[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6665590,"mediaKeyId","2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90","parentId",2347861,"title","Interpreters, deaf advocates oppose moving interpreter licensure and Deaf services into OPLC","audioSeconds",3406,"startMs",7461000,"endMs",10867000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90&start=7461&end=10867","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90/thumbnail_7461000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6665590/New-Hampshire/Interpreters-deaf-advocates-oppose-moving-interpreter-licensure-and-Deaf-services-into-OPLC","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665590-60ec84f67b83c8e27890632fce52dd22/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152603&Signature=R72cnWhcwvXKxZiBdssyvo3xT44Sx1bzMZ9b3~5RBfvce0UNpalVzqv1oBANTOxzoLLVA1QC2YyHfekXualRY5371ocbYHzS5wg4696peGzKMGL880aqztIGjKT~K1gB1J3T-MKPUFL7VV1IHInFeMnhsuUtq8ZdnUf-vz1Q24mVSV1FGNHR8XrYtSC3NbpTQMnrKbPOhCsC2LsWRd~rc43Yx5WOwRsiHmwinIK-4MDNPJfWBf1VBT8TZTybVjJGPejCuG2GTgthkP0KyqEUSWSRiYCiU59JqtHCN8R4BTNhVJX-5LCj8ymNOSsnph5jEHtYxD3iQDRm~10gO3ILmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-02-19T22:39:07.897Z","article","A lengthy public hearing drew interpreters, deaf and hard-of-hearing residents, university faculty, nonprofit leaders and agency staff to oppose House Bill 525. The bill would transfer the New Hampshire Interpreter Licensure Board (NHILB) and the Office/Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHHS) from the Department of Education's vocational-rehabilitation structure to the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC).

Multiple witnesses said the transfer would subtract critical cultural and linguistic expertise from a process that, they argued, must be led and interpreted by people with lived experience in deaf communities. Testimony stressed that interpreter licensure is a specialized, culturally rooted practice that differs from most other licensed occupations and that locally led grievance and complaint procedures are central to protecting consumers' access to high-quality interpreting.

Speakers described recent work by the licensure board to create a more accessible grievance process, funded in part from a recent, unexpectedly large rise in licensing revenues caused by expanded video-remote interpreting during the COVID-19 era. Several witnesses said those funds were already committed to an improved grievance system and consultant pay, and that moving licensing into OPLC might jeopardize or slow implementation of those local arrangements.

Representatives of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification said the office would implement legislative direction and had reviewed implementation concerns and a fiscal note. OPLC said it would work with stakeholders to implement statutory changes, and noted some precedent for OPLC handling a licensing function (with another advisory board remaining in a separate department).

Deaf community leaders said ODHHS (within Vocational Rehabilitation) is a better fit for services that prepare deaf, hard-of-hearing and deafblind people for employment and engagement with employers. They argued vocational-rehabilitation placement and training functions differ from OPLC's licensing oversight and that the change could degrade long-standing services, training and advocacy.

After more than four hours of testimony the committee closed the hearing. Witnesses urged lawmakers to retain the NHILB and ODHHS where they currently are or to proceed only with extensive stakeholder consultation on governance and grievance processes.

No formal subcommittee vote or amendment was recorded in the hearing; the bill was left open for drafting and retained for future consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Executive Departments and Administration (02/19/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Dozens of interpreters, deaf advocates and professionals testified against House Bill 525, saying moving interpreter licensure and the Office/Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing from vocational rehabilitation into the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification would reduce culturally informed oversight and slow recently planned improvements to complaint procedures.","taxTitle","Executive Departments and Administration, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17748,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665595,"Counties, state clash over fair-market renewal rates as subcommittee hears bill on state leases",467,3761000,4228000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90&start=3761&end=4228","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90/thumbnail_3761000.jpg","/articles/6665595/New-Hampshire/Counties-state-clash-over-fair-market-renewal-rates-as-subcommittee-hears-bill-on-state-leases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665595-c91dc24b2f357d57c1914c2594a41e7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152603&Signature=W0lPfrkQiW~PiCPT-hOhn5HLp5YM6Lig3~FuuZZ1AkXB2mC6pPMR27IAP0DICjPf6dW4XKAQCkF4UaZQKtw7M4DPpB9aLzAadTUiH91FCmlTuySV8y~JBpw0uuTSN3T-rDpkgizT9OAe0f0kdM24y0uts6oHJrh9jT3hM-6wr3DZYgy5T6vt4noraOqoVBkj~RzDWMIwZByVAPTpYPNhyyCS9JhD35P5kK2KyXLGhSE7J7esqwLOXw6V9o3rW2h2KkAMNEmrcajELsFFI03m4eFcfTxsFasbW6rThEq-6HKaIBoIz8RfA4DRjnTAJVpj7GO1RV6yR3Hyt2qEVCbGvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County officials and municipal managers urged the Executive Departments and Administration subcommittee to require that state agency lease renewals be negotiated at fair market value rather than by automatic, formulaic renewals.

