Revision: April 25, 2019, 10:43 a.m.
HB 437 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
19Mar2019... 1019h
04/25/2019 1542s
2019 SESSION
19-0696
05/01
HOUSE BILL 437
AN ACT establishing a commission to study co-parenting relationships.
SPONSORS: Rep. Rice, Hills. 37; Rep. Berrien, Rock. 18; Rep. Mulligan, Graf. 12; Rep. DeSimone, Rock. 14
COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a commission to study co-parenting relationships.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
19Mar2019... 1019h
04/25/2019 1542s 19-0696
05/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT establishing a commission to study co-parenting relationships.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Commission to Study Co-parenting Relationships. Amend RSA 461-A by inserting after section 24 the following new section:
461-A:25 Commission to Study Co-parenting Relationships Established. There is established a commission to study co-parenting relationships.
I. The members of the commission shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(c) One representative of the judicial branch family division, appointed by the administrative judge of the circuit court.
(d) One representative of the office of the governor, appointed by the governor.
(e) One guardian ad litem, appointed by the guardian ad litem board.
(f) One psychiatrist or psychologist, with experience in family law matters, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(g) One elementary school counselor, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(h) One representative of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, appointed by the coalition.
II. Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.
III. The commission shall:
(a) Study co-parenting models that prevent or minimize one parent’s attempt to exclude the other parent from the life of their child, or what may be referred to as “parental alienation.”
(b) Examine the effects on a child when one parent attempts to exclude the other parent from the life of their child.
(c) Identify measures that may be used to prevent or minimize the effects of one parent's attempt to exclude the other parent from the life of their child.
(d) Solicit testimony from any organization or individual with information the commission deems relevant to its study.
IV. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. 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. Six members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
V. The commission shall submit an interim report of its current findings to 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, 2019. The commission shall submit a final report and recommendations, if any, for proposed legislation on or before November 1, 2020.
2 Repeal. RSA 461-A:25, relative to the commission to study co-parenting relationships, is repealed.
I. Section 2 of this act shall take effect November 1, 2020.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.