an executive session scheduled by the committee. The committee noted that one or more bills may receive technical or substantive amendments before the full committee considers them.

The committee’s actions will be reflected in the official minutes and the bills will appear on the full committee calendar for further consideration and any amendments.