Revision: Dec. 1, 2025, 10:18 a.m.
HB 1319 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2968
09/08
HOUSE BILL 1319
SPONSORS: Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Cambrils, Merr. 4; Rep. Janigian, Rock. 25; Rep. Kofalt, Hills. 32; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. S. Smith, Sull. 3; Rep. Weyler, Rock. 14; Rep. Peternel, Carr. 6; Rep. Vose, Rock. 5; Sen. McGough, Dist 11; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Innis, Dist 7
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill enables a town, village district, or school district to adopt or rescind a local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2968
09/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subdivision; Local Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools. Amend RSA 41 by inserting after section 68 the following new subdivision:
Local Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools
? 41:69 Adoption.
I. This subdivision may be adopted:
(a) By any town with a town meeting form of government, including those with a budgetary town meeting, official ballot town meeting, or representative town meeting pursuant to RSA 49-D:3, II, II-a, and III, or by a town with an official ballot town council form of government under which part or all of the annual town operating budget is voted upon by official ballot;
(b) By a cooperative school district, in accordance with RSA 195:12-b;
(c) By any village district, or district created under RSA 53-A or 53-B, which adopts its budget at an annual meeting of its voters, and which is located in more than one municipality; or
(d) By any school district or village district which adopts its budget at an annual meeting of its voters but that lies wholly within a municipality that lacks authority to adopt this subdivision.
II. This subdivision may be adopted by a majority vote of those present and voting, under an article in the warrant for the annual meeting, inserted by the governing body or by petition.
III. Voting shall be by official ballot, and the question shall not be amendable by the legislative body.
(a) Except for a town or district that uses an official ballot form of meeting under RSA 40:13 or under a charter adopted pursuant to RSA 49-D, the wording of the question shall be as follows: “To annually identify efficiencies in local government spending and operations in order to provide the best value for local taxpayers, shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 41:70 to establish a local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) consisting of (number) members-at-large who are elected, with the initial members elected to one-year terms by the meeting?”
(b) This subparagraph applies to a town or district that uses an official ballot form of meeting under RSA 40:13 or under a charter adopted pursuant to RSA 49-D.
(1) If initial local fiscal accountability committees for towns and schools members-at-large are to be appointed for one-year terms by the moderator, the wording of the question shall be:? “To annually identify efficiencies in local government spending and operations in order to provide the best value for local taxpayers, shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 41:70 to establish a local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) consisting of (number) members-at-large who are elected, with the initial members appointed to one-year terms by the moderator?”
(2) If initial local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools members-at-large are to be elected at the next election, the wording of the question shall be: “To annually identify efficiencies in local government spending and operations in order to provide the best value for local taxpayers, shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 41:70 to establish a local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) consisting of (number) members-at-large who are elected, with the initial members elected at the next annual meeting?”
IV. A town or district which has adopted this subdivision may rescind its adoption in the manner described in paragraphs II and III, except that the wording of the question shall be: “Shall we rescind the provisions of RSA 41:70, eliminating the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) which annually identifies efficiencies in local government spending and operations in order to provide the best value for local taxpayers?”
41:70 Local Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools (FACTS) Membership.
I. The local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall consist of 3 to 7 members-at-large who shall serve staggered terms of 3 years, except for cooperative school districts that are organized pursuant to RSA 195:12-b.
II. Upon a favorable vote under RSA 41:69, III(a), the meeting shall elect the initial members for one-year terms by means other than by official ballot. Upon a favorable vote under RSA 41:69, III(b)(1), the moderator shall appoint members to serve until the next annual meeting, as provided in RSA 669:17. Upon a favorable vote under RSA 41:69, III(b)(2), initial members shall be elected at the next annual meeting, as provided in RSA 669:17. The staggering of elected terms shall begin at the next annual meeting, with one-third of such members chosen to hold office for one year, one-third for 2 years, and one-third for 3 years, and each year thereafter 1/3 shall be chosen for terms of 3 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. If the number of members-at-large is not divisible by 3, the division shall be as even as possible over the 3 years. Election shall be by official ballot if the municipality has adopted the official ballot system, as set forth in RSA 669.
III. A town or district which has adopted this subdivision may vote by official ballot at any subsequent annual meeting to change the number of the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) members-at-large, except for a cooperative school district. No such change shall take effect until the annual meeting following the meeting at which the change was adopted. Currently elected members-at-large shall continue to serve until the end of their current term. The wording of the question shall be: “Shall we change the number of fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) members-at-large from (number) to (number)?”
