Amendment vs bill Amendment: #2025-3102s vs Introduced

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SB 301 - AS INTRODUCED 03/27/2025 1147s SESSION 25-1169 08/02 SENATE BILL 301 AN ACT creating a joint legislative oversight committee.
SPONSORS:
McGough, Dist 11;
Gray, Dist 6 November 20, 2025 2025-3102s 08/09 Amendment to SB 301 Amend the title of the bill by replacing it with the following:
Sen.
3 AN ACT relative to the internal reorganization of the department of corrections.
McConkey, Dist 3;
5 Amend the bill by replacing all after the enacting clause with the following:
Sen.
7 1 Internal Organizational Units;
Innis, Dist 7;
Department of Corrections.
Sen.
Amend RSA 21-H:4 to read as follows:
Gannon, Dist 23;
21-H:4 Internal Organizational Units.
Sen.
The department shall include the following internal organizational units performing the following major functions:
Sullivan, Dist 18;
I.
Sen.
The [division of administration, under the supervision of an] unclassified [director of administration,] chief financial and operating officer [who] shall, in accordance with applicable laws, be responsible for:
Rochefort, Dist 1;
(a) Accounting, purchasing, and budget control.
Sen.
(b) Property, contracts, and grant management.
Pearl, Dist 17;
(c) Assistance to the commissioner with short and long range department-wide planning activities.
Rep.
(d) Logistics, facilities management, and food service.
Sweeney, Rock.
(e) Business information and technology.
25 COMMITTEE:
(f) Other duties assigned by the commissioner.
Executive Departments and Administration ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ANALYSIS This bill creates a joint legislative oversight committee.
I-a.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Explanation:
The unclassified director of personnel and information shall be renamed the director of operations and project management and shall report directly to the chief financial and operating officer.
Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
II.
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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
The division of field services, under the supervision of an unclassified director of field services, who shall, in accordance with applicable laws, be responsible for:
SB 301 - AS INTRODUCED 03/27/2025 1147s 25-1169 08/02 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five AN ACT creating a joint legislative oversight committee.
(a) Supervising adults placed on probation and [residents] inmates placed on parole.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
(b) Collection of restitution from individuals under the department's supervision.
1 New Chapter;
[(c) The victim-offender dialogue program, which shall be a victim-initiated, voluntary program to assist crime victims who seek access to restorative justice programs as provided under RSA 21-M:8-k, II(u), under the direction of the victim services coordinator, who shall:
Joint Legislative Oversight Committee.
(1) Implement and oversee the program.
Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 17-S the following new chapter:
Amendment to SB 301 - Page 2 - (2) Advocate for the rights of crime victims.
CHAPTER 17-T JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE 17-T:1 Committee Established.
(3) Provide corrections-based victim services including but not limited to:
There is hereby established a committee to be known as the joint standing oversight committee.
(A) Notification of offender status changes.
The committee shall consist of 2 members designated by the governor, 6 members of the senate appointed by the president in consultation with the minority leader, with no more than 3 members of any one party, and 6 members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker in consultation with the minority leader, with no more than 3 members of any one party.
(B) Victim-initiated victim-offender dialogue.
The president of the senate and the speaker of the house may, at any time, appoint alternate senate and house members to replace regular members who are unable to appear at a committee meeting.
(C) Advocacy, safety, and support for victims during reduced custody, offender re-entry, and hearings of the adult parole board.
The legislative members shall serve for the balance of their elected terms and the representatives of the governor shall serve for the balance of the term of the governor.
Participation in the program shall not affect the court's decision relative to sentencing, parole, or other types of supervised or unsupervised release programs.] III.
The committee shall choose a chair, vice-chair and clerk from among its members.
The division of medical and [psychiatric] forensic services, under the joint supervision of a medical director and an unclassified non-medical director, who shall respectively have the duties and responsibilities provided in RSA 622:43, and who shall act in an advisory and coordinative capacity in assisting other agencies and activities in the provision of mental health and psychiatric services to persons involved in the criminal justice system.
The members shall receive no compensation for their services, but the legislative members shall receive legislative mileage while on official business.
IV.
Each member shall be reimbursed for his expenses incurred on official business.
