Bill Text: NH HB311 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relative to permissible campaign contributions by business organizations and labor unions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Election Law House Journal 2 [HB311 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB311-Introduced.html

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HB 311-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2025 SESSION

25-0487

07/08

 

HOUSE BILL 311-FN

 

AN ACT relative to permissible campaign contributions by business organizations and labor unions.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. H. Howard, Straf. 4; Rep. Muirhead, Graf. 12; Rep. Lane, Merr. 16; Rep. Newell, Ches. 4

 

COMMITTEE: Election Law

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill requires business organizations and labor unions to make political contributions through segregated funds.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-0487

07/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

 

AN ACT relative to permissible campaign contributions by business organizations and labor unions.

 

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

 

1  Political Expenditures and Contributions; Prohibited Political Contributions; Segregated Account Exception.  Amend RSA 664:4, II to read as follows:

II.(a) By any labor union or group of labor unions, or by any officer, director, executive, agent, or employee acting on behalf of such union or group of unions, or by any organization representing or affiliated with any such union or group of unions, or by any officer, director, executive, agent, or employee acting on behalf of such organization; or by any business organization, or by any officer, director, executive, agent, partner, or employee acting on behalf of such business organization. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to sole proprietorships.

(b)  Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the establishment, by any union or organization that is subject to subparagraph II (a), of a political committee that operates independently of such union or organization, provided the committee's expenditures and contributions are made through a separate, segregated fund consisting only of voluntary contributions solicited from individuals who are employees, officers, shareholders, directors, partners, or members of such union or organization.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBA

25-0487

12/4/24

 

HB 311-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to permissible campaign contributions by business organizations and labor unions.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:  

Estimated State Impact
		FY 2025	FY 2026		FY 2027	FY 2028
Revenue		$0	$0		$0	$0
Revenue Fund		None
Expenditures*		Indeterminable
Funding Source		General Fund
Appropriations*		$0	$0		$0	$0
Funding Source		None
*Expenditure = Cost of bill            *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact
		FY 2025	FY 2026		FY 2027	FY 2028
County Revenue		$0	$0		$0	$0
County Expenditures		Indeterminable
Local Revenue		$0	$0		$0	$0
Local Expenditures		Indeterminable

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation. Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association