IV. No selectman, town manager, town administrator, town clerk, deputy town clerk, school district clerk, member of the school board, member of the budget committee, village district commissioner, full-time employee, or part-time department head of the town, school or village district or other associated agency shall serve as a member-at-large. Every member-at-large shall be domiciled in the town or district adopting this subdivision and shall cease to hold office immediately upon ceasing to be so domiciled.
V. One of the members-at-large shall be elected by the members of the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) to serve as chair. The committee may elect other officers as it sees fit. A member-at-large shall cease to hold office immediately upon missing 4 consecutive scheduled or announced meetings of which that member received reasonable notice, without being excused by the chair.
VI. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS). Persons appointed to fill vacancies shall serve until the next annual meeting at which time a successor shall be elected or appointed to either fill the unexpired term or start a new term, as the case may be.
40:71 Duties and Authority of the Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools (FACTS).
In any town or district which has adopted the provisions of this subdivision, the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
I. Prepare a fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools and schools (FACTS) budget proposal showing recommended changes to the proposed budget, and, if the municipality is a town, the recommended changes to budgets of any school district or village district wholly within the town, unless the warrant for such meeting does not propose any appropriation. The warrant article for each operating budget, including those under RSA 40:13, shall include the following information: “The local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) recommends a budget of $X, (reduction or increase) of $Y from the proposed budget.”
II. To confer with the governing body or bodies, budget and finance committees, and with other officers, department heads and other officials, relative to estimated costs, revenues anticipated, and services performed to the extent deemed necessary by the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS). It shall be the duty of all such officers and other persons to furnish such pertinent information to the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools.
III. To participate the public hearings required under RSA 32:5, I.
IV. To forward copies of the final the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools and schools (FACTS) budget proposals to the clerk or clerks, and in addition, to deliver 2 copies of such budget proposals and the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools and schools (FACTS) recommendations on the operating budget warrant article and special warrant articles to the respective governing body or bodies at least 20 days before the date set for the annual or special meeting, to be posted with the warrant. Each fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools and schools (FACTS) recommendation shall include the vote of the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools and schools (FACTS) with the respective warrant article. The final FACTS budget shall be posted by the governing body with the certified copies of the budget and warrant.
V. The local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall have the authority to place a warrant article on the warrant, with submission to the governing body using the same deadline as for petitioned warrant articles.
VI. At the annual meeting, the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall be given the opportunity to explain their recommendation on each warrant article.
VII. At the annual meeting, any voter may propose adoption of the fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) budget proposal as an amendment to the warrant article for the budget, including total appropriations, deletions of any purpose, or reducing the amount appropriated for that purpose to zero pursuant to RSA 32:10.?
VIII. If the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) covers a school district, the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall be given the opportunity to provide their recommendation at the public hearing on the school administrative unit budget if held pursuant to RSA 194-C:10 covering the school district.
IX. Any person or persons violating the provisions of this section, RSA 41:69, or RSA 41:70 shall be subject to removal from office on proper petition brought before the superior court. Such petition shall take precedence over other actions pending in the court and shall be heard and decided as speedily as possible.
2 New Section; Local Fiscal accountability Committee for Towns and Schools (FACTS). Amend RSA 195 by inserting after section 12-a the following new section:
??? 195:12-b Local Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools (FACTS).
A cooperative school district at an annual meeting may vote to establish a local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) and may rescind such action in a like manner, pursuant to RSA 41:69 and subject to the provisions of this paragraph. The local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall have the same number of members as the cooperative district school board instead of the membership available under RSA 41:70, I. The terms of office and manner of election of members, and appointment by the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) for vacant positions, shall be determined in the same manner as for the cooperative school board. If the school board is reapportioned pursuant to RSA 195:19-b, the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) shall be reorganized in the same manner.
3 New Paragraph; Optional Officers to be Elected by Ballot: Interim Officers. Amend RSA 669:16 by inserting after paragraph VII the following new paragraph:
VIII. Local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) members.
4 New Section; School District Elections; Local Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools (FACTS) Members. Amend RSA 671 by inserting after section 10 the following new section:
671:10-a ? Local Fiscal Accountability Committee for Towns and Schools (FACTS) Members. ? The voters of any cooperative school district which has voted at a previous meeting to elect a local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) under RSA 195:12-b shall elect members of the local fiscal accountability committee for towns and schools (FACTS) as provided in RSA 195:12-b.
5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.