HB245: establishing the speed enforcement and awareness fund and providing for grants to municipal law enforcement for speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment.

HB 245-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

25-0377

11/09

HOUSE BILL 245-FN

AN ACT establishing the speed enforcement and awareness fund and providing for grants to municipal law enforcement for speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment.

SPONSORS: Rep. Ammon, Hills. 42; Rep. Post, Hills. 42; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

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ANALYSIS

This bill establishes the speed enforcement and awareness fund and provides financial assistance, through a grant program, to municipalities for the purchase of speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment related to the enforcement of traffic laws.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-0377

11/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT establishing the speed enforcement and awareness fund and providing for grants to municipal law enforcement for speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment.

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

1 New Section; Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund and Grant Program. Amend RSA 265 by inserting after section 62 the following new section:

265:62-a Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund and Grant Program. 

I. There is established a nonlapsing fund to be known as the speed enforcement and awareness fund, which shall be kept distinct and separate from all other funds. The fund shall be continually appropriated to the department of safety for the purpose of providing grants to municipalities for the purchase of speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment related to the enforcement of traffic laws. 

II.(a) The department shall develop an application form and establish criteria for evaluating grant requests, including the demonstrated need for speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment, the potential impact on road safety, and the municipality’s current traffic enforcement challenges. Applications shall be submitted annually, with a due date specified by the department. 

(b) Grants shall be awarded based on need and available funding. Priority may be given to municipalities with a demonstrated history of speed-related incidents or limited financial resources. 

(c) Moneys from the fund shall be used exclusively for: 

(1) Speed detection devices, such as radar guns, lidar speed guns, and automated speed cameras.

(2) Speed awareness traffic equipment, such as digital speed display signs, portable speed monitoring trailers, and variable message boards.

(3) Data collection tools, such as traffic data recorders in order to conduct speed and volume analysis and studies.

(d) Municipalities receiving funds shall provide a report to the department as directed by the department, but no later than one year after receiving the grant, detailing the use of the funds and their impact on speed enforcement and public speed awareness. 

III. The speed enforcement and awareness fund shall be funded as provided in 106-L:10, IV.

IV. The department of safety shall have the authority to adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A to implement the provisions of this act relative to application, grant criteria, and grant fund disbursement. 

2 Penalty Assessment Redistribution. Amend RSA 106-L:10, IV to read as follows:

IV. The clerk of each court shall collect all penalty assessments and shall transmit the amount collected under paragraphs I-III to the state treasurer for deposit in the following funds. The state treasurer shall deposit [66.66] 58.33 percent of the amount collected in the state general fund, 16.67 percent of the amount collected in the victims' assistance fund, [and] 16.67 percent of the amount collected in the judicial branch information technology fund, and 8.33 percent in the speed enforcement and awareness fund.

3 New Subparagraph; Application of Receipts; Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (399) the following new subparagraph:

(400) Moneys deposited in speed enforcement and awareness fund as established in RSA 265:62-a.

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

LBA

25-0377

12/30/24

HB 245-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT establishing the speed enforcement and awareness fund and providing for grants to municipal law enforcement for speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment.

FISCAL IMPACT: 









Estimated State Impact





FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028





Revenue

$0

General Fund 

Decrease of $250K Per Year

Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund 

Increase of $250K Per Year





Revenue Fund(s)

General Fund, Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund





Expenditures*

$0

Speed and Enforcement and Awareness Fund Grants Increase of up to $250K Per Year

Department of Safety Administrative Costs

Indeterminable





Funding Source(s)

General Fund, Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund





Appropriations*

$0

Continually Appropriated





Funding Source(s)

Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund





*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill









Estimated Political Subdivision Impact





FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028





Local Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Increase (Up to $250K Per Year)





Local Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0




METHODOLOGY:

This bill, assumed to be effective for FY 2026, establishes a continually appropriated dedicated fund (“speed enforcement and awareness fund”) within the Department of Safety to be used to provide grants to municipalities for the purchase of speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment. This bill reduces the amount of penalty assessment revenue credited to the general fund under RSA 106-L:10, IV, and directs that revenue to the newly established dedicated fund:





Penalty Assessment % Allocations





Fund

Current Law

Proposed





General Fund

66.66%

58.33%





Victims' Assistance Fund

16.67%

16.67%





Judicial Branch IT Fund

16.67%

16.67%





Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund

0.00%

8.33%




Based on FY 2024 penalty assessment revenue collections, this bill would reduce general fund revenue by approximately $250,000 per year, with those dollars then being credited to the speed enforcement and awareness fund, beginning in FY 2026.





Penalty Assessment Revenue Estimates (Based on FY 2024 Data)





Fund

Current Law

Proposed

Difference





General Fund

$1,966,062 

$1,720,378 

($245,684)





Victims' Assistance Fund

$491,663 

$491,663 

$0 





Judicial Branch IT Fund

$491,663 

$491,663 

$0 





Speed Enforcement and Awareness Fund

$0 

$245,684 

$245,684 




Revenue available to the speed enforcement and awareness fund could be granted to municipalities, therefore potentially increasing local revenue (although it is unknown how much would be applied for and granted in any given fiscal year). The Department of Safety states it would depend on program demand whether it could absorb this bill’s associated administrative functions within its current resources or if it would need a new dedicated position.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Safety and Judicial Branch