Bill > HB610

This bill repeals the Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA) and transfers its functions, assets, and responsibilities to the New Hampshire Department of Energy (DoE) after 120 days of the act's passage. The bill comprehensively outlines how the transfer will occur, including the transfer of all property, contracts, obligations, and ongoing legal proceedings. The DoE will now have the authority to appoint a consumer advocate, an assistant consumer advocate, and a secretary to continue advocating for residential utility consumers. The new consumer advocate will have similar powers to the previous office, including the ability to petition, intervene, and represent residential utility consumer interests in various proceedings, contract for consultants, and promote consumer education. The bill removes all previous references to the OCA in various state statutes and repeals several laws related to the office. The fiscal note indicates that this change would result in potential budget savings of around $1.1 million and involves transferring the existing staff and responsibilities to the Department of Energy, with some potential one-time costs for termination payments and unused leave balances.

Government Affairs

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0346&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB610