HB 1389 - AS INTRODUCED

2016 SESSION

16-2045

06/03

HOUSE BILL 1389

AN ACT prohibiting a town meeting from materially changing a petitioned warrant article in a town that has adopted the official ballot referendum form of meeting.

SPONSORS: Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Dean-Bailey, Rock. 32; Rep. Lachance, Hills. 8; Rep. C. McGuire, Merr. 29; Rep. Burt, Hills. 39; Rep. Duarte, Rock. 2; Rep. Aldrich, Belk. 2; Rep. Rideout, Coos 7; Rep. Horn, Merr. 2; Rep. Whitehouse, Straf. 2; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

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ANALYSIS

This bill prohibits an amendment to a petitioned warrant article that changes the subject matter or intent of the original warrant article in a town that has adopted the official ballot referendum form of meeting.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

16-2045

06/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen

AN ACT prohibiting a town meeting from materially changing a petitioned warrant article in a town that has adopted the official ballot referendum form of meeting.

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

1  Use of Official Ballot; Warrant Articles; Certain Amendments Prohibited.  Amend RSA 40:13, IV(c) to read as follows:

(c)  No petitioned warrant article shall be amended to [eliminate] change the subject matter or the intent of the article.  An amendment that changes the dollar amount of an appropriation in a warrant article shall not be deemed to violate this subparagraph.

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