SB230: requiring the attorney general to hire staff to supervise election law, campaign finance law, and lobbying matters.

SB 230-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2019 SESSION

19-0985

05/10

SENATE BILL 230-FN

AN ACT requiring the attorney general to hire staff to supervise election law, campaign finance law, and lobbying matters.

SPONSORS: Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 5; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Rep. Ebel, Merr. 5

COMMITTEE: Election Law and Municipal Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill authorizes the attorney general to hire 2 additional attorneys, an investigator, and an investigative paralegal to be assigned to campaign finance, election law, and lobbying matters, in the civil law bureau.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19-0985

05/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen

AN ACT requiring the attorney general to hire staff to supervise election law, campaign finance law, and lobbying matters.

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

1 New Paragraph; Department of Justice; Bureau of Civil Law; Authority to Hire Additional Staff for Campaign Finance, Election Law, and Lobbying Matters. Amend RSA 21-M:11 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:

IV. To assist the attorney general in his or her duty to exercise supervision of campaign finance, election law, and lobbying matters, the department of justice may hire:

(a) Two unclassified full-time attorneys assigned the bureau, who shall work exclusively on election law and lobbying matters. The salary for the 2 full-time attorney positions shall be determined after assessment and review of the appropriate temporary letter grade allocation in RSA 94:1-a, I(c) for the position which shall be conducted pursuant to RSA 94:1-d and RSA 14:14-c.

(b) An unclassified full-time investigator assigned to the bureau, who shall work exclusively on, campaign finance, election law, and lobbying matters. The salary for the full-time investigator position shall be established as a salary grade BB.

(c) A classified full-time investigative paralegal assigned to the bureau, who shall work exclusively on campaign finance, election law, and lobbying matters. The classification shall be a paralegal II, labor grade 19.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.

LBAO

19-0985

1/18/19

SB 230-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT requiring the attorney general to hire staff to supervise election law, campaign finance law, and lobbying matters.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Expenditures

$391,000

$403,000

$415,000

$429,000

Funding Source:

[ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ ] Other

METHODOLOGY:

This bill authorizes the attorney general to hire two additional attorneys, an investigator, and investigative paralegal to be assigned to campaign finance, elections law, and lobbying matters, in the civil law bureau.

The Department of Justice indicates there would be no additional revenue associated with the bill. The Department projected the costs for the additional positions as follows:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

2 Full Time Attorneys

$214,000

$220,000

$222,000

$226,000

1 Full TIme Investigator

$101,000

$105,000

$111,000

$117,000

1 Full Time Investigative Paralegal

$76,000

$78,000

$82,000

$86,000

Total:

$391,000

$403,000

$415,000

$429,000

The amounts above include anticipated costs for equipment, travel, telecommunications and current expenses.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Justice