Bill Text: NH HB506 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishing state holidays for elections.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-11-13 - Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2019-2854h (Vote 10-4; Regular Calendar) [HB506 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2019-HB506-Introduced.html
HB 506-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED
2019 SESSION
19-0164
11/05
HOUSE BILL 506-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT establishing state holidays for elections.
SPONSORS: Rep. Read, Rock. 17; Rep. T. Smith, Hills. 17; Rep. W. Pearson, Ches. 16; Rep. Horrigan, Straf. 6; Rep. Josephson, Graf. 11; Rep. King, Hills. 33; Rep. Vann, Hills. 24
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill makes the day of the biennial state primary election preceding a general election and the day of the biennial state general election legal holidays of the state.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
19-0164
11/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT establishing state holidays for elections.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 State Holidays; Primary and General Election Day. Amend RSA 288:1 to read as follows:
288:1 Holidays. January 1; the third Monday in January, known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day; the third Monday in February, known as Washington's Birthday; the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day or, on a date to coincide with the federal observance if it is held on a different day; July 4, known as Independence Day; the first Monday in September, known as Labor Day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus Day; the day on which the state primary preceding a biennial election is held; the day on which the biennial election is held; November 11, known as Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day, whenever appointed; and Christmas Day are legal holidays.
2 New Section; State Holidays; Biennial Primary and General Elections. Amend RSA 288 by inserting after section 1 the following new section:
288:1-a Biennial Primary and General Election Days.
I. Any state office, city, town, school district, and community college or university which is supported by the state, shall not be open for regular purposes on the day of the biennial state primary election preceding a general election and the day of biennial state general election, as established in RSA 288:1. This shall not apply to employees of such governmental units necessary for the function of government or to carry out the primary and general elections.
II. All other employers shall, when practicable, allow employees up to 3 hours away from work to cast ballots in biennial primary and general election days.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
19-0164
Redraft 1/11/19
HB 506-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT establishing state holidays for elections.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | ||||
STATE: | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Funding Source: | [ ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ X ] Other | ||||
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LOCAL: |
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Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Expenditures | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill makes the day of the biennial state primary election preceding a general election and the day of the biennial state general election legal holidays of the State. State offices, cities, towns, school districts, and community colleges or university system supported by the State shall not be open on these days. Employees of governmental units necessary for the function of government or to carry out elections are exempt. All other employers may allow up to 3 hours away from work to vote on these days.
The New Hampshire Municipal Association states there may be an impact on municipal expenditures as some municipalities would need to rearrange work schedules to accommodate the new holidays. Municipalities with collective bargaining agreements may be affected if their agreements contain provisions relative to working on legal holidays. Because policies and collective bargaining agreements vary among municipalities the Association is not able to determine the overall impact on local expenditures.
The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) indicates it would incur costs for overtime paid to employees deemed essential to report to work on the additional holidays. The CCSNH assumes there would also be costs for lost productivity and wages and benefits for two additional holidays. The CCSNH states the two additional holidays would impact academic instruction during the Fall semester which already has a number of holidays.
The Department of Administrative Services indicates the bill would not impact state payroll expenditures. There are currently state holidays for which state employees are not paid and state employees are only paid for holidays that are collectively bargained.
The Department of State assumes there would be no additional cost to the Department since the payroll is set whether its employees work on the holidays or not.
The University System of New Hampshire does not anticipate the additional holidays would create a direct fiscal impact on USNH operations. The USNH indicates mandatory observation of two additional state holidays would involve additional days of paid leave for benefitted staff and faculty, with essential staffing maintained for operations necessary to support students living on campus. The USNH assumes there would be an indirect impact related to lost productivity.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
New Hampshire Municipal Association, Community College System of New Hampshire, Departments of Administrative Services and State, and University System of New Hampshire
