HB 1530-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2012 SESSION
05/03
HOUSE BILL 1530-FN
AN ACT relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law
This bill requires the guardian ad litem board to collect and analyze performance data for each guardian ad litem.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
12-2217
05/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve
AN ACT relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subparagraph; Duties of the Guardian Ad Litem Board; Performance Data and Questionnaire. Amend RSA 490-C:4, I by inserting after subparagraph (g) the following new subparagraph:
(h) Collect and analyze performance data for each guardian ad litem certified by the board. The board shall develop a questionnaire to be distributed to each of the parties to cases in which a guardian ad litem is appointed. The questionnaire shall be designed to gauge the parties’ satisfaction with guardian ad litem services and may include questions relative to the guardian ad litem’s performance, legal knowledge, attentiveness, bias and objectivity, and degree of preparedness. The board shall make an annual report summarizing information gathered under this subparagraph, including statistical information gathered from the questionnaires, available to the public.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
12-2217
12/12/11
HB 1530-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Guardian ad Litem Board state this bill will increase state general fund expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2012, $30,282 in FY 2013, $33,005 in FY 2014, $35,994 in FY 2015 and $39,115 in FY 2016. There is no fiscal impact on county and local expenditures, or state, county and local revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Guardian ad Litem Board states this bill requires the Board to collect and analyze performance data for each guardian ad litem. The Board assumes each case will have two parties, there will be 139 new appointments each month, an equal number of case closings each month and the Courts will provide the Board with the information on when cases close and contact information for the parties involved in a case. The Board states it would need to add staff time to the existing part-time position in order to meet the requirements of this bill. The Board estimates it will need to spend $215 in staff time (approximately 12 hours at $17.88 per hour) to construct a survey, and develop input forms and reports of the survey data. Ongoing costs would include the envelopes, survey copies, postage and staff time. The Board states staff would need to mail approximately 278 surveys, one for each party in a closed case. The Board estimates the current expense costs to prepare and mail 278 surveys at $260 each month or $3,120 per year. The ongoing staff time to prepare the surveys and complete data entry of each returned survey is estimated at 10.2 hours a week or 530.4 hours a year. Adding this additional time to the existing part-time position will result in the position being eligible for health and dental benefits, with the state paying 80% of the benefits. See table below for new expenditures:
FY 2013 |
FY 2014 |
FY 2015 |
FY 2016 | |
Salary (30.2 hours for LG 19) |
$28,079 |
$29,225 |
$30,481 |
$31,722 |
Benefits |
18,814 |
20,391 |
22,124 |
24,004 |
Current Expenses |
3,120 |
3,120 |
3,120 |
3,120 |
Total |
$50,013 |
$52,736 |
$55,725 |
$58,846 |
Less Budget Appropriation (assume same amount each year) |
(19,731) |
(19,731) |
(19,731) |
(19,731) |
New Expenditures |
$30,282 |
$33,005 |
$35,994 |
$39,115 |
The Board is not able to determine the fiscal impact for FY 2012 because it does not know when this bill might become law, how quickly it will be able to obtain information from the Courts or be ready to start collecting data.
The Judicial Branch states this bill will have no fiscal impact on the Branch.