Critical Action on Legislation

Here are the NH House bills that need your immediate attention, as they are going to be voted on this Wed-Friday, April 7-9, 2021. Please write your Representatives (<– click to locate) to weigh on on these bills, listed below. (Please also see additional bills to be voted on, listed on the following pages: ReopenNH | Health Freedom NH).

HCR2 [SUPPORT] – concurrent resolution to end state of emergency (SoE), RSA 445 – statutes allowing SoE by Governor – so Legislature can end SoE this way, without Governor’s signature. HCR2 was “retained” until perhaps September. Attempting a different approach with House Leadership, via state budget provisions which may be easier to get through Senate. Budget vote to take place this Wednesday. Look at people who voted against HB63 (end business fines for not following orders) for outreach efforts.

HB2 [SUPPORT] (budget policy bill, accompanies HB1A [SUPPORT]) – see docket, see amendments, replacing original bill, 3 sections in question that would overturn SoE:
  • Section 76 – SoE shall terminate automatically after 21 days, saying Governor can only renew SoE only once without authorization from Legislature (unless legislature is incapacitated and cannot meet)
  • Section 77 – allows Legislature to create nominal SoE, as a way to qualify for federal SoE funding (primarily continuing food stamps) – does not cede any power to governor
  • Section 332 – essentially retaining the text of HB63 (see above) – rescinding and refunding business fines and expunging records. (Offenders were cherrypicked, Andrew said was unconstitutional.) 

HB440 [SUPPORT] – originally was the religious liberty bill, now called The Civil Liberties Defense Act. References March 17 lawsuit, Binford vs Sununu, where court suspended civil liberties (including right to travel and free speech) – Sununu has cited this case since then to support his subsequent edicts. Read bill text here: http://gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billtext.aspx?sy=2021&txtFormat=amend&id=2021-0486H. Has OTP (Ought to Pass) recommendation from Committee, by 11-10.

HB402 [SUPPORT] – relative to taking of private property during SoE – was voted OTP out of committee

HB506 [SUPPORT] – voted ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate) out of committee – makes not wearing a mask or submitting to immunization a protected right, for example going into a business without a mask or having a vaccine passport. Aligns with ADA and other civil liberties rules to which businesses are currently obliged. May do better

HB221 [SUPPORT] – makes vaccine registry an opt-in program… Was voted ITL

HB542 [SUPPORT] – relative to application of SoE to Houses of Worship – i.e. may not hinder these rights – voted OTP out of committee

HB439 [SUPPORT] – relative to powers of city councils – strikes language allowing mask mandates – vote OTP out of committee – may not do role call due to hassling from town officials.

HB417 [SUPPORT] – Voted OTP out of committee – relative to powers of Governor to continue SoE — won’t be needed if HB2 passes

Bills will be crossing over from House to Senate and vice versa next week – battle will continue until June.

Bills in the NH Legislative Pipeline

Please find legislative updates here: https://reopennh.com/2021-bills-were-tracking/.

Complied by Steve MacDonald. This was excerpted from this original article published at Granite Grok.

Currently there are 18 legislative proposals relating to emergency Orders or Emergency powers. Most of them appear focused on limiting the current powers being exercised by His Excellency and or returning more or all the oversight to the Legisalture.

2021-0002HBTitle:relative to the reversal or forgiveness of emergency order violations.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Andrew Prout , Mark Warden, Dave Testerman, Scott Wallace, Bob Greene, Tony Lekas, Josh Yokela, Dawn Johnson, Melissa Blasek, Cody Belanger
2021-0173HBTitle:relative to the emergency powers of the commissioner of health and human services.
 Sponsors: (Prime) William Marsh
2021-0428HBTitle:relative to termination of a state of emergency by simple resolution.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Tony Lekas
2021-0430HBTitle:relative to the emergency management powers of the governor.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Anne Copp
2021-0431HBTitle:relative to termination of a state of emergency during a recess of the legislature.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Andrew Prout
2021-0432HBTitle:relative to termination of an emergency order issued by the governor.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Andrew Prout
2021-0434HBTitle:relative to a state of emergency declaration.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Anne Copp
2021-0483HBTitle:relative to takings of property in a declared emergency.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Michael Sylvia
2021-0497HBTitle:relative to the establishment of a joint legislative emergency executive order oversight committee during a declared state of emergency.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Timothy Lang
2021-0551HBTitle:relative to revenue estimates while operating under emergency orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Norman Major
2021-0597HBTitle:limiting renewal of states of emergency.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Andrew Prout
2021-0613HBTitle:relative to evacuations under a state of emergency.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Tony Lekas
2021-0619HBTitle:limiting the powers of the governor during a declared state of emergency.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Terry Roy
2021-0680HCRTitle:terminating the state of emergency declared by the governor due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
 Sponsors: (Prime) Melissa Blasek
2021-0701HBTitle:establishing a committee to study the time frame that emergency executive orders can remain in effect without concurrence from the legislature.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Michael Harrington
2021-0709HBTitle:relative to state of emergency declarations.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Gary Hopper
2021-0718HBTitle:prohibiting residential evictions and foreclosures during the Covid 19 state of emergency.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Casey Conley
2021-0726HBTitle:relative to the applicability of a state of emergency declaration to a house of worship.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Keith Ammon
2021-0781HBTitle:relative to emergency housing assistance.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Casey Conley
2021-0812HBTitle:relative to the governor’s emergency authority.
 Sponsors: (Prime) Jeffrey Greeson