TITLE I
THE STATE AND ITS GOVERNMENT

Chapter 19-K
LEGISLATIVE YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

Section 19-K:1

    19-K:1 Legislative Youth Advisory Council Established. – A legislative youth advisory council is established to examine issues of importance to youth, such as education, employment, strategies to increase youth participation in local and state government, safe environments for youth, substance abuse, emotional and physical health, foster care, poverty, homelessness, and youth access to state and local services. The council shall advise the legislature on these issues and shall submit an annual report with any recommendations for future legislation.

Source. 2006, 270:1, eff. Aug. 8, 2006.

Section 19-K:2

    19-K:2 Membership. –
The council shall consist of 21 members, one of whom shall be a member of the house of representatives and one of whom shall be a member of the senate. The remaining 19 members shall be between the ages of 15 and 22, and either secondary students or postsecondary youth. Secondary students may attend a public, charter, or private school, be home schooled, or be enrolled in a program that leads to a high school equivalency certificate. Postsecondary youth may attend a 2 or 4-year New Hampshire college, university, private post secondary career school, or other New Hampshire training or education program, or be a member of the New Hampshire workforce.
I. The president of the senate shall appoint the following 7 members:
(a) Four secondary students.
(b) Two postsecondary youth.
(c) One member of the senate.
II. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the following 8 members:
(a) Four secondary students.
(b) Three postsecondary youth.
(c) One member of the house of representatives.
III. The governor shall appoint the following 3 members:
(a) Two secondary students.
(b) One postsecondary youth.
IV. The secretary of state shall appoint the following 3 members:
(a) Two secondary students.
(b) One postsecondary youth.
V. The appointing authorities shall make appointments that foster geographic and socioeconomic diversity among council members. The legislative members of the council shall serve a term coterminous with their term in office. Nonlegislative members shall serve 2-year terms and may be reappointed. Except for legislative members, no member shall serve on the council for more than 4 years. The council year shall begin on August 1 and end on July 31 of the following year.
VI. If a member misses 3 consecutive meetings, without cause, the council may request that the appointing authority appoint a replacement member. Upon appointment of the replacement, the prior appointment shall terminate and the replacement shall serve for the remainder of the prior member's term.

Source. 2006, 270:1. 2009, 36:1, eff. May 15, 2009. 2018, 19:1, eff. July 14, 2018.

Section 19-K:3

    19-K:3 Duties. –
The council shall perform the following duties:
I. Advise the legislature, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives on proposed or pending legislation, state budget expenditures, and policy matters of concern to youth.
II. Advise the joint standing committees of the legislature and legislative study committees, commissions, and task forces on issues of concern to youth.
III. Conduct an annual seminar for council members regarding leadership, government, and the legislature.
IV. Meet no fewer than 4 times per year on issues of importance to youth as the council deems necessary. Two of these meetings shall be in person. All other meetings may be remote. At the discretion of the co-chairs, regional subcommittees may be established.
V. Communicate with other councils.
VI. File an annual report of its activities, including any recommendations for proposed legislation, on or before November 1 of each year with the speaker of the house, the senate president, the governor, the secretary of state, the house clerk, and the state library.

Source. 2006, 270:1. 2008, 30:1, eff. July 11 2008. 2018, 19:1, eff. July 14, 2018. 2022, 29:1, eff. June 17, 2022.

Section 19-K:4

    19-K:4 Council Administration. –
I. The council member from the house of representatives shall serve as the co-chair of the council and shall call the first meeting of the council. At the first meeting after the annual seminar, the members shall elect council officers, including one youth member who shall serve as co-chair of the council for a term of one year. Prior to leaving office, council officers shall submit transactional documents to their successor through the legislative co-chair.
II. The council shall set priorities, determine the function of any subcommittees, and adopt procedures and rules governing the council's meetings and activities.
III. The council may provide testimony on legislation pending before the legislature.
IV. Members of the council shall not be compensated, except that legislative members of the council shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the council.
V. Meetings of the council shall be open to the public, and all records of the council shall be public records. A complete archive of the council's records shall be kept in the house clerk's office.
VI. The office of the speaker of the house of representatives and the office of the senate president may provide staff assistance to the council.

Source. 2006, 270:1. 2008, 30:2, 3, eff. July 11, 2008. 2018, 19:2, 3, eff. July 14, 2018.

Section 19-K:5

    19-K:5 Repealed by 2017, 195:14, eff. Sept. 3, 2017. –