PFFNH  

 

*The section on Senate Bill 88 includes a full report card of the House votes so that you may see how your Representatives voted

It was an arduous legislative session in New Hampshire this year. I want you to know that the PFFNH worked tirelessly to monitor all pertinent legislation to our pension system, our job, our safety, and our union rights. In the end, the legislation didn’t go exactly how we hoped for, but nonetheless it was a successful session for the PFFNH. 

We began the session with a daunting list of 1300 Legislative Service Requests, of which we determined 149 warranted our attention and participation. The list was then whittled down over time to 23 bills which required stringent monitoring, with three going as far as a committee of conference when the house and senate did not concur with one another. The session has come to a close but we keep working in Concord; HB 876 established a commission to make recommendations for the retirement system. The PFFNH hopes to have representation on the committee and regardless will be present at every single meeting of the committee. 

For many years we staved off Local Government Center (LGC) representation on the New Hampshire Retirement System board of trustees. This session the LGC received a seat on the board via House Bill 653. However, when you look at the number of severely damaging retirement bills proposed, you should see that we had more triumphs than defeats and fared well overall. 

Defeated:

Changing the state from a defined benefit to a defined contribution (401K style) plan

Increasing the retirement age and years of service for Group II retirees

Eliminating the Special Account

Triumphed:

Our retirement benefit is unchanged

Our retirees will enjoy a modest, but increased 2¼% COLA

The Governor will be signing into law a $100,000 line of duty death benefit established for police and firefighters

Thank you all for the breadth of your support! Thank you for contacting your legislators when we put out the call. Thank you for attending house and senate hearings in uniform when we put out the call. Thank you for your political action contributions (PAC). The PFFNH is a political force in this state and it is because of you. Contact Secretary/Treasurer McQuillen if you want to support, or wish to increase our political action. 

Please read through this information and call if we may be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

David E. Lang

Bills tracked by PFFNH

HB 346 establishing a defined contribution retirement option in the New Hampshire retirement system.

House Voted ITL

HB 562 excluding extra or special duty pay from earnable compensation in the retirement system.

House Voted ITL

HB 568 repealing the option to purchase nonqualified service credit in the New Hampshire retirement system.

House Passed

Senate Voted ITL

HB 569 relative to the retirement age for retirement system group II members.

House Voted ITL

HB 580 relative to certain accidental disability retirement allowances payable to surviving spouses of retired members.

House Voted ITL

HB 594 granting group II retirement system status to certain positions in the department of corrections.

House Retained In Committee

HB 653 (New Title) relative to the determination of benefits, funding, and administration of the New Hampshire retirement system.

House Passed with Amendment

Senate Passed with Amendment

House and Senate Non Concur

Committee of Conference Passed with Amendment

House and Senate voted down the Committee of Conference Report

Governor signed into law June 29, 2007

HB 758 establishing a new state defined contribution retirement plan for new state employees and establishing a committee to study the transition of current employees into the new plan and administration of the new plan.

            House Voted ITL

HB 779 relative to funding of retirement system benefits and supplemental allowances.

Retained In Committee

HB 876 (New Title) establishing a commission to make recommendations to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of the New Hampshire retirement system.

House Passed with Amendment

Senate Passed with Amendment

House and Senate Non Concur

Committee of Conference Passed with Amendment

House and Senate approved the Committee of Conference Report

Awaiting Governor’s signature

SB 88 relative to public employee terms of employment, bargaining units, and dispute resolution.

Senate Passed with Amendment

House Tabled

SB 169 (2nd New Title) establishing a death benefit to be paid to the family of a police officer or firefighter killed in the line of duty and establishing a committee to study the feasibility of establishing a state death benefit for emergency medical technicians killed in the line of duty.

            Senate passed with amendment

            House passed with amendment

            Senate concurred with House amendment

Governor signed into law July 3, 2007

SB 180 relative to local regulation of persons soliciting contributions on streets.

Senate Passed with Amendment

House Inexpedient to Legislate

HB 842 establishing safety requirements and procedures for firefighters.

House Retained in Committee

HB 110 relative to commercial driver licenses when the license holder fails a drug or alcohol test.

House Voted ITL

HB 135 establishing the second Sunday in October as Firefighters Memorial Day.

House Passed with Amendment

Senate Passed

Governor signed into law July 3, 2007

HB 139 (New Title) relative to the reporting of burn injuries.

House Passed with Amendment

Senate Voted ITL

HB 160 relative to the appointment of the executive director of the public employee labor relations board.

House Voted ITL

HB 254 relative to mandatory employer meetings about political and religious beliefs, including beliefs about joining a union.

House Passed with Amendment

Senate Referred to Committee

HB 241 relative to permissible campaign contributions by business organizations and labor unions.

