HB 1355 — relative to eliminating the default budget from the official ballot referenda.

HB 1355 - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED SESSIONBY 26-3060THE 09/08 HOUSE BILL12Mar2026... 1355 AN ACT relative to eliminating the default budget from the official ballot referenda.

0695h SESSION 26-3060 09/08 HOUSE BILL 1355 AN ACT relative to eliminating the default budget from the official ballot referenda.

HB 1355 - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED 26-3060BY 09/08THE STATEHOUSE OF12Mar2026... 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.

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.

(c) No warrant article shall be amended to eliminate the subject matter of the article or to change the purpose of thea petitioned warrant article.

HB 1355 - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE HOUSE - Page 2 - (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, [thethe local political subdivision either shall be deemed to have approved the[the default budget] an operating budget or]equal to the previous year’s approved operating budget or the governing body [may]may shall hold a special meeting pursuant to paragraph XVI to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only;

"Shall the (local political subdivision) raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $ ____________? Should this article be defeated, [thethe default[default] adopted operating budget shall be $ __________, which is the same as last[last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the (local political subdivision) or by law;law] the previous year's adopted budget;

or]or the governing body [may]may shall hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only." HB 1355 - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE HOUSE - Page 3 - XI-a.

Special meetings shall be subject to RSA 31:5, 39:3, 195:13, 197:2, and 197:3, provided that no more than one special meeting may be held to raise and appropriate money for the same question or issue in any one calendar year or fiscal year, whichever applies, and further provided that any special meeting held pursuant to [paragraphs]paragraphs paragraph X [andand XI]XI shall not[not be subject to RSA 31:5 and RSA 197:3 and shall not be counted toward the number of special meetings which may be held in a given calendar or fiscal year.year.] comply with the following:

(a) ForThe the special meeting firstshall sessionnot underbe thissubject paragraph,to neitherRSA the31:5 governingand bodyRSA nor197:3 budgetand committee shall propose,not norbe shallcounted thetoward legislative body make an amendment, such that the operatingnumber budgetof isspecial highermeetings thanwhich themay operatingbe budgetheld whichin faileda duringgiven thecalendar annualor meetingfiscal secondyear. session balloting.

(b) IfThe nofirst operatingsession budgetof article is adopted via the special meeting secondwarned sessionfor ballota questiondate undernot thisfewer paragraph,than the20 adopteddays budgetnor shallmore bethan the30 previousdays year’sfollowing adoptedthe budgetsecond reducedsession byof 10the percent.annual meeting.

(c) The wordingsecond session of the secondspecial sessionmeeting ballotwarned questionfor ofa thedate specialnot meetingfewer underthan this15 paragraphdays concerningnor more than 30 days following the operatingfirst budgetsession shallof bethe asspecial follows:meeting.

"Shall(d) At the (localfirst politicalsession subdivision)of raisethe and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrantmeeting articlesunder andthis otherparagraph, appropriationsneither voted separately, the amountsgoverning setbody forthnor on the budget postedcommittee withshall thepropose, warrantnor orshall as amended by vote of the firstlegislative sessionbody ofmake thean specialamendment, meeting,such forthat the purposesoperating setbudget forthis therein,higher totalingthan $ HB 1355 - AS INTRODUCED - Page 4 - ____________? Should this article be defeated, the adoptedoperating budget shall be $ __________, which isfailed 10at percent lower than the previoussecond year’ssession adoptedof operatingthe budget."annual 4meeting. Municipal Budget Law;

(e) If no operating budget article is adopted at the special meeting, the local political subdivision shall be deemed to have approved an operating budget equal to the previous year’s approved operating budget.

HB 1355 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE - Page 4 - (f) The ballot question for the operating budget at the second session of the special meeting shall read as follows:

"Shall the (local political subdivision) raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session of the special meeting, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $ ____________? Should this article be defeated, the adopted operating budget shall be $ __________, which is the same as the previous year’s adopted budget.” 4 Municipal Budget Law;