HB 1518 - AS INTRODUCED
2024 SESSION
24-2706
08/05
HOUSE BILL 1518
AN ACT relative to the legislative ethics committee.
SPONSORS: Rep. Potenza, Straf. 19; Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. Haskins, Rock. 11
COMMITTEE: Legislative Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill increases the membership of the legislative ethics committee and places prohibitions on members of the committee.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
24-2706
08/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
AN ACT relative to the legislative ethics committee.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Legislative Ethics Committee; Membership. Amend RSA 14-B:2 to read as follows:
14-B:2 Committee Established; Membership.
I. There is hereby established a legislative ethics committee to develop standards for legislative ethics and resolve, through procedures established in this chapter, issues, questions or complaints involving legislators and legislative staff and officers. The committee shall have the power to investigate allegations of improper conduct as set forth in this chapter. The committee shall consist of the following members, at least one of whom shall be an attorney who is a member of the New Hampshire bar:
(a) [One house member] Two house members, appointed by the [speaker of the house] house majority leader.
(b) [One house member] Two house members, appointed by the house minority leader.
(c) One public member, appointed by the speaker of the house.
(d) One senator, appointed by the senate president.
(e) One senator, appointed by the senate minority leader.
(f) One public member, appointed by the senate president.
(g) [Repealed.]
(h) One public member, appointed jointly by the speaker of the house, the house minority leader, the senate president, and the senate minority leader.
II. No person currently registered with the secretary of state as a lobbyist under RSA 15 or who has registered with the secretary of state as a lobbyist in the past under RSA 15 shall serve as a member of the legislative ethics committee [or for 6 months following the expiration of such registration].
II-a. No person who has held elected office in the state of New Hampshire, who was appointed as a commissioner, executive director, assistant commissioner, or deputy commissioner of a department or commission shall serve as a member of the legislative ethics committee.
II-b. No person who is a current employee of the state of New Hampshire shall serve as a member of the legislative ethics committee.
III. Appointments to the committee shall be made by December 31 prior to the first legislative session of the biennium. A committee meeting shall be called no later than February 1 in the first legislative session of the biennium. [Prior to the first committee meeting, the speaker of the house of representatives and the senate president shall jointly] At the first committee meeting, the members shall select from the members of the committee a chairperson and vice-chairperson. The members shall serve for the biennium and shall not be removed from the committee for any reason except for good cause by unanimous vote of the remaining committee members. Members shall receive no compensation, except that legislative members shall receive mileage at the legislative rate and public members shall receive mileage at the state employee rate. The committee shall provide the executive branch ethics committee with copies of all publicly issued guidelines, procedures, decisions, and opinions.
2 Publication and Retention of Records; Notice to General Court. Amend RSA 14-B:6 to read as follows:
14-B:6 Publication and Retention of Records. All records required to be filed or placed on file with the secretary of state under the provisions of this chapter, or with the clerk of the senate or the clerk of the house of representatives under the rules or guidelines adopted in accordance with RSA 14-B:5, shall be made available on the website maintained by the committee in a timely manner. Meeting agendas and minutes approved by the committee shall be sent to all members of the general court within 24 hours of being made available on the website. Records maintained by the office of the secretary of state shall be retained for a period of 6 years, after which time they may be destroyed.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 31, 2024 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 7, 2024 | House | Exec Session |
| Feb. 14, 2024 | House | Exec Session |
| Feb. 14, 2024 | House | Floor Vote |
March 7, 2024: Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 03/07/2024 HJ 7
Feb. 21, 2024: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/14/2024 (Vote 14-1; CC) HC 9 P. 12
Feb. 7, 2024: Executive Session: 02/14/2024 10:00 am LOB 203
Jan. 31, 2024: ==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 02/07/2024 01:00 pm LOB 203
Jan. 25, 2024: Public Hearing: 01/31/2024 10:40 am LOB 203
Dec. 11, 2023: Introduced 01/03/2024 and referred to Legislative Administration HJ 1