The [division] bureau of investigations and professional standards, under the supervision of [an unclassified director] a classified bureau chief of investigations of professional standards, who shall, in accordance with applicable laws:
17-T:2 Powers and Duties.
(a) Conduct and supervise investigations and audits relating to all aspects of the operations and programs of the department, including but not limited to, complaints and grievances.
The committee shall conduct independent audits and investigations into the operations of state agencies.
(b) [Coordinate and recommend policies designed to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of the department, and to detect and prevent fraud and abuse in departmental programs and operations.
The committee may issue subpoenas, compel document production, and require agency officials to testify, ensuring comprehensive access to the information necessary for effective oversight.
(c)] Advise the commissioner concerning problems or deficiencies relating to the administration of departmental programs and operations, and provide advice on the necessity for, and progress of, correctional action.
The committee shall conduct regular reviews, hold public hearings, and when necessary, engage experts to support specialized investigations.
[(d)] (c) Perform other duties as assigned by the commissioner.
The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall refer such matters as they see fit to the committee for investigation or hearing.
V.
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17-T:3 Reports.
The [division of personnel and information,] human resources bureau under the direction of [an unclassified director of personnel and information] an unclassified human resources director, who shall, in accordance with applicable laws, be responsible for the following functions:
An oversight report shall be submitted at intervals determined by the committee, but no less than once a biennium on or before December 1 in each even numbered year.
(a) Personnel management, recruitment, and retention.
The committee shall deliver the report to the governor and council and the presiding officer of each house.
The department shall develop a program for the recruitment, selection, placement, and retention of qualified applicants for the New Hampshire department of corrections.
The report shall be a public document available to the public.
(1) The program may include expenditures for recruitment and retention activities and incentives, including but not limited to:
2 Effective Date.
(A) National Corrections Professionals Week recognition activities at all departmental sites to support employee retention, which may include a paid meal for the site during the week, physical awards and gift cards with a value of less than $25 as performance incentives Amendment to SB 301 - Page 3 - based on departmental policies for employee recognition, and items issued to employees that are within the financial scope of the department's current expense appropriations in expenditure class 020.
This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
(B) Referral fees or bonuses for active employees or newly hired applicants who have not been employed by the state through a policy approved by the commissioner.
(2) Any recruitment or retention incentives received by an employee pursuant to this subparagraph shall not be considered gifts under RSA 15-B.
(3) Referral of applicants by current department employees for the purpose of receiving a referral fee pursuant to this subparagraph shall not be considered a misuse of position under RSA 21-G:23, provided that any rules adopted by the commissioner and any directives issued by the director regarding the referral program shall require that the benefits of the program shall be equally available to all department employees, except as specified in subparagraph (1)(B), and subject to uniform criteria established by the director.
(4) Any expenditures made for recruitment or retention incentives pursuant to this subparagraph shall be considered a matter of legislatively-enacted public policy designed to benefit employees and the state, and that is confined exclusively to the public employer by statute as provided in RSA 273-A:1, XI, and which shall not be subject to collective bargaining.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to invalidate any portion of a collective bargaining agreement entered into by the state.
(b) [Employee training and development.
(c) Internal and external communications, including management of the department's public communications portals.
(d) Business information and technology.
(e)] Other duties as assigned by the commissioner.
(c) Upon completion of the appointment of the position identified in paragraph VII, the following position shall be abolished to allow for the transition of these classified positions with their available appropriations into unclassified positions.
Funding shall be transferred into expenditure class 011, within accounting unit 02-46-46-461510-6529.
The incumbent in the abolished classified position shall be offered the opportunity to seek the commissioner's appointment to the unclassified position of 11-3120 Human Resources Managers-6, #12917.
VI.
The division of rehabilitative services, under the supervision of an unclassified director of rehabilitative services, who shall, in accordance with applicable laws:
(a) Direct and oversee departmental rehabilitative services for [residents] inmates to prepare them for release from institutional settings into the community.
Amendment to SB 301 - Page 4 - (b) Coordinate with community organizations to provide a continuity of rehabilitative services for individuals under probation or parole supervision in order to achieve stability within the community and reduce recidivism.
(c) Operate and administer all transitional work and housing units where [residents] inmates are assigned for minimum security and work release.
(d) Serve as the primary liaison between the department and community-based service providers, and municipal, county, and state entities with common issues and responsibilities, including educational and vocational or career-path opportunities.
(e) Work with the department of justice and other state and federal agencies to identify, secure, and manage grant funds to supplement services available to individuals under departmental supervision, including but not limited to housing and employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and medical and prescription services.
VII.
The division of communications and external affairs, under the supervision of an unclassified director of communications and external affairs, who shall, in accordance with applicable laws be responsible for:
(a) Internal and external communications, including management of the department's public communications portals.
(b) The victim-offender dialogue program, which shall be a victim-initiated, voluntary program to assist crime victims who seek access to restorative justice programs as provided under RSA 21-M:8-k, II(u), under the direction of the victim services coordinator, who shall:
(1) Implement and oversee the program.
(2) Advocate for the rights of crime victims.
(3) Provide corrections-based victim services including but not limited to:
(A) Notification of offender status changes.
(B) Victim-initiated victim offender dialogue.
(C) Advocacy, safety, and support for victims during reduced custody, offender re-entry, and hearings of the adult parole board.
Participation in the program shall not affect the court's decision relative to sentencing, parole, or other types of supervised or unsupervised release programs.
(c) Coordinate and recommend policies designed to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of the department, and to detect and prevent fraud and abuse in departmental programs and operations.
(d) Provide legislative oversight for the department.
(e) Other duties as assigned by the commissioner.
(f) Upon completion of the appointment of the position identified in paragraph VII, the following position shall be abolished to allow for the transition of these classified Amendment to SB 301 - Page 5 - positions with their available operations into unclassified positions.
Funding shall be transferred into class 011, within accounting unit 02-46-46-460010-7101.
The incumbent in the abolished classified position shall be offered the opportunity to seek the commissioner's appointment to the unclassified position of Administrator III (Legislative and Public Policy Administrator) #18467.
VIII.
The bureau of training under the direction of a classified training bureau chief, who shall, in accordance with applicable laws, be responsible for employee training and development.
2 Commissioner and Other Department Officials;
Department of Corrections.
Amend RSA 21- H:6 to read as follows:
21-H:6 Commissioner and Other Department Officials;
Appointment;
Term.
I.
The commissioner of the department shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the council, and shall serve for a term of 4 years from the date of appointment and until a successor is appointed.
II.
[The commissioner of the department shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with the consent of the council, an assistant commissioner who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
III.
The commissioner shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with the consent of the council, a professional standards director who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
IV.
The commissioner shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with the consent of the council, a director of personnel and information who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
IV-a.
The commissioner shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with the consent of the council, a director of rehabilitative services who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
V.
The commissioner shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with consent of the council, each division director and warden of all the New Hampshire state prisons.
All division directors and the wardens shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
VI.
The commissioner of the department shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with the consent of the council, physicians, and dentists who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
VII.] There shall be established within the department the following unclassified positions.
(a) The commissioner of the department shall nominate for appointment by the governor, with the consent of the council, 2 assistant commissioners who shall serve for a term of 4 years from the date of appointment and until a successor is appointed.
Notwithstanding RSA 100-A:3 or any other law to the contrary, membership in the retirement system shall be optional.
If the incumbent opts to become a member of the Amendment to SB 301 - Page 6 - retirement system, the incumbent may enroll as a group II member if he or she was a group II member or was receiving a group II retirement allowance prior to appointment.
(b) The commissioner shall appoint a person to each unclassified position authorized by the legislature.
The annual salary of such unclassified employees shall be as prescribed in RSA 94:1-a and RSA 94:3-b, II.
The provisions of RSA 21:33-a shall not apply to appointments made under this subparagraph.
(c) Each person appointed under subparagraph (b) shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
III.
Wardens, physicians, and dentists may be assigned to any correctional facility at the discretion of the commissioner.
IV.
The commissioner shall nominate for appointment a director of field services who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
Notwithstanding RSA 100-A:3 or any other law to the contrary, membership in the retirement system shall be optional.
If the incumbent opts to become a member of the retirement system, the incumbent may enroll as a group II member if he or she was a group II member or was receiving a group II retirement allowance prior to appointment.
3 Effective Date.
This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
Amendment to SB 301 - Page 7 - 2025-3102s AMENDED ANALYSIS This bill updates the organizational structure of the department of corrections.