HB1539 — Version 100

2000 SESSION

00-2045

09/10

HOUSE BILL 1539-FN-LOCAL

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

ANALYSIS

This bill returns to group II of the New Hampshire retirement system all full-time emergency communicators and full-time emergency-911 telecommunicators who staff offices which are part of the 24-hour public safety network.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

00-2045

09/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Purpose.

I. Notwithstanding previous exclusions, this act returns to group II of the New Hampshire retirement system under special exception as essential emergency personnel, all full-time 24-hour emergency communicators (formerly known as dispatchers) and all 24-hour E-911 telecommunicators.

II. These essential personnel are an extremely important part of the public safety network of fire/police/EMT systems. They work under stressful conditions and life and death circumstances 24 hours a day, year-round.

III. These highly-trained essential personnel are involved with helping to save many lives. They also assist in the preservation of private and public property. Without their training and communications expertise, more people would die, more buildings would be lost from fires, and more accident victims would die because of lost response time.

IV. These essential personnel deserve to be returned to group II of the New Hampshire retirement system.

2 Reference to Dispatcher Removed. Amend RSA 100-A:1, VII-a(a) to read as follows:

(a) Any [dispatcher,] mechanic, electrician, laboratory or clerical worker, technical expert, or other person employed in a police department or correctional facility who does not meet all the requirements of paragraph VII; provided, however, that performance of such functions by any person who as a job requirement does meet all the requirements of paragraph VII shall not disqualify the person from membership in group II;

3 Reference to Dispatcher Removed. Amend RSA 100-A:1, VIII-a (a) to read as follows:

(a) Any [dispatcher,] mechanic, electrician, laboratory or clerical worker, technical expert, or other person employed in a fire department or by the division of forests and lands who does not meet all the requirements of paragraph VIII except as provided in paragraph VIII-d; provided, however, that performance of such functions by any person who as a job requirement does meet all the requirements of paragraph VIII shall not disqualify the person from membership in group II; or

4 New Paragraph; Emergency Communicators Included as Permanent Firemen for Purposes of Group II New Hampshire Retirement System Membership. Amend RSA 100-A:1 by inserting after paragraph VIII-c the following new paragraph:

VIII-d. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph VIII and VIII-a, full-time emergency communicators and full-time emergency-911 telecommunicators who work for the state or any of its political subdivisions in an office that is part of the 24-hour public safety network shall be considered permanent firemen for purposes of membership in group II under RSA 100-A:3.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO

00-2045

12/17/99

HB 1539-FN-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE

FISCAL IMPACT: