SB323 (2006) Detail

Establishing a legislative youth advisory council.


CHAPTER 270

SB 323 – FINAL VERSION

26Apr2006… 1859h

05/24/06… 2322eba

2006 SESSION

06-2019

05/04

SENATE BILL 323

AN ACT establishing a legislative youth advisory council.

SPONSORS: Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Sen. Eaton, Dist 10; Sen. Hassan, Dist 23; Sen. D’Allesandro, Dist 20; Rep. Naro, Graf 7; Rep. Velez, Hills 12

COMMITTEE: Public and Municipal Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a legislative youth advisory council.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

26Apr2006… 1859h

05/24/06… 2322eba

06-2019

05/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Six

AN ACT establishing a legislative youth advisory council.

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

270:1 New Chapter; Legislative Youth Advisory Council. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 19-I the following new chapter:

CHAPTER 19-J

LEGISLATIVE YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

19-J:1 Legislative Youth Advisory Council Established. A legislative youth advisory council is established to examine issues of importance to youth, such as education, employment, strategies to increase youth participation in local and state government, safe environments for youth, substance abuse, emotional and physical health, foster care, poverty, homelessness, and youth access to state and local services. The council shall advise the legislature on these issues and shall submit an annual report with any recommendations for future legislation.

19-J:2 Membership. The council shall consist of 21 members, one of whom shall be a member of the house of representatives and one of whom shall be a member of the senate. The remaining nineteen members shall be youths between the ages of 15 and 22.

I. The president of the senate shall appoint the following 7 members:

(a) Three youths who are students in secondary schools, who are home school students, or who are enrolled in programs that lead to a secondary school diploma, certificate of attendance, or general equivalency diploma.

(b) Three youths who are residents of this state and who are students at postsecondary education institutions located in the state.

(c) One member of the senate.

II. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the following 8 members:

(a) Four youths who are students in secondary schools, who are home school students, or who are enrolled in programs that lead to a secondary school diploma, certificate of attendance, or general equivalency diploma.

(b) Three youths who are residents of this state and who are students at postsecondary education institutions located in the state.

(c) One member of the house of representatives.

III. The governor shall appoint the following 3 members:

(a) Two youths who are students in secondary schools, who are home school students, or who are enrolled in programs that lead to a secondary school diploma, certificate of attendance, or general equivalency diploma.

(b) One youth who is a resident of this state and who is a student at a postsecondary education institution located in the state.

IV. The secretary of state shall appoint the following 3 members:

(a) Two youths who are students in secondary schools, who are home school students, or who are enrolled in programs that lead to a secondary school diploma, certificate of attendance, or general equivalency diploma.

(b) One youth who is a resident of this state and who is a student at a postsecondary education institution located in the state.

V. The appointing authorities shall make appointments that foster geographic and socio-economic diversity among council members and shall appoint at least one member from each of the 10 counties. The legislative members of the council shall serve a term coterminous with their term in office. Nonlegislative members shall serve 2-year terms, except that the initial appointment of 9 of the members shall be for a term of one year. Except for legislative members, no member shall serve on the council for more than 4 years.

19-J:3 Duties. The council shall perform the following duties:

I. Advise the legislature, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives on proposed or pending legislation, state budget expenditures, and policy matters related to youth.

II. Advise the joint standing committees of the legislature and legislative study committees, commissions, and task forces on issues related to youth.

III. Conduct an annual seminar each August for council members regarding leadership, government, and the legislature.

IV. Meet no fewer than 4 times per year and conduct 2 public hearings per year on issues of importance to youth.

V. File an annual report of its activities, including any recommendations for proposed legislation, on or before November 1 of each year with the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the state library.

19-J:4 Council Administration.

I. The council member from the house of representatives shall serve as the co-chair of the council and shall call the first meeting of the council. At the first meeting of each calendar year, the members shall elect one of the youth members to serve as co-chair for a term of one year.

II. The council shall set priorities, determine the function of any subcommittees, and adopt procedures and rules governing the council’s meetings and activities.

III. The council may provide testimony on legislation pending before the legislature.

IV. Members of the council shall not be compensated, except that legislative members of the council shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the council.

V. Meetings of the council shall be open to the public, and all records of the council shall be public records.

VI. The New Hampshire Alliance for Civic Engagement, in coordination with the office of the speaker of the house of representatives and the office of the senate president, shall provide staff assistance to the council.

19-J:5 Funding; Legislative Youth Advisory Council Fund Established.

I. The council may accept and expend funds, with the approval of the joint committee on legislative facilities, from public and private sources to support its activities. Funds shall not be accepted from any party with a pecuniary or other vested interest in the outcome of the matters being studied or who would in any way compromise the work of the council. Any person, other than a state agency, who desires to make a financial or in-kind contribution shall certify to the council or its designee in the manner prescribed by the council that the person has no pecuniary or other vested interest in the outcome of the work of the council. All contributions shall be subject to approval by the council and the joint committee on legislative facilities.

II. Any funds received by the council shall be deposited by the state treasurer in a separate, non-lapsing account which shall be known as the legislative youth advisory council fund. The fund shall be continually appropriated to the legislative youth advisory council for the purposes of this chapter and shall be within the oversight of the joint committee on legislative facilities.

270:2 New Subparagraph; Dedicated Funds; Legislative Youth Advisory Council Fund Added. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (247) the following new subparagraph:

(248) Moneys deposited in the legislative youth advisory council fund established in RSA 19-J:5.

270:3 Contingency. If HB 1722-FN of the 2006 legislative session becomes law, RSA 19-J as inserted by section 1 of this act shall be renumbered as RSA 19-K and the reference to RSA 19-J:5 in RSA 6:12, I(b)(248) as inserted by section 2 of this act shall be renumbered as RSA 19-K:5.

270:4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Approved: June 9, 2006

Effective: August 8, 2006