Bill Text: NH SB84 | 2023 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relative to legislative study committees and commissions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-17 - Retained in Committee [SB84 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2023-SB84-Amended.html
SB 84 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
03/16/2023 0827s
2023 SESSION
23-0995
09/10
SENATE BILL 84
AN ACT relative to legislative study committees and commissions..
SPONSORS: Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Rep. Bolton, Graf. 8
COMMITTEE: Election Law and Municipal Affairs
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill establishes separate requirements for chaptered legislative study committees and codified commissions containing legislative members.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/16/2023 0827s 23-0995
09/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three
AN ACT relative to legislative study committees and commissions..
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Legislative Study Committees RSA 14:49 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
14:49 Legislative Study Committees.
I. For the purpose of this section, "study committee" shall mean a committee, task force, council, or any other similar entity established by the general court in chapter law to study or otherwise address a specified issue, and shall not include any similar entities that are codified in statute.
II. Every study committee which is established by the general court shall be repealed either upon the filing of a final report or on November 1 in the even-numbered year prior to the beginning of the subsequent biennial session, whichever is earlier.
III. The membership of a study committee established by the general court shall be limited to members of the general court only, and shall not exceed 15 members.
IV. The chairperson of a study committee established by the general court shall, in addition to any other reporting requirements, electronically file the final report with the clerk of the house of representatives and the clerk of the senate, and the clerks of the respective bodies shall post the report on the general court website. The clerks of the respective bodies shall then send a copy of the report to the standing committee of each body with jurisdiction over the subject matter of the report.
V. House and senate committee services staff shall jointly prepare an updated index of all committees with relevant information annually. This list shall be provided to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the standing committee chairs with jurisdiction over the subject matter of the committees by February 15 of each year.
2 New Section; Legislative Commissions. Amend RSA 14 by inserting after section 49 the following new section:
14:49-a Legislative Commissions.
I. For the purpose of this section, "commission" shall mean a commission, task force, council, or any other similar entity established by the general court and codified in the RSAs for a specific term to study or otherwise address a specified issue, and shall not include any similar entities that are not a study committee as defined in RSA 14:49.
II. The term of the commission shall be specified and the commission's statutory authorization shall be repealed no later than 5 years after the date it becomes effective, unless subsequent legislation is passed to extend the commission's existence.
III. Commissions may include appointees who are not members of the general court. The term of members of the general court who serve on a commission shall be coterminous with their term in office, unless they are appointed in a capacity other than their legislative office.
IV. In addition to any other reporting requirements, the chairperson of each commission established by the general court shall electronically file the final report with the clerk of the house of representatives or clerk of the senate, and the clerks of the respective bodies shall post the report on the general court website. The clerks of the respective bodies shall then send a copy of the report to the standing committee of each body with jurisdiction over the subject matter of the report.
V. All commissions shall be administratively attached to the appropriate executive branch agency, as determined by the general court.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
