Bill Text - HB1817 (2018)

(Ninth New Title) establishing the position of state demographer and a commission on demographic trends; requiring state agencies to prepare 10-year current services cost projections; relative to the inclusion of a demographic analysis as part of the legislative fiscal note process; relative to salary increases for state employees and making appropriations therefor; making an appropriation for red list bridge projects; making an appropriation to the revenue stabilization account; making an appropriation for recovery friendly workplaces; relative to kindergarten funding; relative to transitional housing; relative to the state loan repayment program; relative to disproportionate share hospital payments and making an appropriation therefor; and relative to the uncompensated care and Medicaid fund.


Revision: Dec. 14, 2017, 1:52 p.m.

HB 1817-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2018 SESSION

18-2958

05/04

 

HOUSE BILL 1817-FN

 

AN ACT establishing the position of state demographer and a commission on demographic trends; requiring state agencies to prepare a 10-year current services budget; and requiring demographic impact notes on legislation.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Hennessey, Graf. 1; Rep. Kurk, Hills. 2; Rep. F. McCarthy, Carr. 2; Rep. Walz, Merr. 23; Sen. Woodburn, Dist 1; Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. Innis, Dist 24

 

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill establishes the position of state demographer in the office of strategic initiatives; establishes a commission on demographic trends; requires state agencies to prepare a 10-year current services budget; and requires the legislative budget assistant to include demographic impact notes on legislation.  The bill is a request of the demographic committee established in 2017, 99:1.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

18-2958

05/04

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

 

AN ACT establishing the position of state demographer and a commission on demographic trends; requiring state agencies to prepare a 10-year current services budget; and requiring demographic impact notes on legislation.

 

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

 

1  New Subdivision; Office of Strategic Initiatives; State Demographer; Commission on Demographic Trends.  Amend RSA 4-C by inserting after section 35 the following new subdivision:

State Demography

4-C:36  State Demographer; Position Established.

I.  There is established within the office of strategic initiatives, the position of state demographer.  The state demographer shall be a contractor or classified employee.  

II.  The state demographer shall be professionally competent in demography and possess demonstrated ability based on past performance.  

III.  The responsibilities of the demographer shall include, but not be limited to, developing demographic projections and working with the United States Census Bureau.  

IV.  The state demographer shall coordinate with the office of the legislative budget assistant in the review of bills and resolutions and the preparation of demographic impact notes under RSA 14:47-a.

4-C:37  Commission on Demographic Trends.

I.  There is established a commission on demographic trends.  The commission shall work with the state demographer to develop long-term net migration goals, review and recommend programs and legislation designed to meet the net migration goals, and monitor the success of any such programs.

II.  The members of the commission shall be as follows:

(a)  Six New Hampshire citizens who have expertise to support the mission of the commission, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the governor.

(b)  Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(c)  One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

(d)  The state demographer, contracted demographer, or designee of the director of the office of strategic initiatives.

III.  The commission shall elect a chairperson from its membership, and any other officers it deems necessary.  The terms of the elected members of the commission shall be coterminous with their terms in office; the terms of all other appointed members shall be 3 years.  In the event of a vacancy, a new member shall be appointed for the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment.  The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the first-named house member.  The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section.  Seven members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.

IV.  The commission shall report at least annually to the governor, speaker of the house of representatives, president of the senate, clerk of the house of representatives, clerk of the senate, and the state library.  The annual report shall be posted on the general court website.  

V.  The commission shall create a biennial scorecard on New Hampshire’s demographic condition and trends, which shall be distributed to the governor, speaker of the house of representatives, president of the senate, clerk of the house of representatives, clerk of the senate, county commissioners, and the state library.  The scorecard also shall be posted on the general court website.

2  New Section; Budget and Appropriations; 10-Year Current Services Budget.  Amend RSA 9 by inserting after section 9:9-c the following new section:

9:9-d  10-Year Current Services Budget.  Each state agency shall project its portion of the state budget forward 10 years.  The projected budget shall be based on current policy, programs, tax rates, and shall be adjusted only for demographically-induced changes in demand for public services and projected effects on state government revenues.

3  Legislative Budget Assistant; Duties.  Amend RSA 14:31-b, I(b) to read as follows:

(b)  Prepare fiscal notes and amendments to fiscal notes, and demographic impact notes and amendments to demographic impact notes, as required by RSA [14:44-47] 14:44 through RSA 14:47-a.

