Bill Text - HB1532 (2014)

(New Title) relative to notification of radon and arsenic levels.


Revision: March 27, 2014, midnight

HB 1532 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

19Mar2014… 0880h

2014 SESSION

14-2461

05/03

HOUSE BILL 1532

AN ACT relative to notification of radon and arsenic levels.

SPONSORS: Rep. Almy, Graf 13; Rep. Helmstetter, Rock 9; Rep. LeBrun, Hills 32; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Cataldo, Dist 6

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill requires the seller to provide notification of radon and arsenic levels prior to the sale of real property.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19Mar2014… 0880h

14-2461

05/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen

AN ACT relative to notification of radon and arsenic levels.

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

1 Notification of Radon and Arsenic Levels Prior to Sale. Amend RSA 477:4-a to read as follows:

477:4-a Notification Required; Radon [Gas], Arsenic, and Lead Paint.

I. Prior to the execution of any contract for the purchase and sale of any interest in real property which includes a building, the seller, or seller’s agent, shall provide the following notification to the buyer. The buyer shall acknowledge receipt of this notification by signing a copy of such notification:

“Radon [Gas]: Radon [gas], the product of decay of radioactive materials in rock may be found in some areas of New Hampshire. [This] Radon gas may pass into a structure through the ground or through water from a deep well. Testing of the air by a professional certified by the National Environmental Health Association’s National Radon Proficiency Program or the National Radon Safety Board and testing of the water by an accredited laboratory can establish its presence and equipment is available to remove it from the air or water.

Arsenic: Arsenic is a common groundwater contaminant in New Hampshire, occurring at unhealthy levels in more than one in 5 wells in certain areas of the state. Testing by an accredited laboratory is the best way to detect its presence in well water and to guide the selection of appropriate water treatment equipment. Water softeners typically do not remove arsenic from well water.

[]Lead Paint: Before 1977, paint containing lead may have been used in structures. The presence of flaking lead paint can present a serious health hazard, especially to young children and pregnant women. Tests are available to determine whether lead is present.”

II. Nothing in this section shall be construed to have any impact on the legal validity of title transferred pursuant to a purchase and sale contract in paragraph I, or to create or place any liability with the seller or seller’s agent for failure to provide the notification described in paragraph I.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2016.