SB 502 — removing references to the department of business and economic affairs and the office of planning and development, and makes various changes to how certain committees and commissions participate or operate.

CHAPTER 190 SB 502-FN - VERSIONFINAL ADOPTEDVERSION BY BOTH BODIES 01/29/2026 0116s 05/21/2026 1988EBA SESSION 26-2098 07/08 SENATE BILL 502-FN AN ACT removing references to the department of business and economic affairs and the office of planning and development, and making various changes to how certain committees and commissions participate or operate.

CHAPTER 190 SB 502-FN - VERSIONFINAL ADOPTEDVERSION BY BOTH BODIES 01/29/2026 0116s 05/21/2026 1988EBA 26-2098 07/08 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT removing references to the department of business and economic affairs and the office of planning and development and making various changes to how certain committees and commissions participate or operate.

1190:1 The State and Its Government;

Amend RSA 4-F:1, I(a)(6)II(a)(6) to read as follows:

2190:2 The State and Its Government;

3190:3 The State and Its Government;

4190:4 Towns, Cities, Village Districts, and Unincorporated Places;

SB 502-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 2 - 36:45 Purposes.

The purpose of this subdivision shall be to enable municipalities and counties to join in the formation of regional planning commissions whose duty it shall be to prepare a coordinated plan for the development of a region, taking into account present and future needs with a view toward encouraging CHAPTER 190 SB 502-FN - FINAL VERSION - Page 2 - the most appropriate use of land, such as for agriculture, forestry, industry, commerce, and housing;

In determining these regions the [office] division shall consider such factors as community of interest and homogeneity, existing metropolitan and regional planning agencies, patterns of communication and transportation, geographic features and natural boundaries, extent of urban development, relevancy of the region for provision of governmental services and functions and its use for administering state and federal programs, the existence of physical, social and economic problems of a regional character, and other related characteristics.characteristicTo accommodate changing conditions, the [office] division may adjust the boundaries of the planning regions, after consultation with the respective regional planning commissions.

To190:5 accommodateTowns, changingCities, conditions,Village theDistricts, [office]and divisionUnincorporated mayPlaces; adjust the boundaries of the planning regions, after consultation with the respective regional planning commissions.

5 Towns, Cities, Village Districts, and Unincorporated Places;

6190:6 Towns, Cities, Village Districts, and Unincorporated Places;

In preparing a comprehensive plan for the development of the region within its jurisdiction, each regional planning commission may use the framework for the state's SB 502-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 3 - comprehensive development plan in RSA 9-A:1, III as the basis for its plan.

CHAPTER 190 SB 502-FN - FINAL VERSION - Page 3 - For each regional plan, the [office of planning and development] division of planning and community development shall offer comments as to its consistency with the state plan.plan.The first regional development plans affected by this statute shall be adopted within 5 years of the effective date of this paragraph and renewed at least every 5 years thereafter.

The190:7 firstPublic regionalSafety development plans affected by this statute shall be adopted within 5 years of the effective date of this paragraph and renewedWelfare; at least every 5 years thereafter.

7 Public Safety and Welfare;

8190:8 Housing and Redevelopment;

and when SB 502-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 4 - in the opinion of the authority it is feasible to do so, select projects to fund consistent with the requirements of the plan;

9190:9 Public Recreation;

10190:10 Water Management and Protection;

11CHAPTER 190 SB 502-FN - FINAL VERSION - Page 4 - 190:11 Water Management and Protection;

12190:12 Water Management and Protection;

13190:13 Water Management and Protection;

A request for an exemption shall be SB 502-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 5 - approved only if the municipality demonstrates, using the evidence required under paragraph II, that special conditions of urbanization exist along the portion of shoreland to be exempted.

14190:14 New Paragraph;

15190:15 New Paragraph;

Notwithstanding RSA 91-A or any other law to the contrary, commission members shall be permitted to participate in meetings by video or telephone, provided that any member so participating CHAPTER 190 SB 502-FN - FINAL VERSION - Page 5 - shall be able to be heard by and to hear every other member of the commission participating in the meeting.

16190:16 New Paragraph;

The penalty appeal board shall be an administratively attached agency under RSA 21-21-G:10, G:10, to the department of labor, but shall operate independently from the departmentThedepartment. commissioner shall hire and appoint an administrator for the board from department of labor staff, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.The administrator shall perform all the administrative duties of the board, including but not limited to, scheduling the docket, record keeping, providing liaison between the public and board members, conducting board meetings, and assigning committees to address regulatory, legislative and policy issues.

17The Safetycommissioner shall hire and Healthappoint an administrator for the board from department of Employees;labor staff, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.

The administrator shall perform all the administrative duties of the board, including but not limited to, scheduling the docket, record keeping, providing liaison between the public and board members, conducting board meetings, and assigning committees to address regulatory, legislative and policy issues.

190:17 Safety and Health of Employees;

SB190:18 502-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 6 - 18 Repeals.

19190:19 Effective Date.

LBAApproved: 26-2098 02/04/2026 SB 502-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT # 2026-0116s) AN ACT removing references to the department of business and economic affairs and the office of planning and development, and makes various changes to how certain committees and commissions participate or operate.

FISCALJune IMPACT:19, 2026 Effective Date:

ThisAugust bill18, removes2026 references to the Department of Business and Economic Affairs and the Office of Planning and Development, relative to the Department of Energy, to which will have no fiscal impact.

This bill also create a Penalty Appeal Board administratively attached to the Department of Labor, which the Department of Labor states will have no fiscal impact is this is aligning the Department's current process with law.

Additionally, this bill repeals the state- funded grant program and fees for the NH Innovation Research Center (NHIRC) established at the University System of New Hampshire.