HB 359 - AS INTRODUCED

2023 SESSION

23-0240

08/10

HOUSE BILL 359

SPONSORS: Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Wheeler, Hills. 33; Rep. Horrigan, Straf. 10; Rep. Kenney, Straf. 10; Rep. Hamblet, Rock. 26

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

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ANALYSIS

This bill clarifies the effect of designating a day a legal holiday and makes the days on which the state primary preceding a biennial election and the quadrennial presidential primary are held legal holidays.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

23-0240

08/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three

AN ACT relative to legal holidays.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Legal Holidays; Primaries and General Election Days. Amend RSA 288:1 to read as follows:

288:1 Holidays. January 1; the third Monday in January, known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day; the third Monday in February, known as Washington's Birthday; the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day or, on a date to coincide with the federal observance if it is held on a different day; July 4, known as Independence Day; the first Monday in September, known as Labor Day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus Day; the day on which the state primary preceding a biennial election is held; the day on which the quadrennial presidential primary is held; the day on which the biennial election is held; November 11, known as Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day, whenever appointed; and Christmas Day are legal holidays.

2 New Section; Effect of Legal Holiday Designation. Amend RSA 288 by inserting after section 1 the following new section:

288:1-a Effect of Legal Holiday Designation.

I. Any state office, city, town, school district, and community college or university which is supported by the state, shall not be open for regular purposes on a legal holiday, as established in RSA 288:1. This section shall not apply to employees of such governmental units that, if so deemed by such governmental units, are necessary to carry out essential governmental services, including the primary and general elections. Nothing in this section shall prevent the designation of an alternative holiday or leave schedule pursuant to statute or the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

II. All other employers shall, when practicable, allow employees up to 3 hours away from work to cast ballots in biennial primary, the quadrennial presidential primary, and general election days.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.