SB 0199

SB 199 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

AN ACT relative to the voting procedures for authorizing certain capital projects in interstate school districts.

SPONSORS: Sen. Below, Dist 5; Rep. Nordgren, Graf 10; Rep. Benn, Graf 10

This bill amends the New Hampshire-Vermont interstate school compact by providing that, as an alternative to existing provisions in the compact governing a vote to incur debt to finance a capital project, an interstate district, in its articles of agreement, may:

II. Provide that the margin for such a vote be a percentage greater than a simple majority but not to exceed 60 percent.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

AN ACT relative to the voting procedures for authorizing certain capital projects in interstate school districts.

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

1 Interstate School Compact; Borrowing; Authorization Proceedings Amended. Amend Article VII, Paragraph D of RSA 200-B:1 to read as follows:

D. AUTHORIZATION PROCEEDINGS. An interstate district shall authorize the incurring of debts to finance capital projects by a majority vote of the district passed at an annual or special district meeting. Such vote shall be taken by secret ballot after full opportunity for debate, and any such vote shall be subject to reconsideration and further action by the district at the same meeting or at an adjourned session thereof. As an alternative, an interstate district may provide in its articles of agreement that such a vote be conducted by Australian or official balloting under procedures set forth in the articles of agreement, and that such vote be subject to any method of reconsideration, if any, which the interstate district sets forth in the articles of agreement.

2 Interstate School Compact; Borrowing; Authorization Proceedings Amended. Amend Article VII, Paragraph D of RSA 200-B:1 to read as follows:

D. AUTHORIZATION PROCEEDINGS. An interstate district shall authorize the incurring of debts to finance capital projects by a majority vote of the district passed at an annual or special district meeting. As an alternative, an interstate district may provide in its articles of agreement that such a vote be passed by a specified percentage greater than a simple majority but not to exceed 60 percent. Such vote shall be taken by secret ballot after full opportunity for debate, and any such vote shall be subject to reconsideration and further action by the district at the same meeting or at an adjourned session thereof. As an alternative, an interstate district may provide in its articles of agreement that such a vote be conducted by Australian or official balloting under procedures set forth in the articles of agreement, and that such vote be subject to any method of reconsideration, if any, which the interstate district sets forth in the articles of agreement.

3 Contingency. Section 1 of this act shall take effect when a bill of the Vermont general assembly incorporating substantially the same language inserted by section 1 of this act becomes a law in Vermont and when it is approved by the United States Congress. Section 2 of this act shall take effect when a bill of the Vermont general assembly incorporating substantially the same language inserted by section 2 of this act becomes a law in Vermont and when it is approved by the United States Congress. The secretary of state of the state of New Hampshire shall certify that contingency provisions set forth in this section have been satisfied.

I. Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall take effect as provided in section 3 of this act.