Bill > SB299

This bill modifies penalties for contractors who violate the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act by establishing a comprehensive enforcement mechanism. Specifically, the bill allows two main paths for penalizing violations: first, the superior court can levy civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation upon petition by the attorney general or the municipality where the violation occurred, with the court also having the power to halt ongoing violations and require remediation; second, the commissioner can impose administrative fines up to $5,000 for each offense after a notice and hearing process. A notable additional provision is that repeat violations can result in progressively higher fines, with administrative penalties potentially being multiplied by a factor of 2 for each previous violation committed by the same person or entity. These penalties are designed to discourage contractors from disregarding water pollution and waste disposal regulations in shoreland areas, with the ultimate goal of protecting water quality. The bill will take effect on January 1, 2026, giving stakeholders time to prepare for the new penalty structure.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=1163&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=SB299