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Legislative Break
This past week, the NH Legislature took a winter break. There was no legislative activity scheduled for the week: the halls were relatively quiet with empty meeting rooms. The Senate will meet in session next Thursday, and the House meets the following week.
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Legislative Schedule
As we approach mid-session, both the House and Senate have deadlines for when bills are considered. Thursday, March 3rd is the last day for House and Senate policy committees to report recommendations for most bills, except those bills required to go to a second committee (usually a review by the Finance Committee). The House must then vote on those bills by March 10th.
Crossover for both the House and Senate is March 24th. This is the deadline for ANY bill in the House (or Senate) to "crossover" to the other body: House bills must move over to the Senate, and Senate bills must move over to the House. Therefore, March 24 is the deadline for the House to act on any House bill, and the Senate to act on any Senate bill.
Following Crossover, bills 'surviving' the initial process now go through a similar process again in the 'other' body. Both the House and Senate have deadlines for bills in committee, with some required to go to a second committee. The deadline for both the House and Senate to act on any Senate or House bill is Thursday, May 12th. The following Thursday, May 19th, is the deadline to form a Committee of Conference that may be required to attempt to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill. Committee of Conference reports must be resolved by Thursday, May 26, and the last day for the House and Senate to act on any Committee of Conference report is Thursday, June 2nd, the scheduled end of session.
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Update on Bills Impacting Cooperative School Districts
The
House Education Committee
has scheduled an executive session next Tuesday, March 1, to vote on recommendations for two bills that address withdrawal from cooperative school districts: HB1201 allows a pre-existing district (single town) to determine by a vote within only the single town that initiated the withdrawal study, whether the withdrawal plan is approved; HB1303 also changes how a withdrawal plan is approved as well as making changes to the determination of capital contributions. At a previous work session, the committee indicated a desire to study the issue in more detail, and use the bills to create a study commission comprised of all stakeholders.
Another bill of concern to cooperative district school board members is HB1364, which would make the school board member of a cooperative school district budget committee a nonvoting member. Executive session to vote on a committee recommendation is also scheduled for March 1.
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Update on Public Employee Pension Plan Bills
The
House Special Committee on Public Employee Pension Plans
has scheduled a work and/or executive session next Monday, February 29, to vote on recommendations for two bills:
HB1449
, provides an additional supplemental allowance for retired members of the retirement system, and HB1489, establishes a committee to study the rates of employer contributions in the retirement system.
HB1449
is of concern to school board members since it calls for a return of "gain sharing", a practice that caused problems and contributed to the retirement system's current unfunded liability that accounts for over half of the total pension contribution. The bill establishes a special fund to be used for temporary supplemental allowances (TSA) for retirees. This fund is funded from a one-time transfer of investment earnings of 2.5% in the first year when NHRS investment returns exceed 12.5%. According to the fiscal note, this transfer to the special fund will increase the unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) by an estimated $144 million, which must then be paid by NHRS employers (including school districts and municipalities), ultimately by property taxpayers. The UAAL is currently over $4.2 billion and the funding status is only 63.4%. Under the current 30-year amortization plan, employers will continue to pay off this liability for the next 23 years, with the goal of reaching 100% funding by June 30, 2039. It would not be wise to provide additional benefits that increase the UAAL, lowers the funding status, and raises employer contribution rates.
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Hearing Schedule
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Monday, February 29, 2016
House SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION PLANS, Room 203, LOB
10:00 a.m. Work session on HB 1449-FN, relative to additional temporary supplemental allowances for retired members of the retirement system; HB 1489, establishing a committee to study the rates of employer contributions in the retirement system.
Executive session on pending legislation may be held throughout the day, time permitting, from the time the committee is initially convened.
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Education Hearing Schedule
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Tuesday, March 1, 2016
House EDUCATION, Room 207, LOB
9:30 a.m. Executive session on HB 1201, relative to withdrawal from a cooperative school district; HB1274, establishing a committee to study the efficacy of changes in the community college system of New Hampshire; HB 1303, relative to withdrawal from a cooperative school district; HB1364, relative to the membership of the cooperative school district budget committee; HB 1414, repealing the home education advisory council; HB 1431, relative to academic freedom and whistleblower protection; HB 1457, establishing a code of professional ethics for New Hampshire teachers; HB 1484, relative to the election of members of the state board of education; HB 1558-FN, requiring the university system of New Hampshire to examine the disposition of children in state custody; HB 1612-FN, relative to the age for purposes of compulsory education; HB 1637-FN, relative to school attendance in towns with no public schools. Reconsideration of
HB 1393, requiring the department of education to report statewide assessment results for school districts receiving certain state aid.
Senate EDUCATION, Room 103, LOB
9:00 a.m. HB 301, establishing a committee to study New Hampshire's statewide longitudinal data system and any other department of education maintained database that contains student level data.
9:15 a.m. HB 527, requiring school districts employing school resource officers to adopt a written agreement.
9:30 a.m. HB 1272-FN, relative to bus transportation for chartered public school students.
9:45 a.m. HB 536, relative to payment for special education services for chartered public school students.
10:15 a.m. HB 1604, relative to instructional methods to enable students to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
10:45 a.m. HB 471, relative to the duties of school boards.
EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
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Hearing Schedule
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Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The Senate Public and Municipal Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on another "immunity" bill, but one that does not put municipal liability at serious risk.
SB421
modifies the liability of governmental units in bodily injury actions. It is the result of a Study Committee that was created to explore the issues surrounding governmental immunity. Unlike the broad implications of HB1687 and HB1688 (addressed in last week's February 19 Bulletin), SB421 reflects a compromise supported by various stakeholders. It increases the monetary cap for cases against governmental units, adds wrongful termination and damage to real property to the claims covered by the statute, and limits the immunity afforded to municipalities in conformance with the NH Constitution.
Senate PUBLIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, Room 102, LOB
9:00 a.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION ON PENDING LEGISLATION
10:00 a.m. SB 421, relative to liability of governmental units.
EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
