CHAPTER 260
HB 522 - FINAL VERSION
6Jun2019... 2461-EBA
2019 SESSION
19-0261
05/01
HOUSE BILL 522
AN ACT establishing a commission to study the environmental and health effects of evolving 5G technology.
SPONSORS: Rep. Abrami, Rock. 19; Sen. Sherman, Dist 24
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a commission to study the environmental and health effects of evolving 5G technology.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
6Jun2019... 2461-EBA 19-0261
05/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT establishing a commission to study the environmental and health effects of evolving 5G technology.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
260:1 New Subdivision; Commission to Study the Environmental and Health Effects of Evolving 5G Technology. Amend RSA 12-K by inserting after section 11 the following new subdivision:
Commission to Study the Environmental and Health Effects of Evolving 5G Technology
12-K:12 Commission Established. There is established a commission to study the environmental and health effects of evolving 5G technology, which includes the use of earlier generation technologies. Fifth generation, or 5G, wireless technology is intended to greatly increase device capability and connectivity but also may pose significant risks to humans, animals, and the environment due to increased radiofrequency radiation exposure. The purpose of the study is to examine the advantages and risks associated with 5G technology, with a focus on its environmental impact and potential health effects, particularly on children, fetuses, the elderly, and those with existing health compromises.
12-K:13 Membership.
I. The members of the commission shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, including one member from the house science, technology, and energy committee, and one member from the health, human services and elderly affairs committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) Two members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(c) A member of the public, appointed by the governor.
(d) The attorney general, or designee.
(e) Two members of the New Hampshire High Technology Council, appointed by the council.
(f) One member representing the Business and Industry Association, appointed by the association.
(g) One member of the New Hampshire Medical Society who specializes in environmental medicine and is familiar with electromagnetic radiation, appointed by the society.
(h) One member representing the university system of New Hampshire knowledgeable in radiofrequency radiation, appointed by the chancellor.
(i) One member of the cell phone/wireless technology industry, appointed by the president of the senate.
(j) The commissioner of the department of health and human services, or designee.
(k) One public member with expertise in the biological effects of radiofrequency radiation, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
II. Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.
III. 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. Seven members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
12-K:14 Duties and Reporting Requirement.
I. The commission shall:
(a) Examine the health and environmental impacts from radiofrequency (RF) radiation emitted from the waves in the 30-300 gigahertz (GHZ) range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which falls somewhere between microwaves and infrared waves, and which are required with the rollout of 5G technology.
(b) Assess the health and environmental impacts of 5G technology, which requires small cell towers to be placed at a distance of 250 meters from each other at telephone pole height from the ground and will operate in conjunction with the 3G and 4G technology infrastructure.
(c) Receive testimony from the scientific community including but not limited to physicists and electrical engineers, the medical community including but not limited to cellular experts and oncologists, the wireless technology industry including but not limited to cell phone businesses and businesses working on the development of autonomous vehicles which will rely on 5G technology, as well as other organizations and members of the public with an interest in 5G technology.
(d) Consider the following questions and the impact on New Hampshire citizens, municipalities, and state government of:
(1) Why the insurance industry recognizes wireless radiation as a leading risk and has placed exclusions in their policies not covering damages caused by the pathological properties of electromagnetic radiation?
(2) Why do cell phone manufacturers have in the legal section within the devise saying keep the phone at least 5mm from the body?
(3) Why have 1,000s of peer-reviewed studies, including the recently published U.S. Toxicology Program 16-year $30 million study, that are showing a wide-range of statistically significant DNA damage, brain and heart tumors, infertility, and so many other ailments, been ignored by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC)?
(4) Why are the FCC-sanctioned guidelines for public exposure to wireless radiation based only on the thermal effect on the temperature of the skin and do not account for the non-thermal, non-ionizing, biological effects of wireless radiation?
(5) Why are the FCC radiofrequency exposure limits set for the United States 100 times higher than countries like Russia, China, Italy, Switzerland, and most of Eastern Europe?
