2023-2024 Legislative Policy Process Update

The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.

                                  FLOOR POLICIES DUE:  August 12                                                POLICY CONFERENCE:  September 23

NHMA’s legislative policy process is moving forward!  Members received by regular mail in early June the links to the proposed 2023-2024 Legislative Policy Positions and Legislative Principles, as recommended by NHMA’s three policy committees. NHMA members will have an opportunity to vote on these proposals at the Legislative Policy Conference on September 23. We urge each municipality’s governing body, prior to the Legislative Policy Conference, to vote a position on the recommendations and floor proposals (see below) to provide direction to your voting delegate at the conference. Otherwise, your delegate is free to cast your municipality’s vote as he or she chooses.

In addition, any municipality with an interest in proposing an additional policy may do so through the floor policy process, described below. We will be providing a copy of those floor policy proposals to members in advance of the policy conference.

NOTE:  Please do not send your governing body’s vote results or positions to NHMA. Your governing body’s discussions and votes are only for the direction of your voting delegate. The only way a municipality may vote on these policies is to send a voting delegate to the policy conference on September 23.

 Floor Proposals - August 12, 2022

The deadline for submitting floor proposals is Friday, August 12.  A floor proposal will be accepted only if it is approved by a majority vote of the governing body (select board, aldermen, or council) of the town or city submitting the proposal, is submitted in writing, and is received no later than August 12.  After that date, we will send all floor proposals received to each municipality so there will be an opportunity to take a position on them before the Legislative Policy Conference.  Floor proposals may be submitted using the Floor Policy Proposal form, which is also available on the NHMA website under “Advocacy/Policy Setting Process.”

To submit a floor policy proposal, please e-mail it to governmentaffairs@nhmunicipal.org, or mail it to NHMA, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, NH  03301. 

 Legislative Policy Conference- September 23, 2022

The 2023-2024 NHMA Legislative Policy Conference will be held on Friday, September 23, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. at our offices at 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, NH 03303. This is an in-person event. Each member municipality will be asked to appoint a voting delegate to cast its vote at this conference.  Each member municipality, regardless of size, has one vote on all policy matters. About six weeks before the conference, municipal officials will be able to register online as voting delegates. We will send out a reminder email at that time.  

In the absence of any other designation by the select board, aldermen, or council, NHMA will recognize one official as a municipality’s voting delegate in the following order of priority:

 Mayor/Chair of Board of Selectmen/Council Chair
OR
Mayor Pro Tem/Vice or Assistant Mayor/Council Vice Chair
OR
Selectman/Alderman/Councilor
OR
City or Town Manager/Town Administrator/Administrative Assistant

NHMA’s bylaws require a two-thirds affirmative vote of those members present and voting for approval of any NHMA legislative policy or principle.