Revision: May 20, 2016, midnight
\t \t\tHB 378 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES
20Jan2016...2405h
05/05/2016 1767s
2015 SESSION
\t15-0576
\t05/04
HOUSE BILL\t\t378
AN ACT\testablishing a committee to study RSA 461-A, relative to parental rights and responsibilities.
SPONSORS:\tRep. Bickford, Straf 3; Rep. Itse, Rock 10
COMMITTEE:\tChildren and Family Law
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
\tThis bill establishes a committee to study RSA 461-A, relative to parental rights and responsibilities.
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Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
20Jan2016...2405h\t15-0576
05/05/2016 1767s\t05/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT\testablishing a committee to study RSA 461-A, relative to parental rights and responsibilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study RSA 461-A, relative to parental rights and responsibilities.
\t2 Membership and Compensation.
\t\tI. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
\t\t\t(a) Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
\t\t\t(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
\t\tII. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
\t\tI. The committee shall review implementation of RSA 461-A, relative to parental rights and responsibilities. The study shall address the following questions:
\t\t\t(a) Did adoption of RSA 461-A meet the legislature’s goal of minimizing the adversarial nature of divorce and parenting cases?
\t\t\t(b) Could RSA 461-A and RSA 458-C be amended to further reduce the adversarial nature of such proceedings?
\t\t\t(c) Would specific guidelines for shared and split parenting cases improve outcomes and reduce conflict?
\t\t\t(d) What effect has the loss of state funding for guardians ad litem had on low income cases?
\t\tII. The committee may solicit information and testimony from any individual and organization the committee deems relevant to its study, including:
\t\t\t(a) Family law attorneys.
\t\t\t(b) The department of health and human services, division of child support services.
\t\t\t(c) The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
\t\t\t(d) The New Hampshire Conflict Resolution Association.
\t\t\t(e) Child psychologists.
\t\t\t(f) The university of New Hampshire cooperative extension.
\t\t\t(g) Judges and masters assigned to the circuit court, family division.
\t\t\t(h) Guardians ad litem.
\t\t\t(i) Members of the public who were parties to parenting cases under RSA 461-A or RSA 458-C, including individuals who were satisfied and those who were dissatisfied with the legal process.
\t4 Chairperson; Quorum. The first-named house member shall serve as chairperson of the committee and shall call the first meeting of the committee. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
\t5 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the chairperson of the house children and family law committee, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2017.
\t6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.