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HB 284 · 2025 · House · Municipal and County Government Committee

Tax impact statements on warrants

AI-generated

requiring tax impact statements on municipal warrant articles.

Requires municipalities to include tax impact statements and a total tax summary statement on budgets and warrant articles.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the Senate — Inexpedient to Legislate · May 8, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✕Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill requires that municipalities require tax impact statements on budgets and warrant articles and a total tax summary statement.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as amended by the House. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“V-b.(a) A town shall require that the annual budget and all special warrant articles having a tax impact, as determined by the governing body, contain a notation stating the estimated tax impact of the article.”
Section 2
“"If this warrant article passes, there will be an estimated tax impact of $X.XX per $1,000 of property valuation." Any special warrant articles with multi-year tax impacts, or containing lease agreements with or without non-appropriation clauses, shall contain a notation stating the estimated tax impact each year for the first 5 years, or each year if the tax impact is less than 5 years.”
Section 2
“The determination of the estimated tax impact shall be subject to approval by the governing body.”
Section 2
“The town shall also require that a total tax impact summary statement be placed at the end of the warrant article.”
Section 2

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. JD BernardyRPrimeClerk· Science, Technology and Energy
  • Rep. Kenneth WeylerRChair· Finance
  • Rep. Pam BrownRClerk· Education Funding
  • Sen. Bill GannonRChair· Judiciary

Also: Rep. Susan PorcelliR

Public testimony

26 signed in online · 5 wrote testimony

73% support27% oppose0% neutral

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“This is more work for the town administration prior to a town meeting, but would be a win for all on the transparency side and likely make a town meeting a bit smoother.”
— Simon Berrio, Daltonsupports
“Granite State Taxpayers supports efforts and legislation to promote awareness of the financial impact on taxpayers of spending and taxing options, to institute and defend tax cap legislation, and promote better public awareness of the impacts of proposed projects and ballot choices.…”
— Ray Chadwick, BEDFORDsupports
“I only wish I could be in person in the hearing room to provide the testimony written below: Heck ya! I support cacr2 - full stop. Mic drop. (Though I would not drop the mic used in the hearing room =)”
— bonnie bruno, hollisopposes
“Transparency is critically important, however, I feel this and similar bills are actually intended to be used as a scare tactic to sway uninformed voters, particularly around school board budgets. Understanding the estimated costs is important but it requires context.…”
— Leigh Hutchinson, Derryopposes
“This can be taken to ridiculous extremes. Waste of admin time. One overall tax implication is sufficient.”
— Marilyn Wilking, Walpoleopposes

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Mar 10, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0571h10–8
    Overall
    56% yea
  • Mar 27, 2025HouseVoice voteAmendment 2025-0571hadopted
  • Mar 27, 2025HouseRoll callOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-0571hAdopted198–160How they voted
    Overall
    55% yea
    Party-line vote
    Republicans
    196–398% yea
    Democrats
    2–1571% yea
    Resulting text: Bill as amended by the House
  • May 8, 2025SenateCommittee report: Inexpedient to Legislate5–0
    Overall
    100% yea
  • May 8, 2025SenateVoice voteInexpedient to Legislateadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 27, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government2:18:26–2:19:521m 26slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Mar 10, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government1:14:08–1:26:5612m 48slocated in the stream transcriptMajority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0571h — roll call; Executive Session
  • Mar 27, 2025Floor debateHouse floor7:00:12–7:07:507m 38slocated in the stream transcriptOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-0571h — adopted, roll call 198-160; Amendment # 2025-0571h — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 22, 2025Public hearingSenate Election Law and Municipal Affairs1:06:42–1:09:543m 12slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • May 8, 2025Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; Vote 5-0; CC; Inexpedient to Legislate — adopted, voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 2 P. 13
  2. Feb 27, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/27/2025 10:40 am LOB 301-303
  3. Mar 10, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/10/2025 09:30 am LOB 301-303
  4. Mar 10, 2025HouseMajority : Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0571h 03/10/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 17 P. 62
  5. Mar 19, 2025HouseMinority : Inexpedient to Legislate
  6. Mar 27, 2025HouseAmendment # 2025-0571h: AA VV 03/27/2025 HJ 11 P. 79
  7. Mar 27, 2025HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-0571h: MA RC 198-160 03/27/2025 HJ 11 P. 79
  8. Mar 27, 2025SenIntroduced 03/27/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 10
  9. Apr 22, 2025SenHearing: 04/22/2025, Room 103, LOB, 10:00 am; SC 18
  10. May 8, 2025Sen: Inexpedient to Legislate; Vote 5-0; CC; 05/08/2025; SC 20
  11. May 8, 2025SenInexpedient to Legislate, MA, VV === BILL KILLED ===; 05/08/2025; SJ 12

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.