Bill Text: NH HB515 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 01/06/2016 House Journal 4 P. 53 [HB515 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2016-HB515-Introduced.html
HB 515-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2015 SESSION
15-0706
09/08
HOUSE BILL 515-FN
AN ACT relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law
This bill requires the guardian ad litem board to collect and analyze performance data for each guardian ad litem.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
15-0706
09/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subparagraph; Duties of the Guardian Ad Litem Board; Performance Data and Questionnaire. Amend RSA 490-C:4, I by inserting after subparagraph (g) the following new subparagraph:
(h) Collect and analyze performance data for each guardian ad litem certified by the board. The board shall develop a questionnaire to be distributed to each of the parties to cases in which a guardian ad litem is appointed. The questionnaire shall be designed to gauge the parties’ satisfaction with guardian ad litem services and may include questions relative to the guardian ad litem’s performance, legal knowledge, attentiveness, bias and objectivity, and degree of preparedness. The board shall make an annual report summarizing information gathered under this subparagraph, including statistical information gathered from the questionnaires, available to the public.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
15-0706
01/09/15
HB 515-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to oversight of guardians ad litem by the guardian ad litem board.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Guardian ad Litem Board states this bill, as introduced, will increase state expenditures by $42,648 in FY 2016, $47,755 in FY 2017, $50,887 in FY 2018, and $54,068 in FY 2019. There is no impact on state, county, and local revenues, or county and local expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Board states this bill requires the Board collect and analyze performance data on each guardian ad litem, in the form of questionnaires distributed to each of the parties to cases in which a guardian ad litem was appointed. The Board assumes the bill will take effect July 1, 2015. The Board states that during 2013, there were a total of 1,301 cases in which certified GALs were appointed. The Board estimates a minimum of 2,600 questionnaires, or two per case, will need to be administered each year. Yearly expenses will include such items as postage, envelopes, and printing costs. The Board states the work of designing and administering the questionnaire is beyond the scope of the current part-time administrative secretary job description. It is anticipated the Board would seek to reclassify the position to a full-time administrative assistant (labor grade 19). The Board assumes the budgeted appropriation in FY 2018 and FY 2019 will be the same as FY 2017. The Board estimates the bill will increase state expenditures as follows:
| FY 2016 | FY 2017 | FY 2018 | FY 2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
Administrative Assistant (LG 19) | $37,011 | $38,513 | $40,170 | $41,808 |
Benefits | $24,165 | $25,536 | $27,011 | $28,554 |
Current expenses | $2,525 | $2,525 | $2,525 | $2,525 |
Total | $63,701 | $66,574 | $69,706 | $72,887 |
Less appropriation for existing part-time administrative secretary position |
($21,053) |
($18,819) |
($18,819) |
($18,819) |
Net Expenditures | $42,648 | $47,755 | $50,887 | $54,068 |