Representative Judy Aaron introduced House Bill 694 on behalf of Sullivan County. She told the panel that the state's most recent operating-lease inventory (published Jan. 2024) lists nearly 90 active leases statewide and roughly 2 million square feet of leased space. County managers said several of the leases for court space and related facilities were being renewed at amounts that do not cover operating costs, forcing counties to make up shortfalls with property-tax revenue.

Sullivan County Manager Derek Furland described past negotiations with the Bureau of Court Administration and the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). He said the state sometimes treated renewals like a take-it-or-leave-it offer and that counties lacked an objective standard for setting renewal rates. Furland proposed a process grounded in fair-market-value data or realtor comparables, with utilities and custodial services priced to reflect actual costs at each renewal.

Testimony from the New Hampshire Association of Counties echoed those concerns and said a fair-market step in the renewal process could ease a transfer of costs to local property taxpayers. Committee members asked whether property owners could simply refuse state offers; county witnesses said physical limitations of specialized courthouse buildings often make alternative tenants impractical. Lawmakers also discussed differences between state-held and private-sector leases and noted some state-owned court complexes would be consolidated under the capital budget.

Representatives and county managers asked for cleaner statutory guidance; House Bill 694 would apply to lease renewals and allow use of a submarket rate only when the property owner agreed. The committee closed the hearing and said the bill would be scheduled for further subcommittee referral and drafting; lawmakers also flagged drafting errors in statute cross-references to be fixed during later drafting.","A bill requiring state agencies to renew leases at fair market value drew county managers and municipal officials to a hearing. Sullivan County testified the state often offers \"take it or leave it\" terms that leave counties subsidizing court space; county groups asked for an objective standard for renewals.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665599,"Subcommittee advances revised Group 3 retirement plan bill after compromise on start date and vesting",1379,2227000,3606000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90&start=2227&end=3606","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90/thumbnail_2227000.jpg","/articles/6665599/New-Hampshire/Subcommittee-advances-revised-Group-3-retirement-plan-bill-after-compromise-on-start-date-and-vesting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665599-242ce7cc40cb55f0bf21566cfd0a42c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152603&Signature=Xxy2TZFH2EAsxHAn84fKD9G1vZhp1e-8HoWzbmzrRK~Sqc2MRON1Y4aT6-BNjk6i0--jAg3wanhkdTkGSxM~hH95Omspdt8fQT2Q36fhUC~9iSvqcN2QJxGPMUQVdLr-r3YYYSHeEMg69d6MhXw0uP-nno0J-BUBWa4Fwn6xoOtTV2CGKvH534Pd7lcXbnTDf1FfT4bnwDU5Y2HFDRhHcVQ8kj5o~yiJoYGjV29ExZLnmxg53utTZp5iTusBcskeWtUkobr5plaimV3IoD8Dv1Sei2Dx-i2zovugjBajcxtDUTysmqmkgLr8uIU-iwhW5J~0aYDpDGQWfyDp7lsGMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Executive Departments and Administration subcommittee heard testimony and debated House Bill 581, which would establish a new Group 3 retirement plan for state employees hired after the bill's effective date. Proponents, including the bill's sponsor and an actuary who provided comparative analysis, said the change would bring elements of defined-contribution plans used in the private sector to state employment and could provide portability and potentially higher long-term returns for some workers.

Opponents cautioned the change could worsen the state's unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) unless carefully structured. Lawmakers asked how the proposed design would affect recruitment and retention of teachers, firefighters and other public servants and whether the employer share of unfunded liabilities would be protected.

