Frequently Asked Questions

We are often asked questions about whether or not a specific industry or company needs a lobbyist. The FAQs below should help answer some of those top level questions. If you still have questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Who Lobbies?

At different levels, we are all lobbyists. You may lobby your local bar to bring in your favorite beer or lobby a co-worker to support your proposal. A lobbyist at the legislative level is registered with the NH Secretary of State to represent a client or clients and takes part in organized conversation designed to influence legislators.

Who Regulates Lobbying?

New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Title I - The State and Its Government, Chapter 15 – Lobbyists regulates lobbyist activity and provides for the NH Secretary of State to require the filing of regular public reports about all lobbying activity. https://sos.nh.gov/administration/ethics/lobbyists/

What Can A Lobbyist do for You?

Cultivating political influence will enable you to be everywhere, all the time. Engaging in political activity stimulates action in the modern political environment. It can keep the government out of your business, or it can make the government a partner in your business.

It’s important for members of the legislature to understand the needs of its constituents and businesses within the local community. By leveraging contacts with policy makers, NH Government Solutions bridges the gap between the client’s voice and legislative agenda. While the process of assigning a bill to committee is an effective way to allow for a more detailed review of a bill, often there’s not enough time for detailed, granular understanding. NH Government Solutions presents legislators with research about a specific bill in the form of graphs, ROI, public testimony, polls, and reports. This research serves as the backbone of a positive relationship between your company and the state and local government. We are political visionaries, advocates, researchers and effective communicators. We’re here to help your needs be heard.

Government in New Hampshire is unique

New Hampshire has three branches of government. The Legislative Branch, know as the General Court, is composed of the state senators and representatives; the Executive Branch includes the Governor, Executive Councilors and State Agencies; and the Judicial Branch is made up of the courts. Each branch of government is separate from the others yet has some control over and is controlled by the other two. This is known as a system of checks and balances. All three branches derived their powers from the State's Constitution and the Constitution is controlled by the people of the state.

Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch is also known as the General Court of New Hampshire. It consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are 400 Representatives and 24 Senators, making the General Court the second largest legislature in the United States following the U.S. Congress. It is said that only the U.S. congress and the English and Indian Parliaments are larger.

Representatives and Senators write and pass the laws of the state. In New Hampshire, members of the General Court are elected every two years, meeting in annual sessions beginning in January of each year. New Hampshire takes pride in its Citizen Legislature, so called because members to the General Court are not professional politicians, but come from a variety of occupations. Professions of members include the self-employed, retired, homemakers, students, and lawyers. For their time and effort they are paid $200 per term plus milage costs. Because of their added duties, the Speaker of the House and the Senate President receive $250 per term.

Executive Branch

The Executive Branch consists of the Governor, Executive Councilors, and state agencies. This branch enacts and enforces the laws of the state.

The Governor is the supreme executive and shall be called His or Her Excellency. According to the state's constitution, the Governor is responsible for the faithful execution of the law. This responsibility is met with the assistance of the Executive Council and state agencies. New Hampshire is unique because of the five member Executive Council who work with, advise, and share the governor's responsibilities. The Governor nominates and the Council and Governor appoint people to fill positions of agency directors and commissioners, judges and the Attorney General. The Governor and Executive Council are responsible for awarding state contracts. Either one shall have a negative on the other, allowing the Council to veto the Governor's actions. While a few other states have Executive Councils (Massachusetts for example), they exist in an advisory capacity only. In New Hampshire, the Executive Council has a strong check on the Governor's power. Both the Governor and Councilors are elected to two year terms. State agencies work under the direction of the Governor. The heads of the agencies are appointed by the Governor and Council but because of their terms of office, they may work under a different Governor and Council than the one that appointed them. The functions of the agencies are defined by the laws passed by the legislature and by executive order of the Governor. The responsibilities of state agencies include public health and safety, education, cultural affairs, environmental protection and economic development. Agencies promulgate rules to assist them in carrying out their duties. The rules have the force of law.

How Does A Bill Become a Law in New Hampshire?

An idea for change or improvement in the laws of New Hampshire must first be drafted into a bill in proper form and language. Draft bills come from the 400 elected Representatives to the General court and the 24 members of the New Hampshire Senate. Heads of state agencies, the Governor, a private citizen, or interest group that wishes to propose legislation must find a sponsor in the legislative body to submit their suggestion to Legislative Services for drafting. All drafted bills must be approved and signed by the sponsoring legislator; all co-sponsors must also approve and sign the drafted bill.

How the Bill is presented to the Legislature

The drafted bill is first given to the Clerk of the Senate or House - to whichever body the sponsor belongs. The bill is introduced when the House adopts a motion referring to bills by number only, in accordance with the list in the possession of the Clerk. The bill is read twice in the early session; it is then assigned to a committee and sent to be printed. The President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House assigns the bill to a standing committee. The choice of this committee is made on the basis of subject matter, as outlined in Rules of the House covering the jurisdictions of the standing committees.

The New Hampshire Constitution provides that all money bills (those imposing new means to raise money) must originate in the House; but the Senate may propose, or concur with, amendments, as on other bills.

Standing Committees

Standing committees for the House and Senate are appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate respectively. Appointments to committees are made by the President or Speaker, with the advice of the minority party floor leader.

The Bill and Committee Hearings

Every bill introduced and referred to a committee must have a public hearing unless the rules are suspended by two-thirds of the members present. New Hampshire is one of the few states requiring a public hearing on all bills.

Testimony at and Conduct of Committee Hearings

The Chairman announces the number and title of the bill at the beginning of the hearing. People wishing to testify before the committee are required to rise, address the Chairman, give their names, addresses and, if appearing as a lobbyist, state such to the Clerk. Those in favor of the bill and those against the bill alternate in speaking at all hearings. Those wishing to speak leave their names with the Committee Clerk and are called in order.

The Chairman has the duty to call to order a speaker not keeping remarks to the point. The purpose of a public hearing is to give testimony and information, not to argue or inquire. The length of time allowed any one speaker may be limited by the committee. If a citizen cannot be present at a hearing a written statement may be submitted to the Clerk of the committee. Only committee members may ask questions of the speaker. Speakers may not ask questions of the committee or other speakers. Anyone may submit amendments to a bill. It is advisable that any such amendment, pertinent information or testimony should be duplicated so that all committee members will have a copy. When all persons have been heard, the Chairman declares the public hearing closed.

The Bill and Committee Deliberation

Committee deliberation and decision is done in executive session. A majority must be present in order to take action. The public may observe committees in executive session as they take their final vote on a bill.

A report is submitted to the Clerk of the Senate or House entitled "Ought to pass," "Ought to pass as amended," "Inexpedient to legislate," "Refer to interim study," or "Re-refer to Committee." Re-refer to committee shall be a committee report only in the first year session; Refer to interim study shall be a committee report only in the second year session. This report reflects the majority decision of those at the committee deliberation

The Bill on the Floor of the House or Senate

All bills may be acted upon the day after the committee report appears in the House Calendar. Any amendments proposed by the committee which make material changes in the original bill must be printed in the calendar.

Action on bills is taken on the second reading on the floor of the House or Senate. Debate, if any, is held and amendments are made at this time.

A bill is considered killed when the House or Senate votes to adopt the committee report of "Inexpedient to legislate," or when a motion from the floor to "Indefinitely postpone" is adopted.

After a bill has passed the body of the Legislature in which it originated, it is sent on to the other body where it goes through similar procedures, except for bills containing an appropriation.

Appropriation Bills

All bills appropriating money are sent to the House Appropriations Committee, or to the Senate Finance Committee, either as an initial step, or after favorable floor action on bills sent to other committees. The Appropriations or Finance Committee then goes through the same procedure of a public hearing and a committee report.

Amended Bills

Every bill must be passed in identical form by each of the two bodies, Senate and House, before it is sent to the Governor.

If a bill has been amended by the non-originating body, it is sent back to the originating body for concurrence. At this point, there are three options:

• The originating body concurs, or agrees, and the bill is sent to the Governor.
• The originating body nonconcurs, or does not agree, and requests a Committee of Conference between the two bodies. In this case, the Senate President and the House Speaker normally appoint a conference committee of members of both houses to work out a compromise.
• The originating body does not concur, no Committee of Conference is requested, and the bill dies.

All reports of conference committees must be distributed to the members of each body before action can be taken. The originating body acts first on a conference committee report.

Enrolled Bills

When a bill has passed both houses, it is sent to the Committee on Enrolled Bills for the purpose of enrolling. This committee carefully examines the bill for clerical errors or formal imperfections. In case of such errors, it reports them back to both houses for amendment in those particulars only.

Once the enrolling reports are read in each house, the bill is signed by the Senate President or the Speaker of the House. (This is an administrative function only and does not carry power of veto by refusal.) The bill is then forwarded to the Secretary of State. The bill is transmitted to the Governor by the Secretary of State. It may be recalled from the Governor any time before it is acted upon, by a majority vote of the Senate or House, whichever last had possession.

The Final Acceptance or Rejection of a Bill

If the legislature has not adjourned, the Governor has five days in which to sign the bill, veto the bill, or allow the measure to pass without signature. When the bill is signed, it becomes law; if it is neither signed nor vetoed, it becomes law without signature.

If the bill is vetoed, it returns to the body where it originated, with a veto message. This veto, to be overturned, must have a two-thirds roll call vote in each body. It then becomes law without the Governor’s signature. Without the two-thirds affirmative vote in both bodies, the veto is upheld.

If the Legislature has adjourned, the Governor has five days (excluding Sundays and holidays) in which to sign the bill. If it is not signed, the bill dies. This is the "pocket veto." Each bill carries in its final paragraphs the specific date that it is to go into effect.