HB 523-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2003 SESSION
09/01
HOUSE BILL 523-FN
This bill reduces the number of superior court justices from 28 to 25.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03-0527
09/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three
AN ACT reducing the number of superior court justices.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Purpose. Due to substantial state funding pressures combined with the increased funding needs of the district court, the general court finds that the number of superior court justice positions should be reduced to the number which were authorized between the years 1986 to 1991.
2 Superior Court Justices. Amend RSA 491:1 to read as follows:
491:1 Justices. For fiscal year [1992] 2004 and succeeding years, the superior court shall consist of a chief justice and [28] 24 associate justices. Said justices shall be appointed and commissioned as prescribed by the constitution and shall exercise the powers of the court unless otherwise provided.
3 Applicability; Contingency. Any superior court justice appointed prior to July 1, 2003 shall retain his or her position until resignation, retirement, or removal pursuant to the New Hampshire constitution. As vacancies occur in superior court justice positions, the vacancies shall remain unfilled until the number of superior court justices is reduced to 24. Section 2 of this act shall take effect on the date on which the number of superior court justices is reduced from 25 to 24.
4 Effective Date.
I. Section 2 of this act shall take effect as provided in section 3 of this act.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect July 1, 2003.
LBAO
03-0527
1/22/03
HB 523-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT reducing the number of superior court justices.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Judicial Branch states this bill will decrease state general fund expenditures by $28,832 in FY 2006 and $125,300 in FY 2007. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue or county and local expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Branch states this bill eliminates four superior court associate justice positions as vacancies occur. Through FY 2007 there would be one justice who would retire on April 7, 2006, assuming justices retire at the mandatory retirement age of 70. The annual salary and benefit cost of a superior court associate justice is $125,300, which includes a salary of $106,187 and benefits at 18%. State general fund expenditures would decrease by $28,832 in FY 2006 ($125,300 x 84 days vacant) and by $125,300 in FY 2007.