Monday, January 9, 2017

==Legislative Update, 2017 #01== First minor bill hearings this week.


The rush of new legislation is just starting.

 Howdee everyone,
 
The beginning of the legislative season is here.  See the schedule below for hearings this week. 
 
Action items this week:
None.  You decide. 
 
See more info in Summaries & Full Detail for each bill further below. (includes property owner position, contact info, Talking points, and more).
(to jump right to bill detail, use Control-F, Find).
 
Hearings this week:
01/11/2017 at 10:00 AM    LOB Room 301
HB117, Tax exemption to assist elderly or disability
Level of Response: Email legislators Call Legislators
Property Owner Position: For
 
01/11/2017 at 10:00 AM    LOB Room 301
HB172, Enabling Counties to borrow against anticipated taxes
Level of Response: You Decide
Property Owner Position: You Decide
 
01/11/2017 at 01:15 PM    LOB Room 302
HB279, Smoking on private & commercial property 
Level of Response: You Decide
Property Owner Position: You Decide
 
01/12/2017 at 01:15 PM    LOB Room 302
HB150, property and casualty insurance 
Level of Response: You decide
Property Owner Position: You decide
 
01/12/2017 at 02:15 PM    LOB Room 207
HB129, Repealing the Education Tax Credit
Level of Response: Email legislators
Property Owner Position: Against
 
01/12/2017 at 03:15 PM    LOB Room 302
HB78, Increase penalties for violating property and casualty laws
Level of Response: Email legislators
Property Owner Position: Against
 
Hearings next week:
None scheduled so far
 
 
Further below is:
Bills Updated Status summary:
Full details on all bills above
(Which includes property owner position, contact info, talking points, and more)
 
Love & Light,
Nick Norman
Director of Legislative Affairs
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We only list the committee reports on the most important bills affecting the real estate business.  If you want to get the committee report on one of the other bills contact me & I will show you how to get them on line.  Its not terribly hard to get but not straight ahead either.
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Bills Updated Status summary:
We only list the committee reports on the most important bills affecting the real estate business.  If you want to get the committee report on one of the other bills contact me & I will show you how to get them on line.  It’s not terribly hard to get but not straight ahead either.
 
HB117     
Title: relative to the property tax exemption for improvements to assist persons with disabilities.
Property Owner Position: For
General Status: HOUSE
House Status: IN COMMITTEE
Senate Status: none
 
HB172     
Title: relative to tax anticipation notes in counties.
Property Owner Position: You Decide
General Status: HOUSE
House Status: IN COMMITTEE
Senate Status: none
 
HB279     
Title: relative to smoking on private property.
Property Owner Position: You Decide
General Status: HOUSE
House Status: IN COMMITTEE
Senate Status: none
 
HB150     
Title: relative to property and casualty insurance.
Property Owner Position: You decide
General Status: HOUSE
House Status: IN COMMITTEE
Senate Status: none
 
HB129     
Title: repealing the education tax credit.
Property Owner Position: Against
General Status: HOUSE
House Status: IN COMMITTEE
Senate Status: none
 
HB78     
Title: relative to penalties for violating the insurance laws regarding property and casualty insurance.
Property Owner Position: Against
General Status: HOUSE
House Status: IN COMMITTEE
Senate Status: none ==============================================
Full details on all bills above:
HB117, Tax exemption to assist elderly or disability
01/11/2017 at 10:00 AM    LOB Room 301
Title: Title: relative to the property tax exemption for improvements to assist persons with disabilities.
 
Summary: Provide, upon application, an assessment exemption for improvements for elderly (over 65), improvements can include standby generators.  The bill also makes current statute gender neutral 
 
Property Owner Position: For
 
 
Email to Committee: 
Subject: HB117 
 
Analysis Stated in Bill: 
 
Talking Points:
Allows owner occupiers an offset, from assessment, for the amount of improvements for disabled or elderly .  Similar to current solar exemption.  Section II; the owner should not have to reside in the property for the exception. If a lanldord makes an improvement for an elderly or disabled tenant it should also count. IV should read same year not some year.
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HB172, Enabling Counties to borrow against anticipated taxes
01/11/2017 at 10:00 AM    LOB Room 301
Title: Title: relative to tax anticipation notes in counties.
 
Summary: This bill would give counties the authority to borrow against anticipated taxes for current expenses. We don't see any direct impact on residential landlords.
 
Property Owner Position: You Decide
 
 
Email to Committee: 
Subject: HB172 
 
Analysis Stated in Bill: 
 
Talking Points:
 
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HB279, Smoking on private & commercial property 
01/11/2017 at 01:15 PM    LOB Room 302
Title: Title: relative to smoking on private property.
 
Summary: This bill would amend the indoor smoking act by allowing smoking in privately owned vehicles, whether or not used for private purposes, 
allowing for banning smoking in privately owned premises where the person in charge has banned smoking.
 
The bill would also delete the blanket ban on smoking in grocery stores, cocktail lounges and restaurants. Seemingly, it would leave it up to the person in charge to decide if any of these privately owned facilities would ban smoking.
 
Property Owner Position: You Decide
 
 
Email to Committee: 
Subject: HB279 
 
Analysis Stated in Bill: 
 
Talking Points:
You decide on this one.
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HB150, property and casualty insurance 
01/12/2017 at 01:15 PM    LOB Room 302
Title: Title: relative to property and casualty insurance.
 
Summary: This is a bill that amends the statute for property and casualty insurance.  It seems to have little impact on us.
 
Property Owner Position: You decide
 
 
Email to Committee: 
Subject: HB150 
 
Analysis Stated in Bill: 
 
Talking Points:
We're basically just letting you know this bill is here incase you think it may impact you.  Not sure we have the knowledge to take a position on the bill.  If you learn more please let us know.
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HB129, Repealing the Education Tax Credit
01/12/2017 at 02:15 PM    LOB Room 207
Title: Title: repealing the education tax credit.
 
Summary: Remove education/scholarship tax credit against business profits tax.
 
Property Owner Position: Against
 
 
Email to Committee: 
To: 0
Subject: HB129 
 
Analysis Stated in Bill: 
 
Talking Points:
While we see this as a small impact bill, we also would oppose  anything that would increase the effect of the Business Profits Tax.  According to the Fiscal Note at the bottom of the bill, the tax credit to be repealed is an offset of BET or BPT for scholarships. The amount deducted over the last few years has been miminal (Highest year $115,000). RE companies could use this decuction as an effective tool to assist personnel .
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HB78, Increase penalties for violating property and casualty laws
01/12/2017 at 03:15 PM    LOB Room 302
Title: Title: relative to penalties for violating the insurance laws regarding property and casualty insurance.
 
Summary: The bill substantially increases fines set forthin RSA 412:40
 
Property Owner Position: Against
 
 
Email to Committee: 
Subject: HB78 
 
Analysis Stated in Bill: 
 
Talking Points:
Here is the entire bill.
"The commissioner, may upon a finding that any person or organization has violated any provisions of this chapter, impose a penalty of not less than [$500] $10,000 or more than [$10,000] $40,000 for each violation, but if the violation is found to be willful, a penalty of not less than [$1,000] $30,000 or more than [$25,000] $75,000 may be imposed for each violation. Separate penalties may be in addition to any other penalty provided by law. "
 
This is a very large increase, especially on the low end.  What about a minor infraction, now the minimum is $10000?  The RSA 412 is very long with lot of rules to understand and therefore easy to miss one.  
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