Bill Text - HB506 (2020)

(New Title) relative to allowing employees time to vote in biennial general elections


Revision: Jan. 9, 2020, 10:34 a.m.

HB 506-FN-LOCAL - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

 

8Jan2020... 2854h

2019 SESSION

19-0164

11/05

 

HOUSE BILL 506-FN-LOCAL

 

AN ACT relative to allowing employees time to vote in biennial general elections.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Read, Rock. 17; Rep. T. Smith, Hills. 17; Rep. W. Pearson, Ches. 16; Rep. Horrigan, Straf. 6; Rep. Josephson, Graf. 11; Rep. King, Hills. 33; Rep. Vann, Hills. 24

 

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

 

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 

This bill allows employers to allow employees to take time away from work to vote in biennial general elections.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

8Jan2020... 2854h 19-0164

11/05

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen

 

AN ACT relative to allowing employees time to vote in biennial general elections.

 

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

 

1  New Section; State Holidays; Biennial General Elections.

288:1-a  Biennial General Election; Time to Vote.  

I.  All employers shall, when practicable, allow employees up to 3 hours away from work to cast ballots on biennial general election days.

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

 

LBAO

19-0164

Revised 1/23/19

 

HB 506-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT establishing state holidays for elections.

 

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

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source:

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

 

 

 

 

 

LOCAL:

 

 

 

 

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill makes the day of the biennial state primary election preceding a general election and the day of the biennial state general election legal holidays of the State.  State offices, cities, towns, school districts, and community colleges or university system supported by the State shall not be open on these days.  Employees of governmental units necessary for the function of government or to carry out elections are exempt.  All other employers may allow up to 3 hours away from work to vote on these days.

 

The New Hampshire Municipal Association states there may be an impact on municipal expenditures as some municipalities would need to rearrange work schedules to accommodate the new holidays.  Municipalities with collective bargaining agreements may be affected if their agreements contain provisions relative to working on legal holidays.  Because policies and collective bargaining agreements vary among municipalities the Association is not able to determine the overall impact on local expenditures.

 

The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) indicates it would incur costs for overtime paid to employees deemed essential to report to work on the additional holidays.  The CCSNH assumes there would also be costs for lost productivity and wages and benefits for two additional holidays.  The CCSNH states the two additional holidays would impact academic instruction during the Fall semester which already has a number of holidays.

 

The Department of Administrative Services indicates the bill would not impact state payroll expenditures.  There are currently state holidays for which state employees are not paid and state employees are only paid for holidays that are collectively bargained.  

 

The Department of State assumes there would be no additional cost to the Department since the payroll is set whether its employees work on the holidays or not.

 

The University System of New Hampshire does not anticipate the additional holidays would create a direct fiscal impact on USNH operations.  The USNH indicates mandatory observation of two additional state holidays would involve additional days of paid leave for benefitted staff and faculty, with essential staffing maintained for operations necessary to support students living on campus.  The USNH assumes there would be an indirect impact related to lost productivity.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

New Hampshire Municipal Association, Community College System of New Hampshire, Departments of Administrative Services and State, and University System of New Hampshire