Bill Text - HB1142 (2010)

Relative to signatures required to petition a warrant article.


Revision: Dec. 10, 2009, midnight

HB 1142 – AS INTRODUCED

2010 SESSION

10-2119

06/04

HOUSE BILL 1142

AN ACT relative to signatures required to petition a warrant article.

SPONSORS: Rep. Chandley, Hills 6; Rep. Bergin, Hills 6

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

ANALYSIS

This bill modifies the number of signatures required to petition a warrant article.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

10-2119

06/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten

AN ACT relative to signatures required to petition a warrant article.

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

1 Articles. Amend RSA 39:3 to read as follows:

39:3 Articles. Upon the written application of [25 or more registered voters or] 2 percent of the registered voters in town, [whichever is less,] although in no event shall fewer than 10 registered voters be sufficient, presented to the selectmen or one of them not later than the fifth Tuesday before the day prescribed for an annual meeting, the selectmen shall insert in their warrant for such meeting the petitioned article with only such minor textual changes as may be required. For the purposes of this section, the number of registered voters in a town shall be the number of voters registered prior to the last state general election. The right to have an article inserted in the warrant conferred by this section shall not be invalidated by the provisions of RSA 32. In towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants upon the written application of 50 or more voters or 1/4 of the voters in town, whichever is fewer, and in towns with 10,000 or more inhabitants upon the written application of 5 percent of the registered voters in the town, so presented not less than 60 days before the next annual meeting, the selectmen shall warn a special meeting to act upon any question specified in such application. The checklist for an annual or special town meeting shall be corrected by the supervisors of the checklist as provided in RSA 654:25-31. Those persons qualified to vote whose names are on the corrected checklist shall be entitled to vote at the meeting. The same checklist used at a recessed town meeting shall be used at any reconvened session of the same town meeting. In no event shall a special town meeting be held on the biennial election day.

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