2001 SESSION

01-2173

05/10

HOUSE BILL 1114

COMMITTEE: Commerce

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a committee to study the state's real estate leasing practices and requirements.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

01-2173

05/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

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

1 Purpose. The general court recognizes that there is a steadily increasing cost of leasing or renting space throughout New Hampshire, yet there appear to be several factors that, by changes in law, could reduce significantly the state's leasing costs. The purpose of the study committee is to determine methods by which the state's leasing costs can be reduced or kept from rising at recently observed rates.

2 Committee Established. There is established a committee to address the state's real estate leasing practices and requirements.

3 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be from the house finance committee, one of whom shall be from the house commerce committee, and one of whom shall be from the house public works and highways committee, appointed by the speaker of the house.

(b) Three members of the senate, one of whom shall be from the senate finance committee, one of whom shall be from the senate capital budget committee, and one of whom shall be from the senate executive departments and administration committee, appointed by the president of the senate.

II. The committee may solicit information from the following:

(a) The commissioner of the department of administrative services, or designee.

(b) The New Hampshire Associations of Realtors.

(c) The insurance commissioner, or designee.

III. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

4 Duties. The committee's study shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

I. How to determine the length of state leases in relation to their costs.

II. Whether it is cost effective for the state to self-insure leases.

III. How the state's requirements in the areas of air quality, disability access, and sprawl affect lease costs.

IV. How the 30-day state "opt-out" provision in state leases increases costs and limits market competition.

V. Methods whereby state agencies can better work together to jointly lease properties, thereby reducing the net lease costs.

VI. Discuss why state agencies, when not subject to heavy public traffic, cannot locate their leases in outlying locations, thereby reducing lease costs.

5 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

6 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library, on or before November 1, 2002.

7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.