HB 1751-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2928
06/09
HOUSE BILL 1751-FN
AN ACT relative to a start park public safety parking surcharge.
SPONSORS: Rep. Bridle, Rock. 29
COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a 5 percent public safety surcharge on paid parking at state park facilities and creates a dedicated fund to distribute collected revenues quarterly to host municipalities for public safety services related to park visitation.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2928
06/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to a start park public safety parking surcharge.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Sections; Public Safety Parking Surcharge Fund. Amend RSA 216-A by inserting after section 3-p the following new sections:
216-A:3-q Public Safety Parking Surcharge.
I. In addition to any parking fees established under RSA 216-A:3-g, the department of natural and cultural resources shall assess a public safety surcharge of 5 percent on all paid parking transactions at state park facilities.
II. The surcharge shall be collected through existing department of natural and cultural resources parking infrastructure, including kiosks, mobile applications, and other authorized systems.
III. All surcharge revenues shall be deposited in the public safety parking surcharge fund established under RSA 216-A:3-r.
IV. No new criminal penalties shall be created under this section. Enforcement and remittance shall be administered through existing department of natural and cultural resources parking systems and administrative rules. The department shall ensure public transparency and operational consistency by implementing signage at affected facilities, conducting periodic audits of surcharge collections, and publishing an annual report summarizing revenues and distributions under RSA 216-A:3-r.
216-A:3-r Public Safety Parking Surcharge Fund Established.
I. The state treasurer shall establish a separate and distinct account to be known as the public safety parking surcharge fund. The account shall be continuing and nonlapsing.
II. The treasurer shall deposit in the public safety parking surcharge fund actual revenues received from the public safety parking surcharge assessed under RSA 216-A:3-j. Any federal moneys that become available for this purpose, and all donations and gifts, shall also be deposited into this account.
III. Funds in the public safety parking surcharge fund are hereby continually appropriated to, and may be expended by, the state treasurer for distribution on a quarterly basis to the municipality hosting each state park facility, in proportion to the surcharge revenues generated at that facility.
IV. Funds distributed under this section shall be used by the recipient municipality solely for public safety purposes attributable to state park visitation, including police, fire, and emergency medical services.
2 New Subparagraph; New Funding. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (410) the following new subparagraph:
(411) Moneys deposited in the public safety parking surcharge fund as established in RSA 216-A:3-r.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
26-2928
Revised 1/5/26
HB 1751-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to a start park public safety parking surcharge.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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| |||||||
Estimated State Impact | ||||||||
| FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | FY 2029 | ||||
Revenue | $0 | $150,000 to $200,000 (Surcharge) | $150,000 to $200,000 (Surcharge) | $150,000 to $200,000 (Surcharge) | ||||
Indeterminable Decrease $0 to $100,000 (State Park Fund) | Indeterminable Decrease $0 to $100,000 (State Park Fund) | Indeterminable Decrease $0 to $100,000 (State Park Fund) | ||||||
Revenue Fund(s) | Public Safety Parking Surcharge Fund and State Park Fund | |||||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $150,000 to $200,000 (Surcharge) | $150,000 to $200,000 (Surcharge) | $150,000 to $200,000 (Surcharge) | ||||
$5,000 to $50,000 (State Park Fund) | $5,000 to $50,000 (State Park Fund) | $5,000 to $50,000 (State Park Fund) | ||||||
Funding Source(s) | Public Safety Parking Surcharge Fund and State Park Fund | |||||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||||
| ||||||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||||
| FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | FY 2029 | ||||
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||||
County Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||||
Local Revenue | $0 | $150,000 to $200,000 | $150,000 to $200,000 | $150,000 to $200,000 | ||||
Local Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill establishes a 5% public safety surcharge on all paid parking transactions at state park facilities. All surcharge revenue is deposited into a new Public Safety Parking Surcharge Fund, which is continually appropriated to the State Treasurer for quarterly distribution to municipalities hosting state parks. Funds distributed to municipalities must be used for police, fire, and emergency response services attributable to state park visitation.
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources states this bill requires the Department assess and collect a 5% surcharge on all paid parking at state park facilities and deposit the revenue into the new Public Safety Parking Surcharge Fund for quarterly distribution to host municipalities. Based on paid parking data from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 operating seasons, the Department reports average annual parking revenue of $3,083,467. Applying the 5% surcharge to this amount results in approximately $154,173 in annual surcharge revenue, which forms the Department’s estimate that $150,000 to $200,000 per year would be deposited into the new fund. The Department notes the surcharge may limit its ability to increase future parking fees because it raises the total cost charged to visitors. For example, if the Department determined a $3.50 hourly parking rate was appropriate, the Department would need to set its base fee at approximately $3.33, with the remaining $0.17 coming from the surcharge. This limitation on future fee adjustments could reduce revenue to the State Park Fund by an indeterminable amount, potentially up to $100,000 per year.
The Department anticipates that implementing the surcharge will increase State Park Fund expenditures by an indeterminable amount within a range of $5,000 to $50,000 per year. These costs relate to procuring, installing, and maintaining required signage at affected facilities, updating parking kiosks and mobile payment applications to collect and account for the surcharge, conducting periodic audits of surcharge collections, and preparing the required annual report.
The Department also identifies several drafting and implementation concerns. The Department assumes the bill’s requirement to use “existing” parking infrastructure is not intended to prevent the Department from upgrading or expanding its parking systems; however, if interpreted as restrictive, this would significantly increase operational challenges and costs. The Department further assumes the bill does not require the Department to audit municipal use of distributed funds, as such a responsibility would materially increase expenditures. Lastly, the Department interprets the surcharge as applying only to vehicle parking fees based on the bill’s terminology. If broader application is intended, the fiscal impact would differ substantially.
The Treasury Department states this bill can be administered within the Department's existing operating budget.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Treasury Department
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 21, 2026 | House | Hearing |
Jan. 8, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/21/2026 01:00 pm GP 228
Dec. 17, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Resources, Recreation and Development HJ 1