This bill mandates the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to establish administrative rules concerning laboratory services and fees for water supply testing. It repeals and reenacts RSA 131:4, which now requires the commissioner to adopt rules for a list of laboratory services and a fee schedule, with the option to waive fees in the interest of public health. The bill also stipulates that fees for analyses required by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act will be determined based on a cost allocation method from EPA grants. Additionally, it establishes a lab equipment and replacement fund, where 50% of analysis fees collected from public or private clients will be deposited to support laboratory equipment purchases and replacements.

Furthermore, the bill makes several amendments to existing statutes, including changing references from RSA 131:3-a to the newly enacted RSA 131:4. It specifies that costs for water sampling and analysis at public bathing facilities will be paid by the facility's owner or operator, with fees aligned to the new fee structure under RSA 131:4. The bill also includes a contingency clause that allows certain sections to take effect only after the DHHS commissioner certifies the adoption of the necessary rules. Lastly, it repeals RSA 131:3-a, which previously governed testing of water supplies and associated fees. The effective date for the majority of the bill is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 6:12, 485-A:26, 131:3-a