2003 SESSION

03-0065

06/09

HOUSE BILL 742

COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a committee to study the relationship between groundwater withdrawals and the ownership of watershed land.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0065

06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

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

1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the relationship between groundwater withdrawals and the ownership of watershed land.

2 Membership and Compensation.

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

(a) Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house.

(b) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

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

3 Duties. The committee shall examine how much watershed land is required to recharge the groundwater aquifer for each 1000 gallons of water withdrawn and whether it is in the interests of the state to require persons wishing to make large groundwater withdrawals to own sufficient land to recharge the aquifer for the amount of their expected withdrawals. The committee shall also consider how much of the recharge land may be covered with structures or other impermeable surfaces and whether a uniform statewide standard is possible.

4 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.

5 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, 2003.

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