(6) Why did the World Health Organization (WHO) signify that wireless radiation is a Group B Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans category, a group that includes lead, thalidomide, and others, and why are some experts who sat on the WHO committee in 2011 now calling for it to be placed in the Group 1, which are known carcinogens, and why is such information being ignored by the FCC?
(7) Why have more than 220 of the worlds leading scientists signed an appeal to the WHO and the United Nations to protect public health from wireless radiation and nothing has been done?
(8) Why have the cumulative biological damaging effects of ever-growing numbers of pulse signals riding on the back of the electromagnetic sine waves not been explored, especially as the world embraces the Internet of Things, meaning all devices being connected by electromagnetic waves, and the exploration of the number of such pulse signals that will be created by implementation of 5G technology?
II. The commission shall prepare and publish an interim and final report of its findings and recommendations. The reports shall:
(a) Outline the advantages of, and risks associated with, 5G technology running in conjunction with the 3G and 4G technology infrastructure.
(b) Develop a strategy, if deemed necessary, to limit RF radiation exposure from 5G or lesser generation technology relying upon electromagnetic waves.
(c) Include a public policy statement on 5G wireless systems, which either declares the technology safe or outlines actions required to protect the health of its citizens and environment.
(d) Consider alternatives to 5G technology that will accelerate information flow speeds and volumes without the use of electromagnetic waves that emit high levels of radiation.
(e) Provide any recommendations for proposed legislation developed by the commission.
III. The commission shall submit the interim report required under paragraph II 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, and shall submit the final report on or before November 1, 2020.
260:2 Repeal. RSA 12-K:12 - 12-K:14 and the subdivision heading preceeding RSA 12-K:12, relative to the commission to study the environmental and health effects of the evolving 5G technology, are 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.
Approved: July 19, 2019
Effective Date:
I. Section 2 shall take effect November 1, 2020.
II. Remainder shall take effect July 19, 2019.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 12, 2019 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 26, 2019 | House | Exec Session |
| House | Floor Vote | |
| March 7, 2019 | House | Floor Vote |
| March 14, 2019 | House | Floor Vote |
| April 16, 2019 | Senate | Hearing |
| May 30, 2019 | Senate | Floor Vote |
| May 30, 2019 | Senate | Floor Vote |
July 19, 2019: Signed by Governor Sununu 07/19/2019; Chapter 260; I. Sec. 2 Eff: 11/01/2020 II. Rem. Eff: 07/19/2019
June 27, 2019: Enrolled 06/27/2019 HJ 20 P. 53
June 27, 2019: Enrolled (In recess 06/27/2019); SJ 21
June 6, 2019: Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2019-2461e: AA VV 06/06/2019 HJ 18 P. 46
June 6, 2019: Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2019-2461e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 06/06/2019); SJ 20
May 30, 2019: Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/30/2019; SJ 18
May 30, 2019: Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 05/30/2019; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 24A
May 30, 2019: Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 05/30/2019; Vote 5-0; CC SC 24A
April 16, 2019: Hearing: 04/16/2019, Room 101, LOB, 01:00 pm; SC 18
March 21, 2019: Introduced 03/21/2019 and Referred to Health and Human Services; SJ 10
March 14, 2019: Ought to Pass: MA VV 03/14/2019 HJ 9 P. 37
: Special Order to 03/14/2019 Without Objection HJ 8 P. 60
: Committee Report: Ought to Pass (Vote 11-8; RC)
March 7, 2019: Committee Report: Ought to Pass for 03/07/2019 (Vote 11-8; RC) HC 14 P. 19
Feb. 26, 2019: Executive Session: 02/26/2019 10:15 am LOB 304
Feb. 12, 2019: Public Hearing: 02/12/2019 01:30 pm LOB 304
Jan. 3, 2019: Introduced 01/03/2019 and referred to Science, Technology and Energy HJ 3 P. 18