Department of Safety asks lawmakers to fund fuel-tax system replacement, new gun range and license-plate modernization

Commissioner Bob Quinn told the Senate capital budget work session that the Department of Safety is seeking funding for three capital projects: replacement of the Automated Fuel Tax System, construction of a new New Hampshire State Police gun range and modernization of license‑plate production equipment.

The projects are part of House Bill 25 and two—replacement of the fuel tax system and the gun range—were included in the governor’s proposed budget and approved by the House, Quinn said. The license‑plate equipment request was added during the House phase and also is supported by the governor.

The Automated Fuel Tax System (AFTS) is managed by the Department of Safety’s Division of Administration and the Road Toll Bureau. “This system represents the single largest source of revenue for the Highway Fund,” the department said in its presentation, noting AFTS also collects several environmental fees that are remitted to the Department of Environmental Services and that the system interfaces with New Hampshire First, the state’s financial system. Department officials said the current system is at end of life and must be replaced to avoid production and accounting interruptions.

The committee pressed for operational detail on the proposed state police gun range in New Hampton. Major Davey of the State Police Operations Bureau described the current facility as “a sandpit” with a small plywood classroom of about “20 by 20” feet that has been run from portable or standby generator power and has experienced moisture and mildew problems. The existing site is effectively an open outdoor range with a covered loading area and is used frequently: Major Davey said the division uses the range for roughly 185 of its 260 troopers annually, and it also accommodates federal, county and municipal partners. Department presenters said the proposed project would build a properly sized training facility with electric service, running water, restrooms and an expanded range area to allow year‑round use and a wider set of training scenarios.

On license‑plate production, the department told senators that New Hampshire’s plate manufacturing process has relied on cast‑iron stamping and heat‑transfer graphics that date to the 1960s and earlier. With roughly 1,600,000 registered vehicles in the state, officials said parts are increasingly unavailable, custom fabrication is required, downtime is rising and the specialized skills to maintain the equipment are hard to find. The requested modernization would move to modern, largely automated equipment that the department estimates could double production capacity, reduce downtime and add security features such as digital watermarks. The department said the new line would be installed at the Department of Safety’s headquarters warehouse; the Department of Corrections would retain equipment that produces paper plates and stickers. Officials said the new machines would require far fewer operators—research provided by the department showed 1 operator (2 with a quality‑control position) could run a machine that produces roughly twice current statewide need—and that Corrections Commissioner Hanks has said she will develop plans to provide other work or training for inmates currently employed on plate production if the work shifts.

Senators asked for additional operational follow‑up: the department agreed to provide dimensions for the proposed equipment footprint in the warehouse, clarifications on how inmate positions would be reassigned if production moves, and more detail on how water service would be provided to the gun range site. Committee members also requested public‑works plans that the department had provided for the gun range.

The presenters said two of the three projects (AFTS and the gun range) were in the governor’s budget as forwarded by the House, while the plate modernization was added in the House phase and is also supported by the governor. Department officials offered to return with further details on site plans, staffing and logistics if the committee wanted additional information before finalizing capital language.

The committee subsequently moved into executive session to consider amendments to the capital package; department officials remained available to respond to follow‑up questions.