House Public Works and Highways panel amends HB 25A to restore FAA match, add veterans home and college items

A House Public Works and Highways Committee public hearing and work session on House Bill 25A resulted in several additions to the governor's capital budget proposal, including a $3,626,831 state match intended to unlock roughly $64 million in Federal Aviation Administration funds for New Hampshire airports.

The committee, chaired by Representative David Mills, heard testimony from college and local-government representatives and aviation officials before taking straw votes and drafting amendments to HB 25A. Shannon Reed of the Community College System of New Hampshire asked the panel to consider an additional $2.6 million for the colleges, saying, “That $2,600,000 is comprised of 3 elements” and describing needs for IT infrastructure, critical maintenance and energy management systems. John Graham, a member of the Board of Managers for the New Hampshire Veterans Home, told the committee the home needs ADA work, saying, “If you wanna know what it is, it's for ADA compliance.”

Airport officials and municipal advocates urged restoration of state funds that enable federal grants. Tim Thompson, assistant director of community development for the city of Concord, argued that state matching funds multiply federal investment. Margaret Burns, executive director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, said local airports cannot access roughly $62 million in federal funding unless a small state match is appropriated. Andrew Pomeroy of the Granite State Airport Management Association explained the funding source: “90% of this fund ... is from the FAA,” and the state match allows municipalities to draw down the federal share.

After testimony and follow-up discussion the committee instructed staff to draft language for HB 25A to: add the DOT Bureau of Aeronautics state match of $3,626,831; include $1,500,000 for ADA compliance at the New Hampshire Veterans Home; add $800,000 for community college IT infrastructure; fund a $450,000 elevator replacement at the Glencliff Home; and add a $1,302,950 modernization of license-plate production equipment to be paid from the dedicated license-plate fund, RSA 228:25. Committee members also agreed to add several Department of Military Affairs projects to the bill so the projects will be eligible for federal matches (including a $1,000,000 state appropriation for the Plymouth Readiness Center that the department expects to leverage with $3,000,000 in federal funds, plus Pembroke and aviation-hangar projects funded by federal dollars).

Votes at a glance: - State match for FAA airport grants (DOT Bureau of Aeronautics): add $3,626,831 (state general fund match) to unlock roughly $64 million federal funds — approved by committee straw poll; outcome recorded as added to HB 25A amendment language. - New Hampshire Veterans Home ADA compliance: add $1,500,000 (general fund) — approved. - Community College System IT infrastructure: add $800,000 (general fund) — approved; additional community-college requests (a $1.3 million critical-maintenance ask and $500,000 for energy management systems) were discussed but left for further consideration pending final budget balance. - Glencliff Home elevator replacement: add $450,000 (general fund) — approved. - License-plate production modernization: add $1,302,950 paid from the dedicated license-plate production fund (RSA 228:25) — approved; committee language will specify this as other bonding / a dedicated fund appropriation, not general-fund bonding. - Department of Military Affairs readiness projects: add $1,000,000 (general funds) for Plymouth Readiness Center design/construction (to be matched by ~$3,000,000 federal), and include Pembroke Readiness Center ($8,000,000 federal) and an Aviation Hangar project ($9,000,000 federal) in the bill language so the department can pursue federal funds — committee approved adding those projects.

What happened at the hearing and why it matters Committee members said restoring the DOT aviation match was a high priority because a relatively small state appropriation unlocks a much larger federal share of airport infrastructure funding. Margaret Burns told the panel that the state match is required for local public airports to access federal Airport Improvement Program funds and argued the return is large: “for the amount that the state puts in, we get much more value out of them.” Supporters said the appropriation protects planned safety and infrastructure projects statewide.

Community colleges pressed the committee for more capital help to maintain aging boilers, roofs and building systems and to advance monitored energy systems that could prevent costly failures. Shannon Reed said the colleges’ enrollment and workforce-training work are growing and described specific imminent failures: “we would be able to replace a boiler ... all of which are really can go at any moment. They are considered imminently failing, and no backups exist.”

Board members from the New Hampshire Veterans Home warned that failing accessibility elements could put federal oversight and associated funding at risk if not addressed before an upcoming inspection. John Graham said the ADA work will make the facility safer for residents and better positioned for the VA’s periodic inspection.

Process notes and next steps Committee members used informal straw polls during the work session and directed staff to prepare a committee amendment reflecting the additions. Chair David Mills set a schedule to reconvene and finalize language; staff said a revised amendment will be drafted for the committee to vote on at the next work session. Several items remain under discussion — most prominently a Department of Safety gun-range request that committee members asked to revisit with agency staff present.

The committee also discussed repurposing lapsed appropriations to cover some additions and agreed to a mix of repurposed lapse money and new appropriations for items such as the community-college IT request. The committee asked legislative staff to draft precise amendment language and to show updated totals for the bill before the next meeting.

A follow-up work session was scheduled; committee members said they expect to finalize amendment language and hold an executive session to report HB 25A out of committee in the coming weeks.