After discussion the subcommittee accepted several amendments. The key changes: move the new hire effective date to Jan. 1, 2026 (instead of July 1, 2025) to allow implementation time; add a delayed employer-vesting schedule so employer contributions vest only after two years of service; and incorporate a sponsor-proposed amendment clarifying inclusion in medical and health insurance groups. Proponents said the two-year delay for employer vesting matches common private-sector practice.

With those changes, the subcommittee voted 3\t2 in favor of \"ought to pass\" as amended and moved the bill to the full committee.

The measure drew divided views during the hearing: several lawmakers expressed concern about the impact on retention and the state's pension funding plan, while others said a defined-contribution option could help attract younger workers used to 401(k)-style accounts.

The bill will proceed to the full committee for additional consideration.","Lawmakers debated House Bill 581, which would create a new Group 3 defined-contribution plan for new state employees. The subcommittee approved amendments that delay the plan's start date and add a two-year employer-vested period, then voted to forward the bill as amended.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665604,"Subcommittee backs sending HB 702 to full committee after split on allowing retirees more special-duty hours",7671,683000,8354000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90&start=683&end=8354","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347861-ef04ea6f83c5c7a1a8fc8577bf167e90/thumbnail_683000.jpg","/articles/6665604/New-Hampshire/Subcommittee-backs-sending-HB-702-to-full-committee-after-split-on-allowing-retirees-more-special-duty-hours","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665604-b569135d51df0b8885a1b09b964f395e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152603&Signature=jbNibEbG4tonm7bFS3fn1AMY~9jknC~uA5vZT4jKIfPtdMKSAfOJircmasnQOwr0IWYzq9bc0A1ZrvyHDdccKbWnLjzlz0Z9j5rXk8tk1Rg4Uuxz2kQUKSf0Bw4Cb7AdB0CfDKpkbazAGYGuNePEG-58MfciS2K1u754d9fnwj-S9qqbLfBFLNmJmVjP9FnYhGC4AC5~zIBIcnGCnFlr3wZs3md8yPyWZDWWHZP3Q5yuxAsDASVYTuZLGo6TwSLj~kAXomxlQRjAVQ-QNUn-gqHAUked8EhLvu7qXNkrF3rpV8UjwlvWHktujdGT-nPqAdWtSGYG4IeS2znzWgYUpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A subcommittee of the Executive Departments and Administration debated House Bill 702, which would change how \"extra and special duty\" pay is treated for retired state employees who return to work. Supporters said the bill would allow retirees to take more special-duty assignments without losing retirement status; opponents warned it could create an inequitable treatment of work that counted toward retirement for employees hired before July 1, 2011, but did not for those hired after that date.

The bill applies to state retirees who work special- or extra-duty shifts such as traffic details. Proponents, including municipal representatives and a witness from the New Hampshire Police Association, said allowing retirees to accept more detail work would help municipalities fill staffing gaps at no direct cost to the state. Opponents, including the subcommittee chair, argued that many pre-2011 employees had extra duty included in their retirement calculations and that exempting the same hours for retirees would be inconsistent and could increase long-term retirement liabilities.

Subcommittee members discussed whether the change would amount to \"double dipping\" for some retirees and whether it would be fair to treat employees who were hired before and after the retirement-rule change differently. Lawmakers also questioned whether the bill would indirectly raise municipal fees for private entities paying for special-duty details.

After discussion and a brief caucus, the subcommittee voted 3\t2 to recommend that the full committee find the bill \"inexpedient to legislate\" (ITL). The panel recorded that opposition and support were mixed among law-enforcement organizations and municipalities. The bill will now go to the full committee with the subcommittee's ITL recommendation.

The subcommittee did not make any amendments; its action was a recommendation to the full committee.","A New Hampshire legislative subcommittee debated whether extra and special duty pay should count toward retirees' work-hour caps. After hours of discussion, the panel voted 3\t2 to recommend \"inexpedient to legislate\" on House Bill 702, sending the bill to the full committee with that recommendation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Interpreters, deaf advocates oppose moving interpreter licensure and Deaf services into OPLC

Counties, state clash over fair-market renewal rates as subcommittee hears bill on state leases

Subcommittee advances revised Group 3 retirement plan bill after compromise on start date and vesting

Subcommittee backs sending HB 702 to full committee after split on allowing retirees more special-duty hours