Bill > SB570

This bill proposes several changes to New Hampshire's legislative ethics laws by modifying definitions related to conflicts of interest. The bill introduces a new definition of "public at large" to mean a broad, similarly situated group of individuals or organizations likely to experience comparable benefits or detriments from legislation. It revises the definition of "financial interest" to focus on whether a legislator or household member is an employee of or receives compensation from an entity that could gain or lose material value from official actions. The bill also defines "direct benefit" or "direct detriment" as a financial impact that flows directly to the legislator or household member without intermediary actions, explicitly excluding benefits that affect a marketplace where the legislator participates as a member of the general public. Additionally, the bill clarifies that for lobbying-related ethics considerations, "organization" refers to the client rather than the lobbying entity, and simply registering as a lobbyist does not automatically mean a person exercises substantial influence over an organization's affairs. These changes aim to provide more precise guidelines for determining potential conflicts of interest for legislators, with the new provisions taking effect 60 days after the bill's passage.

Government Affairs

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=1390&inflect=2