Pub. 1 2019 Issue 4

The Budget: As we neared the end date of the 2019 Legislative session there was only one little loose end to tie up, the $13 billion 2020/2021 state budget. What was expected to happen as the days ticked down did happen. The Governor vetoed it. The Democrats tried to make the budget more palatable to the Governor by removing hot button issues such as mandatory paid family medical leave insurance and a 5 percent capital gains tax. They did however leave in their budget proposal to hold steady at current rates and not further reduce the scheduled business profits tax and busi- ness enterprise tax reductions. This proved to be a major sticking point and led to the veto and the passage of a 90-day continuing resolution. The resolution ensures that state government agencies and programs will continue at current funding levels but no new programs or expan- sions will be rolled out. So for budget writers in the House and Senate, as well as the Governor's office, the next few months are hopefully filled with meaningful discussion, ideas and compromise to craft a budget that truly works for our citizens and businesses and one that keeps NH moving forward and remaining one of the best states in the nation to live, work, and play. NHADA Priorities: This was (and still is) a very busy session for our NHADA legislative team. While we typically spend a great deal of time in the Transportation Committees, this year found us spending a majority of our time in the Commerce Commit- tees. There were over 1,000 bills filed this session and we had close to 100 on our watch list. One of our main legislative priorities, HB664, is currently on its way to Governor Sununu’s desk. The bill had bipar- tisan sponsors and support in the House and Senate. It ensures that safe vehicles are put back on the road and that consumers investments are protected. HB664, sponsored by Rep. Kermit Williams (D-Wilton), requires an insurer to reimburse an automobile repairer for all repairs if the repairer follows an original equipment manufacturer recommended collision repair procedure. Similarly, if a repairer follows a paint and materials guideline system estimate, they are to be reimbursed accordingly. We con- tinue to advocate for the Governor’s support on HB664 and will keep you posted. We also worked on a separate collision repair bill that looked at mechanical repair rates but it was retained (held for work in the fall) in the House Commerce Committee. Based on the direction the bill was heading, NHADA sup- ported that move. A few other legislative priorities included ensuring that our health care offerings were not harmed by a bill that sought to establish a new type of Association Health Care Plan program in NH. This bill wound up being rolled in to the budget, and as you know from above, that is back to square one for negotiations. 2019 Legislative Session: That’s a Wrap, Well … Almost. DAN BENNETT VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS D R I V E 8