Bill Text: NH HB149 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to warrant article approvals at ballot referenda form of town meeting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Public Hearing: 01/30/2025 10:10 am Legislative Office Building 301-303 [HB149 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB149-Introduced.html
HB 149-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0464
08/02
HOUSE BILL 149-FN
AN ACT relative to warrant article approvals at ballot referenda form of town meeting.
SPONSORS: Rep. Sellers, Graf. 18; Rep. Lascelles, Hills. 14; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Creighton, Hills. 30; Sen. Avard, Dist 12
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill allows both the original and amended warrant article to be voted on by voters at ballot referenda forms of town meeting.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0464
08/02
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to warrant article approvals at ballot referenda form of town meeting.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Use of Official Ballot. Amend RSA 40:13, IV(b) to read as follows:
(b) [Warrant] For warrant articles that are amended, both the original warrant article and amended warrant article shall be placed consecutively on the official ballot for a final vote [on the main motion, as amended]. Immediately preceding the original warrant article on the official ballot, the following statement shall appear: "If both the amended and original versions of Article X are approved, the version receiving the higher percentage of "yes" votes will be adopted.", where X is the article number. The original language shall contain the notation "Original" and amended warrant language shall contain the notation "Amended".
2 Use of Official Ballot. Amend RSA 40:13, XIII to read as follows:
XIII. Approval of all warrant articles shall be by simple majority except for questions which require a 2/3 or 3/5 vote by law, contract, or written agreement.
3 New Paragraph; Use of Official Ballot. Amend RSA 40:13 by inserting after paragraph XIII the following new paragraph:
XIII-a. In the case of a warrant article amended by the first session per paragraph IV, if the original and amended versions of the warrant article are both approved, only the version with the higher percentage of "yes" votes shall be adopted. If both versions of the warrant article receive the same percentage of “yes” votes, then the amended version of the warrant article shall be adopted. The percentage of “yes” votes is the number of “yes” votes divided by total number of “yes” and “no” votes on ballot for the warrant article.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
25-0464
12/9/24
HB 149-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to warrant article approvals at ballot referenda form of town meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 |
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
County Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill amends RSA 40:13 to require that both the original and amended versions of a warrant article be placed consecutively on the official ballot to be voted on at ballot referenda forms of town meeting.
This bill could result in an indeterminable increase in expenditures for municipalities, primarily due to ballot length, administrative adjustments, and voter education. However, these costs would depend on the number and complexity of warrant articles subject to the process each election year.
It is anticipated any fiscal impact, if any, would not occur until FY 2026.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
None