4  Subdivision Heading; Business Impact Notes.  Amend the subdivision heading preceding RSA 14:44 to read as follows:

Fiscal Notes and Demographic Impact Notes

5  New Section; Demographic Impact Notes Required.  Amend RSA 14 by inserting after section 47 the following new section:

14:47-a  Demographic Impact Notes Required; Preparation.

I.  All bills and resolutions having an effect on the demographics of the state shall be accompanied by a demographic impact note which sets forth the estimated impact thereof.

II.  Demographic impact notes shall be prepared by the legislative budget assistant with the assistance and data that he or she is provided from the state demographer or from any other source of data which is deemed reliable, including but not limited to private individuals, research and educational organizations, corporations, and associations located within or outside the state.  The demographic impact note shall identify the source or sources of the data.

III.  The demographic impact note for any bill with a demographic impact shall be prepared and incorporated prior to the introduction of the bill or resolution.

IV.  A demographic impact note may be requested after the introduction of a bill or resolution:

(a)  If a majority of a committee to which is referred a bill or resolution not containing a demographic impact note votes to have one prepared by the legislative budget assistant, in conjunction with the state demographer, upon the motion of a member of said committee.

(b)  If by a majority vote of those members present, a bill or resolution being considered on the floor of the house or senate is referred to the legislative budget assistant for the purpose of preparing a demographic impact note in conjunction with the state demographer.  In such instances, the demographic impact note shall be printed and distributed as are amendments to bills.

V.  The demographic impact note shall accompany the bill throughout its course of passage through the general court and to the governor for action and shall be amended as necessary to correct errors or to agree with substantive amendments to the bill.

6  Phase-in, Funding for Position of State Demographer.  The state demographer shall be a part-time contractor for the fiscal years 2018 and 2019 and a full-time position starting in fiscal year 2020.

7  Effective Date.

I.  RSA 4-C:36, as inserted by section 1 of this act, and sections 3, 4, and 5 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2018.

II.  The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.

 

LBAO

18-2958

12/14/17

 

HB 1817-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT establishing the position of state demographer and a commission on demographic trends; requiring state agencies to prepare a 10-year current services budget; and requiring demographic impact notes on legislation.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [    ] Other

 

 

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY:

The Office of Strategic Initiatives makes the following assumptions concerning the fiscal impact of this bill:

 

  • In FY 2019 the demography work would be completed by a contractor.  The Office lacks the information necessary to estimate a contractor cost at this time.
  • The State of New Hampshire does not currently have a job classification for a demographer.  The Office researched salary ranges for full-time demographers in the United States and determined labor grade 27 would provide a comparable average salary.  Because the bill requires the demographer must be professionally competent in demography and possess demonstrated ability, the Office assumed salary step 8 best fits the higher range of US demographer salaries.
  • The Office states their office space is currently 100% occupied and additional space would be needed for the new position.  The Office would need to purchase office equipment including a desk, chair, file cabinet, and a personal computer with peripherals and specialized software.  Operating expenses would include supplies, postage, travel  and telephone.

 

Based on these assumptions, the Office provides the following cost estimates:

 

 

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

Salary

$0

$72,911

$72,911

$72,911

Benefits

$0

$33,906

$35,231

$36,573

Current Expense

$0

$300

$300

$300

Office Space

$0

$2,500

$2,600

$2,700

Equipment

$0

$5,000

$500

$500

Travel

$0

$500

$500

$500

Specialized Software

$0

$6,000

$0

$0

Consultant

Indeterminable

$0

$0

$0

Total:

$0

$121,117

$112,042

$113,484

 

The Department of Administrative Services determined section 2 of this bill would have an indeterminable impact on State expenditures.  This section would require state agencies to prepare a 10-year budget projection adjusted for demographically-induced changes in demand for public services and projected effects on state government revenue.  The Department assumes this requirement could be a component of, or a supplement to, the current requirements in RSA 9:4 for agencies to submit biennial budget requests.  The Department is unable to determine the fiscal impact without additional information on the expected format of the requests, the assumptions that will need to be made, or the required changes and costs to update the State's budget system.  

 

The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant is unable to estimate the fiscal impact of this bill as staffing needs will be dependent upon the complexity of and the number of bills requiring Demographic Impact Notes.  To the extent possible, additional duties will be handled with existing resources.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Office of Strategic Initiatives, Department of Administrative Services and Office of Legislative Budget Assistant