CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) As the New Hampshire Legislature settles into the opening weeks of the 2026 session, a bill sponsored by Keene Sen. Donovan Fenton aimed at easing financial pressure on small businesses is drawing early attention at the State House.

Fenton’s proposal, SB 636-FN, was scheduled for a hearing Wednesday before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The bill would create tax credits for qualifying small businesses and manufacturers to help offset expenses tied to federal tariffs, which supporters say have rippled through New Hampshire’s local economy.

The measure is designed to provide relief for builders, retailers, restaurants and small manufacturers facing higher costs for materials and goods. Fenton said the goal is to help local businesses absorb impacts beyond their control while maintaining jobs and stable prices for consumers.

SB 636-FN is part of a broader slate of Democratic-sponsored bills being heard during the first full week of committee hearings in the Senate. Another tariff-related proposal, SB 638-FN from Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth, would establish a small business tariff stabilization fund to address similar concerns.

In addition to tariff relief, the Ways and Means Committee was also set to review legislation that would allow municipalities to adopt local occupancy fees on short-term rentals. Supporters argue the fees could help relieve pressure on rising property taxes while discouraging the conversion of long-term housing into short-term rentals. Perkins Kwoka’s Eat Local Act, which would provide tax credits to food retailers that purchase produce from New Hampshire farms, was also scheduled for a hearing.

Earlier in the week, the Senate considered a range of other Democratic priorities, including energy, child care and health care affordability. Among them was a clean energy bill from Sen. David Watters of Dover to expand net metering eligibility for municipal renewable projects, and a child care scholarship expansion sponsored by Sen. Tara Reardon of Concord.

While the session is still in its early days, Democratic senators said the volume of hearings underscores an aggressive start to the year, with a focus on supporting working families, local businesses and municipalities across the state.