            House Retained in Committee

HB 374 increasing the appropriation to the firemen's relief fund.

            House Retained in Committee

HB 824 establishing a death benefit to be paid to the family of a police officer, firefighter, or highway worker killed in the line of duty.

House Voted ITL

SB 91 (New Title) relative to political contributions by corporations, partnerships, and labor unions.

House Passed with Amendment

Senate Passed with Amendment

House and Senate Non Concur

Committee of Conference Passed with Amendment

            House and Senate voted down the Committee of Conference Report

HB 653 was discussed and debated for nearly 16 hours in the committee of conference; the biggest contention was the Cost of Living Adjustment for our retirees. The house was inclined to deliver a scaled COLA which was to help the pensioners who were at the lower end, below $10,000. The house version actually gave a 1% COLA to the top end pensioners and scaled up to 3% for the lower end wage pensioners. The PFFNH argued unsuccessfully for a COLA for the bottom end earners and suggested two different approaches, one dealt with a flat dollar amount and the other dealing with giving a 3-5% increase to the bottom with a 2 ½ % for everyone else. The house ended up concurring with the Senate and giving a one time COLA of 2 ¼ %. This is the first time in recent memory that the Fiscal Committee did not issue the COLA as prescribed in the Law.

The benefits we receive did not change, however there have been modifications to the pension system.

Some of the Areas that have been modified

Status: Awaiting Governor’s signature

We asked Representative DeJoie to introduce this legislation bringing the state of New Hampshire up to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard of 2 in 2 out. State and local bodies are not required to follow Federal OSHA requirements. 

An explanation of 2 in 2 out:

There must always be at least two firefighters stationed outside during interior structural firefighting, prepared to enter if necessary to rescue the firefighters inside. However, the incident commander has the flexibility to determine whether more than two outside firefighters are necessary when more than two firefighters go inside. In a situation where the burning structure is very large, additional outside firefighters may be warranted to ensure effective assistance and rescue. For example, where the firefighting involves entry from different locations or levels, two outside fire fighters may have to be stationed at each point of entry. (Excerpt from a letter written by Richard E. Fairfax, Acting Director, Directorate of Compliance Programs for OSHA)

Status: House Retained in Committee

This commission will look at and file a report to the Governor with recommendations for improving the financial stability of the NH Retirement System as well as developing a consistent Cost of Living Adjustment. Below you will find a list of areas the commission will examine along with the amended Senate version that the House ultimately concurred with.

Status: Awaiting Governor’s signature

Representative Goley from Manchester introduced an amendment (which was believed to be a compromise), that would remove the evergreen language and leave the bargaining unit reduction at 5 also leave in the safety consideration language. This compromise, we believed was a major issue for a lot of house democrats because they were receiving pressure from their city and town managers.

There is no doubt in my mind or the minds of our Executive Board that this issue was timely, and the right issue to bring forward. The bill was introduced reducing the bargaining unit size from 10 down to 3. For nearly twenty years our members have lost benefits at the hands of the NH Court System. The Cities and Towns have spent countless taxpayer dollars trying water down our rights to collectively bargain. And this time was no different. The Town and City Managers pulled out all stops in scaring state representatives on this issue.

Status: Senate Passed with Amendment

House Tabled

We asked Senator DeVries to introduce this legislation in an effort to enable more locals to conduct boot drives for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The language for the bill was modeled after Texas law which sought the same balance between the municipalities citing safety and lawsuit concerns and the firefighters wishing to support a beloved organization helping families who suffer from Muscular Dystrophy.

The tradition of firefighters raising money for the MDA began over fifty years ago when Boston firefighter, George Graney ran into an old high school friend who had two crippled children and was in desperate need of help. The man was Charlie Crowley, who informed his firefighter friend that his children may not live to be 21 years old as the doctors had diagnosed both the children with muscular dystrophy, an incurable and dreadful disease. Firefighter Graney gathered up twenty other firefighters and rose over $5,000. He made it his life mission to help the families affected by neuromuscular diseases. Since then, firefighters have taken this vision and made it their mission. The passage of SB180 would have made it easier for firefighters to safely raise the funds needed through the now famous “fill the boot” drives that are done throughout our country at intersections, street corners, and other roadways.  

In this legislation we proposed the idea that qualified 501 (c)(3) and 501 (c)(5) who also had proof of $1,000,000 liability insurance be authorized to conduct boot drives after submitting notification to the municipality. Our efforts to find compromise with the municipalities resulted in the amended bill text which put forth greater safety requirements on the charity such as wearing orange vests, being a minimum of eighteen years old and liability insurance sufficient for the municipality and not a specified dollar amount as before. 

Status: Senate Passed with Amendment

House Inexpedient to Legislate

For text on any bill or for the docket please go to: