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1 New Paragraph; Departmental Functions; Certified On Call Individuals. Amend RSA 21-O:1 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
III. The department of environmental services shall seek, through recruitment and retention efforts, training, or state contracting to ensure that each of its program areas with regulatory, permitting, or enforcement responsibilities has at least one certified individual, either as a direct employee or through a contracted arrangement, who is on call to address program-related matters and any issues that may arise in the course of its operations. The department may use existing appropriations, federal grants, or program fees for costs associated with training and certification under this section. A certified individual shall be an employee who holds a current, valid certification or license in the program area they serve. Certified individuals employed by or contracted with a department of environmental services program area shall not be required to comply with certification maintenance requirements that present a conflict of interest, including but not limited to submitting work product to the department to maintain hours of work experience. Certified individuals employed by the department of environmental services shall not be responsible for paying licensing or certification fees to a department of environmental services program while so employed. No certified individual shall be liable for damages arising from their duties to carry out the statutory duty and regulatory requirements of their respective program at the department of environmental services.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2027.
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1 New Paragraph; Departmental Functions; Certified On Call Individuals. Amend RSA 21-O:1 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
III. The department of environmental services shall seek, through recruitment and retention efforts, training, or state contracting to ensure that each of its program areas with regulatory, permitting, or enforcement responsibilities has at least one certified individual, either as a direct employee or through a contracted arrangement, who is on call to address program-related matters and any issues that may arise in the course of its operations. The department may use existing appropriations, federal grants, or program fees for costs associated with training and certification under this section. A certified individual shall be an employee who holds a current, valid certification or license in the program area they serve. Certified individuals employed by or contracted with a department of environmental services program area shall not be required to comply with certification maintenance requirements that present a conflict of interest, including but not limited to submitting work product to the department to maintain hours of work experience. Certified individuals employed by the department of environmental services shall not be responsible for paying licensing or certification fees to a department of environmental services program while so employed. No certified individual shall be liable for damages arising from their duties to carry out the statutory duty and regulatory requirements of their respective program at the department of environmental services.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2027.