Bill Text: NH HB1268 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relative to prohibiting the issuance of large groundwater withdrawal permits for the commercial sale of bottled or bulk water.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-03-07 - Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 03/07/2024 House Journal 7 P. 22 [HB1268 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2024-HB1268-Introduced.html

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HB 1268-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2024 SESSION

24-2051

12/10

 

HOUSE BILL 1268-FN

 

AN ACT relative to prohibiting the issuance of large groundwater withdrawal permits for the commercial sale of bottled or bulk water.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Caplan, Merr. 8; Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Bouldin, Hills. 25

 

COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill prohibits the issuance of large groundwater withdrawal permits for the commercial sale of bottled or bulk water.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

24-2051

12/10

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

 

AN ACT relative to prohibiting the issuance of large groundwater withdrawal permits for the commercial sale of bottled or bulk water.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Large Groundwater Withdrawals; Bottled or Bulk Water.  Amend RSA 485-C:21 to read as follows:

I. No person may withdraw more than a total of 57,600 gallons of water in any 24-hour period from a well or wells sited at a single property or place of business after the effective date of this section, regardless of the number of wells sited on the property or business, without the prior approval of the department.  The department shall not approve any large groundwater extraction for the commercial sale of bottled or bulk water.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect upon its passage.

 

LBA

24-2051

11/14/23

 

HB 1268-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to prohibiting the issuance of large groundwater withdrawal permits for the commercial sale of bottled or bulk water.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [ X ] County               [ X ] Local              [    ] None

Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease)
		FY 2024	FY 2025		FY 2026	FY 2027
Revenue		$0	Indeterminable		Indeterminable	Indeterminable
Revenue Fund(s)		General Fund and Education Trust Fund
Expenditures		$0	$0		$0	$0
Funding Source(s)		None
Appropriations		$0	$0		$0	$0
Funding Source(s)		None
• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] No • Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] No
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact - Increase / (Decrease)
		FY 2024	FY 2025		FY 2026	FY 2027
County Revenue		$0	Indeterminable		Indeterminable	Indeterminable
County Expenditures		$0	$0		$0	$0
Local Revenue		$0	Indeterminable		Indeterminable	Indeterminable
Local Expenditures		$0	$0		$0	$0

 

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Environmental Services states this bill would prohibit the Department from approving large groundwater withdrawals used for bulk or bottled water pursuant to RSA 485-C.  Groundwater withdrawals exceeding 57,600 gallons over a 24-hour period from wells constructed after July 1998 require an initial approval from the Department. Additional approvals are under a permit renewal cycle which is typically every 10 years.  In accordance with RSA 485-C, large groundwater withdrawals for wells constructed prior to August 1998 do not require approval from the Department.  The Department indicated since August 1998 the Department has approved permits for four large groundwater withdrawals for bottled or bulk water.  Only one large groundwater approval has been exclusively for bottled or bulk water has gone into operation.  This permit will expire on 06/04/2024 and the Department expects a renewal application will be submitted.  This bill would prohibit the Department from approving a new permit for this entity in 2024.  The Department assumes this will likely impact local businesses in the affected community.  The Department does not have the ability to estimate the impact of the bill on revenue at the local or county level.  The Department is also is not able to estimate the impact on state business profit taxes.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Environmental Services