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House Bill 437
2007 SESSION - 07-0333 - 09/01
AN ACT permitting same gender couples to enter civil unions and have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations as married couples.
SPONSORS: Representative Jim Splaine, Rockingham County District #16; Representative Dana Hilliard, Strafford County District #2
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
ANALYSIS
This bill permits same gender couples to enter civil unions and have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations as married couples.
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STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven
AN ACT permitting same gender couples to enter civil unions and have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations as married couples.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Chapter; Civil Unions. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 457 the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 457-A / CIVIL UNIONS
457-A:1 State Recognition of Civil Unions; Purpose. The state of New Hampshire recognizes the civil union between one man and another man or one woman and another woman. The purpose of this chapter is to delineate the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of parties entering a civil union, to establish a process by which the civil union is established, and to provide a process for the dissolution of a civil union.
457-A:2 Requisites. Parties entering into a civil union shall be subject to the same requirements and conditions as contained in RSA 457, provided that civil unions shall only be allowed between one unmarried man and another unmarried man both of whom are at least 18 years of age or one unmarried woman and another unmarried woman both of whom are at least 18 years of age, subject to the prohibitions in RSA 457-A:3 and RSA 457-A:4 and provided that they are not in another civil union.
457-A:3 Civil Unions Prohibited; Men. No man shall enter into a civil union with his father, his grandfather, his father's brother, his mother's brother, his son, his brother, his son's son, his daughter's son, his brother's son, his sister's son, his father's brother's son, his mother's brother's son, his father's sister's son, or his mother's sister's son.
457-A:4 Civil Unions Prohibited; Women. No woman shall enter into a civil union with her mother, her grandmother, her father's sister, her mother's sister, her daughter, her sister, her son's daughter, her daughter's daughter, her brother's daughter, her sister's daughter, her father's brother's daughter, her mother's brother's daughter, her father's sister's daughter, or her mother's sister's daughter.
457-A:5 Forms, Documents, and Applications; How Performed. The secretary of state shall develop forms, documents and applications for entering into a civil union, which shall conform to this chapter. Civil unions shall be performed pursuant to the provisions of RSA 457:31 and entered into pursuant to the analogous provisions of RSA 5-C:41-61. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require a minister or clergyman or clergywoman to solemnize or perform a civil union.
457-A:6 Rights, Obligations, and Responsibilities. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the parties who enter into a civil union pursuant to this chapter shall be entitled to all the rights and subject to all the obligations and responsibilities provided for in state law that apply to parties who are joined together pursuant to RSA 457.
457-A:7 Dissolution. Parties who have entered into a civil union who wish to dissolve the civil union shall do so pursuant to RSA 458.
457-A:8 Other Jurisdictions. A civil union or a marriage between a man and another man or a woman and another woman legally contracted outside of New Hampshire shall be recognized as a civil union in this state, provided that the relationship does not violate the prohibitions of this chapter.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2008.
HB 437-FN-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Legislative Budget Assistant has determined that this legislation has a total fiscal impact of less than $10,000 in each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
NH State Senators
01 John Gallus
292 Prospect Street
Berlin, NH 03570-2137 (H) (603)752-1066
(O) (603)271-3077
john.gallus@leg.state.nh.us
02 Deborah Reynolds
5 Chaddarin Lane
Plymouth, NH 03264 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-3569
deb.Reynolds@leg.state.nh.us
03 Joseph Kenney
PO Box 201
Union, NH 03887-0201 (H) (603)473-2569
(O) (603)271-3073
joseph.kenney@leg.state.nh.us
04 Kathleen Sgambati
25 Pine Street
Tilton, NH 03276 (H) (603)286-8931
(O) (603)271-3074
kathleen.sgambati@leg.state.nh.us
05 Peter Burling
20 Lang Road
Cornish, NH 03745-4209 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-2642
peter.burling@leg.state.nh.us
06 Jacalyn Cilley
2 Oak Hill Road
Barrington, NH 03825 (H) (603)664-5597
(O) (603)271-3045
jacalyn.cilley@leg.state.nh.us
07 Harold Janeway
225 Tyler Road
Webster, NH 03303 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-3041
harold.janeway@leg.state.nh.us
08 Bob Odell
PO Box 23
Lempster, NH 03605-0023 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-6733
rpojr@aol.com
09 Sheila Roberge
83 Olde Lantern Road
Bedford, NH 03110-4816 (H) (603)472-8391
(O) None Specified
sheila.roberge@leg.state.nh.us
10 Molly Kelly
89 Colonial Drive
Keene, NH 03431 (H) (603)352-5605
(O) (603)271-7803
molly.kelly@leg.state.nh.us
11 Peter Bragdon
P.O. Box 307
Milford, NH 03055 (H) (603)673-7135
(O) (603)271-2675
peter.bragdon@leg.state.nh.us
12 David Gottesman
18 Indian Rock Road
Nashua, NH 03063-1308 (H) (603)889-4442
(O) (603)271-4152
david.gottesman@leg.state.nh.us
13 Joseph Foster
9 Keats Street
Nashua, NH 03062-2509 (H) (603)891-0307
(O) (603)271-2111
joseph.foster@leg.state.nh.us
14 Robert Clegg
39 Trigate Road
Hudson, NH 03051-5120 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-8630
senclegg@aol.com
15 Sylvia Larsen
23 Kensington Road
Concord, NH 03301 (H) (603)225-6130
(O) (603)271-2111
sylvia.larsen@leg.state.nh.us
16 Theodore Gatsas
20 Market St
PO Box 6655
Manchester, NH 03104-6052 (H) (603)623-0220
(O) (603)271-8567
Ted.Gatsas@leg.state.nh.us
17 John Barnes
PO Box 362
Raymond, NH 03077-3062 (H) (603)895-9352
(O) (603)271-6931
jack.barnes@leg.state.nh.us
18 Betsi DeVries
14 Old Orchard Way
Manchester, NH 03103 (H) (603)647-0117
(O) (603)271-2104
betsi.devries@leg.state.nh.us
19 Robert Letourneau
30 South Avenue
Derry, NH 03038 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-8631
robert.letourneau@leg.state.nh.us
20 Lou D'Allesandro
332 St. James Avenue
Manchester, NH 03102-4950 (H) (603)669-3494
(O) (603)271-2600
dalas@leg.state.nh.us
21 Iris Estabrook
8 Burnham Avenue
Durham, NH 03824-3011 (H) (603)868-5524
(O) (603)271-3042
iris.estabrook@leg.state.nh.us
22 Michael Downing
7 Darryl Lane
Salem, NH 03079 (H) (603)893-5442
(O) (603)271-2674
michael.downing@leg.state.nh.us
23 Margaret Hassan
48 Court Street
Exeter, NH 03833-2728 (H) (603)772-4187
(O) (603)271-4153
maggie.hassan@leg.state.nh.us
24 Martha Fuller Clark
152 Middle Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801-4306 (H) None Specified
(O) (603)271-6933
martha.fullerclark@leg.state.nh.us
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