Committee Summary for Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs (03/18/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB222 2025-1058s 00:05:34.319 - 8:34:21 AM	Executive Session	relative to moving the state primary date.	Lang, Timothy(R)[B-]2025
SB287 00:10:14.360 - 8:39:01 AM	Executive Session	requiring applicants for absentee ballots to present a copy of their photo identification with their application.	Pearl, Howard (R)[B]2025
HB78 00:34:49.320 - 9:03:36 AM	Public Hearing	requiring a person to have a domicile in the district from which they serve as county commissioner.	Turcotte, Len(R)[B]2025
HB78 00:45:04.640 - 9:13:51 AM	Executive Session	requiring a person to have a domicile in the district from which they serve as county commissioner.	Turcotte, Len(R)[B]2025
HB78 00:49:30.079 - 9:18:17 AM	Public Hearing	requiring a person to have a domicile in the district from which they serve as county commissioner.	Turcotte, Len(R)[B]2025
HB78 00:59:56.319 - 9:28:43 AM	Executive Session	requiring a person to have a domicile in the district from which they serve as county commissioner.	Turcotte, Len(R)[B]2025

SB222 2025-1058s: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:05:34.319 - 8:34:21 AM; The committee member pointed out an error in the amendment 2025-1058s for Senate Bill 222, noting that on line 11, the number should be changed from 12 to 15 weeks. This change is necessary to ensure that the supervisor of the checklist receives the nomination papers on the same day they are required to be submitted, avoiding any delay.
SB222 2025-1058s: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:06:38.960 - 8:35:25 AM; The committee member clarified that the amendment does not require a change to the 12 weeks mentioned in line number nine, as it should match the 15 weeks specified elsewhere in the amendment. They further explained the timeline for the submission and review of nomination papers by the supervisor of the checklist and the subsequent delivery to the Secretary of State.
SB222 2025-1058s: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:07:57.960 - 8:36:44 AM; The committee member moved to pass the amendment with the correction from 12 to 15 weeks on line 11. The amendment was passed by the committee, and then they moved to pass the bill as amended, which was also approved.
SB287: Unnamed Committee Member Oppose00:10:14.360 - 8:39:01 AM; The committee member expressed concerns about Senate Bill 287, stating that they are not convinced the bill adds much to the current procedures regarding signature match. They mentioned internal discussions within the committee and indicated they would not support the bill as it stands, wishing for amendments to improve it.
SB287: Unnamed Committee Member Support00:10:14.360 - 8:39:01 AM; The committee member supported Senate Bill 287, emphasizing the importance of tightening security to make it harder for individuals with malicious intent to cheat in elections. They believe the bill aligns with the principle of making it easy to vote but hard to cheat, and they will vote in favor of the bill.
SB287: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:11:25.839 - 8:40:12 AM; The committee member moved to pass Senate Bill 287, and it was seconded. After a brief discussion, the bill was passed by the committee.
HB78: Representative Len Turcotte, Strafford District 4 (Barrington and Strafford) Support00:34:49.320 - 9:03:36 AM; Representative Turcotte introduced House Bill 78, which aims to correct an oversight from a previous bill by ensuring that Strafford County Commissioners must live in their elected district both at the time of election and permanently while serving. He emphasized the simplicity of the bill and its alignment with other county and state residency requirements for elected officials.
HB78: Representative Timothy Horan, Strafford County District 10 Information Only00:36:06.599 - 9:04:53 AM; Representative Horan discussed the context of the bill, mentioning a past controversy in Strafford County regarding the residency of a commissioner. He expressed mixed feelings about the bill, acknowledging the voters' choice in electing a commissioner from a different district and suggesting that the language of the bill could be simplified to just require domicile within the district.
HB78: Brian Scaife, Derry, NH Support00:41:48.000 - 9:10:35 AM; Brian Scaife, a former representative and county commissioner, supported House Bill 78 by sharing a real-life example from his time as a delegate. He described a situation where a commissioner moved out of their district and refused to resign, causing representation issues. He emphasized the need for the bill to fix the current law's wording to ensure commissioners remain in their district.
HB78: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:45:04.640 - 9:13:51 AM; The committee member moved to pass House Bill 78, expressing agreement with the principle that elected officials should live in the county they represent. They suggested simplifying the bill by removing certain language but acknowledged that the current wording, though not ideal, achieves the goal and should be passed to move forward.
HB78: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:46:58.000 - 9:15:45 AM; The committee member raised a concern about the language 'at the time of his/her election' in the bill, questioning if it still creates the same issue as before. They noted that while the wording is not what they would choose, it does achieve the intended goal and should be passed.
HB78: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:48:19.200 - 9:17:06 AM; The committee member agreed that the bill's wording, though not ideal, accomplishes the necessary changes. They supported moving forward with the bill and passing it.
HB78: Senator Tim Lang, Senate District 2 Support00:49:30.079 - 9:18:17 AM; Senator Lang introduced the bill, explaining that it aims to establish a revolving fund at the county level similar to those used by towns for police and fire departments. The fund would be used to pay for details and the revenue generated from these details would be used to purchase necessary equipment for the police department. He highlighted a situation in Belknap County where the lack of such a fund led to the cessation of details due to fund depletion. The bill would prevent such issues by allowing a self-replenishing fund, thus not requiring additional taxpayer dollars.
HB78: Sheriff Bill Wright, Belknap County, President of the New Hampshire Sheriff's Association Support00:52:09.440 - 9:20:56 AM; Sheriff Wright expressed support for the bill on behalf of all 10 county sheriffs in New Hampshire. He explained that the bill would allow counties to opt into a system where a revolving fund could be established to manage the costs of details without depleting budgeted funds prematurely. He noted the importance of a constant funding source for critical infrastructure projects and the potential for the fund to become self-sustaining after the initial year, thereby reducing reliance on taxpayer money.
HB78: Representative from the Association of Counties Information Only00:58:03.960 - 9:26:50 AM; The representative from the Association of Counties stated that they do not have a position on the bill but participated in the house process on the amendment. They pointed out a minor error in the amendment where 'County delegation' should be replaced with 'County Convention' as per RSA 241, clarifying the correct terminology used in the law.
HB78: Unnamed Committee Member Vote00:59:56.319 - 9:28:43 AM; The committee moved to come out of the executive session and then back into regular session. A motion was made and seconded to pass the bill with an amendment to change 'County delegation' to 'County Convention' on lines 4, 13, 18, and 22. The amendment and the bill as amended were passed with no further discussion. The committee then moved to consent, and Senator Lang was assigned to take the bill forward.
HB78: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only00:59:56.319 - 9:28:43 AM; The speaker was finishing their remarks on the bill HB78 related to elections. The content of their testimony was not captured in the provided snippet.
HB78: Unnamed Committee Member Information Only01:02:24.839 - 9:31:11 AM; The speaker posed a question, but the details of the question were not provided in the snippet.

Gray, James(Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Lang, Timothy(V Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
Rochefort, David(R)[B-]2025	Long, Pat(D)[F]2025