HB 605 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0870
05/11
HOUSE BILL 605
AN ACT relative to employment protections for members of the general court.
SPONSORS: Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Lloyd, Hills. 8; Rep. Wilhelm, Hills. 21
COMMITTEE: Legislative Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill provides that serving as a member of state legislature shall be considered public service for purposes of federal student loan forgiveness programs. The bill also provides members of the general court with employment protections during the legislative session.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0870
05/11
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to employment protections for members of the general court.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Members of the General Court. Amend RSA 14-A by inserting after section 6 the following new section:
14-A:7 Federal Public Service Qualification.
I. Notwithstanding the provision of RSA 14-A:6, I, the tenure in office of members of the general court shall be deemed by the state to qualify as full-time public service for the purposes of federal public service student loan forgiveness programs.
II. Upon request by a member or former member of the general court, or a department of the federal government acting upon the application of such member or former member, the house clerk for house members and the senate clerk for senators shall provide to the member or former member or federal department the appropriate paperwork documenting: the full time public service of said member, spanning from all dates of taking the oath or oaths of office until such time as the termination of that tenure or tenures in office, if applicable; and the state of New Hampshire federal employee identification number through which the member's biennial compensation was processed.
2 New Sections; Employment Protections for Members of the General Court. Amend RSA 275 by inserting after section 75 the following new sections:
275:75-a Right to Leave Work.
I. No employer shall prohibit an employee who is a member of the state legislature from taking time off to attend a legislative session, to attend a legislative policy committee meeting if the legislator is a member of the committee, or to attend a legislative committee hearing on a bill the member sponsored. The requirements of this section shall apply regardless of whether the employee has accrued paid time off or not.
II. Before an employee may leave work under this subdivision, the employee shall provide the employer with at least 2 days notice of the requested leave.
III. An employer shall not discharge an employee who is a member of the general court because the employee attends a noticed, disclosed session or hearing of the general court.
IV. An employer may require a member of the general court to use the employee's accrued vacation time, personal leave time, or paid time off, because the employee attends a noticed, disclosed, voting session of the general court. If the employee does not have accrued paid time off, their absence to attend general court voting shall be granted as unpaid time off.
275:75-b Penalty. Any employer who violates this subdivision shall be subject to a civil penalty, to be imposed by the labor commissioner in accordance with the procedures established in RSA 273:11-a. An employer aggrieved by the commissioner's assessment of such penalty may appeal in accordance with RSA 273:11-c.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 13, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| March 12, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
Feb. 20, 2025: Executive Session: 03/12/2025 09:00 am LOB 203
Jan. 22, 2025: ==RESCHEDULED== Public Hearing: 02/19/2025 01:45 pm LOB 203
Jan. 16, 2025: Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Legislative Administration HJ 3 P. 18