New Hampshire HB 1355: relative to eliminating the default budget from the official ballot referenda.

Bill Text

HB 1355 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

12Mar2026... 0695h

2026 SESSION

 26-3060

 09/08

HOUSE BILL 1355

AN ACT relative to eliminating the default budget from the official ballot referenda.

SPONSORS: Rep. Noble, Hills. 2; Rep. Ammon, Hills. 42; Rep. Aures, Merr. 13; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44; Rep. Drago, Rock. 4; Rep. Labrie, Hills. 2; Rep. Layon, Rock. 13; Rep. Tom Mannion, Hills. 1; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

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ANALYSIS

 This bill eliminates the inclusion of a default budget in an operating budget warrant article for towns that use the official ballot referenda form of meeting. This bill further changes the procedures for what occurs should the operating budget warrant article fail.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

12Mar2026... 0695h 26-3060

 09/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to eliminating the default budget from the official ballot referenda.

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

 1 Use of Official Ballot; Default Budget. Amend RSA 40:13, IV to read as follows: 

 IV. The first session of the meeting, governed by the provisions of RSA 40:4, 40:4-a, 40:4-b, 40:4-f, and 40:6-40:10, shall consist of explanation, discussion, and debate of each warrant article, including warrant articles pertaining to the operating budget [and the default budget]. A vote to restrict reconsideration shall be deemed to prohibit any further action on the restricted article until the second session, and RSA 40:10, II shall not apply. Warrant articles may be amended at the first session, subject to the following limitations: 

 (a) Warrant articles whose wording is prescribed by law, or warrant articles required or authorized by law to be printed on the official ballot, shall not be amended. 

 (b) Warrant articles that are amended shall be placed on the official ballot for a final vote on the main motion, as amended. 

 (c) No warrant article shall be amended to eliminate the subject matter of the article or to change the purpose of a petitioned warrant article. An amendment that changes the dollar amount of an appropriation in a warrant article shall not be deemed to violate this subparagraph. 

 2 Use of Official Ballot; Default Budget. Amend RSA 40:13, IX - XI-a to read as follows: 

 IX.[(a)] "Operating budget" as used in this subdivision means "budget," as defined in RSA 32:3, III, exclusive of "special warrant articles," as defined in RSA 32:3, VI, and exclusive of other appropriations voted separately. 

 [(b) "Default budget" as used in this subdivision means the amount of the same appropriations as contained in the operating budget authorized for the previous year, reduced and increased, as the case may be, by debt service, contracts, and other obligations previously incurred or mandated by law, and reduced by one-time expenditures contained in the operating budget and by salaries and benefits of positions that have been eliminated in the proposed budget. For the purposes of this paragraph, one-time expenditures shall be appropriations not likely to recur in the succeeding budget, and eliminated positions shall not include vacant positions under recruitment or positions redefined in the proposed operating budget, as determined by the governing body, unless the provisions of RSA 40:14-b are adopted, of the local political subdivision. In calculating the default budget amount, the governing body shall follow the statutory formula which may result in a higher or lower amount than the proposed operating budget. 

 (c) "Contracts" as used in this subdivision means contracts previously approved, in the amount so approved, by the legislative body in either the operating budget authorized for the previous year or in a separate warrant article for a previous year.] 

 X. If no operating budget article is adopted, the local political subdivision either shall be deemed to have approved [the default budget] an operating budget equal to the previous year’s approved operating budget or the governing body may hold a special meeting pursuant to paragraph XVI to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only; provided that RSA 31:5 and RSA 197:3 shall not apply to such a special meeting. If no operating budget article is adopted the estimated revenues shall nevertheless be deemed to have been approved. 

 XI.[(a) The default budget shall be disclosed and presented for questions and discussion at the first budget hearing held pursuant to RSA 32:5 or RSA 197:6. The gove