Revision: June 10, 2025, 9:53 a.m.
HB 107 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
06/05/2025 1616s
2025 SESSION
25-0030
08/11
HOUSE BILL 107
AN ACT relative to political advertising printed in newspapers, periodicals, or billboards.
SPONSORS: Rep. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. Cambrils, Merr. 4; Rep. Dunn, Rock. 16; Rep. Tierney, Coos 1; Rep. Soti, Rock. 35
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill removes the requirement to mark political advertising printed in billboards as "Political Advertising." It also provides for the issuance of fines for violations of such requirements.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
06/05/2025 1616s 25-0030
08/11
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to political advertising printed in newspapers, periodicals, or billboards.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Identification of Political Advertising; Rates. Amend RSA 664:16 to read as follows:
664:16 Identification of Political Advertising; Rates.
I. Political advertising printed in newspapers[,] or periodicals[, or billboards] shall be marked at the beginning [or at the end] thereof "Political Advertising." No person or business organization publishing a newspaper or periodical, operating a radio or television station, or selling billboard space shall charge an advertising rate to any candidate, political committee, party, or cause that is different from that charged to any other candidate, political committee, party, or cause.
II. Notwithstanding RSA 664:21, whoever violates paragraph I shall be guilty of a violation and the fine shall be no more than $50. Any subsequent violation within a 5-year period of the first violation shall be subject to a $1,000 civil penalty.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
25-0030
6/10/25
HB 107- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2025-1616s)
AN ACT relative to political advertising printed in newspapers, periodicals, or billboards.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund | None | |||||
Expenditures* | Indeterminable | |||||
Funding Source | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
| ||||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
County Expenditures | Indeterminable | |||||
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Expenditures | Indeterminable | |||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation. Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf
This could possibly result in an increase in civil cases in the Superior Court, however, there is no way to predict how many such actions would occur so any such increase is indeterminable. The Judicial Branch has provided average cost information for civil cases in the Superior Court:
NH Judicial Branch Average Civil Case Estimates
Judicial Branch Average Cost | FY 2025 | FY 2026 |
Superior Court Complex Civil Case | $1,430 | $1,473 |
Superior Court Routine Civil Case | $535 | $552 |
Common Civil Case Fees
Superior Court Fees | As of 2/12/2020 |
Original Entry Fee | $280 |
Third-Party Claim | $280 |
Motion to Reopen | $160 |
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association