HB 273  - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2023 SESSION

23-0182

05/08

 

HOUSE BILL 273

 

AN ACT requiring composting and waste recycling to be made available to residents of public housing.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Gallager, Merr. 20; Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Caplan, Merr. 8

 

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill requires public housing residents to have access to on-site composting and recycling receptacles.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

23-0182

05/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three

 

AN ACT requiring composting and waste recycling to be made available to residents of public housing.

 

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

 

1  New Paragraph; Solid Waste Management; Town Responsibility and Authority; Composting and Recycling Options For Residents of Public Housing.  Amend RSA 149-M:17 by inserting after paragraph VI the following new paragraph:

VII.  In furtherance of the state's waste reduction goal established in RSA 149-M:2, each town shall ensure that residents of public housing located in the town have access to appropriate, on-site composting and recycling receptacles or bins.  In this paragraph, "public housing" means housing administered by a public housing authority.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBA

23-0182

11/1/22

 

HB - FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT requiring composting and waste recycling to be made available to residents of public housing.

 

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

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

LOCAL:

FY 2023

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

   Revenue

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires municipalities with public housing to create composting facilities and require all municipalities with public housing to provide curbside recycling and compost pickup to public housing specifically. Additionally, municipalities may be required to provide the appropriate composting and recycling receptacles or bins. The New Hampshire Municipal Association (“Association”) states municipalities in the unserved areas of the state, particularly rural municipalities and municipalities in the interior and northern portion of the state, can expect significant increases in costs to build out currently non-existent composting facilities, provide pickup, and provision bins. Municipalities on neighboring state borders and more urban municipalities may experience some additional costs, but much will depend on what services are currently provided. The Association adds that sales of compost may offset some costs associated with the legislation, but are not expected to cover the cost of operation, much less setup, of additional facilities, provision of supplies, and pickup. At this time, no existing NH municipal compost market exists – above and beyond land application of sludge – and increased concerns about contaminants – particularly PFAS – may or may not impact the viability of that market in the future.  Presumably, similar concerns would exist for municipal compost. Furthermore, the Association states recycling markets have been in flux over much of the last half-decade, in that some products which historically offset costs of operation no longer do so, and alternative uses of recyclable products have begun to emerge in the waste market. The Association states it is unclear how much, if any, additional revenue would be created as a consequence of additional recyclables entering the waste stream.

 

The Department of Environmental Services assumes it would be responsible to monitor compliance with these requirements and would do so utilizing existing staff.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Municipal Association, and New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority