Bill Text: NH HB541 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishing a committee to study energy and telecommunications infrastructure survivability and resiliency.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 8-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-29 - Public Hearing: 02/04/2025 01:30 pm Legislative Office Building 302-304 [HB541 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB541-Introduced.html
HB 541 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0899
05/09
HOUSE BILL 541
SPONSORS: Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18; Rep. Farrington, Straf. 8; Rep. Wheeler, Hills. 33; Rep. Cambrils, Merr. 4; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. Vose, Rock. 5; Rep. Berezhny, Graf. 11; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17; Rep. Sabourin, Rock. 30
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a committee to study energy and telecommunications infrastructure survivability and resiliency.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0899
05/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Statement of Purpose. In light of the recent and continuing spate of public disclosures concerning significant nation-state physical and cyber threats, including both potential and realized threats, to our critical infrastructure, it is appropriate to establish a committee to study and consider what if any actions the legislature should take in order to ensure the survivability and resiliency of energy and telecommunications infrastructure.
2 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study energy and telecommunications infrastructure survivability and resiliency.
3 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
I. The committee shall evaluate the current state of resiliency and survivability of New Hampshire’s critical telecommunications and energy utility infrastructure, particularly Internet, telephony, electric power, and natural gas services, against physical and cyber threats from malicious actors in the context of current known and anticipated threats and to propose actionable recommendations to enhance their resilience and survivability against physical and cyber security threats. The committee may solicit information and testimony from any agency or individual with experience or expertise deemed relevant to the study.
II. For purposes of the study, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Survivability" means the ability of an infrastructure system to endure and be recoverable quickly to a functional state after disruptive events including acts of God, war and sabotage, while minimizing reliance on external resources.
(b) "Resiliency" means the ability of an infrastructure system to withstand, absorb, and adapt to disruptive events, including acts of God, war, and sabotage, while continuing to function so as to deliver essential services.
(c) "Reliability" means the consistency and predictability of an infrastructure system to deliver uninterrupted high-quality service under normal operating conditions, including robustness against minor disturbances.
5 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
6 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2025.
7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
