| 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. - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - 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 Senators01 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 Reynolds5 Chaddarin Lane
 Plymouth, NH  03264 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-3569
 deb.Reynolds@leg.state.nh.us
 03 Joseph KenneyPO Box 201
 Union, NH  03887-0201 (H) (603)473-2569
 (O) (603)271-3073
 joseph.kenney@leg.state.nh.us
 04 Kathleen Sgambati25 Pine Street
 Tilton, NH  03276 (H) (603)286-8931
 (O) (603)271-3074
 kathleen.sgambati@leg.state.nh.us
 05 Peter Burling20 Lang Road
 Cornish, NH  03745-4209 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-2642
 peter.burling@leg.state.nh.us
 06 Jacalyn Cilley2 Oak Hill Road
 Barrington, NH  03825 (H) (603)664-5597
 (O) (603)271-3045
 jacalyn.cilley@leg.state.nh.us
 07 Harold Janeway225 Tyler Road
 Webster, NH  03303 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-3041
 harold.janeway@leg.state.nh.us
 08 Bob OdellPO Box 23
 Lempster, NH  03605-0023 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-6733
 rpojr@aol.com
 09 Sheila Roberge83 Olde Lantern Road
 Bedford, NH  03110-4816 (H) (603)472-8391
 (O) None Specified
 sheila.roberge@leg.state.nh.us
 10 Molly Kelly89 Colonial Drive
 Keene, NH  03431 (H) (603)352-5605
 (O) (603)271-7803
 molly.kelly@leg.state.nh.us
 11 Peter BragdonP.O. Box 307
 Milford, NH  03055 (H) (603)673-7135
 (O) (603)271-2675
 peter.bragdon@leg.state.nh.us
 12 David Gottesman18 Indian Rock Road
 Nashua, NH  03063-1308 (H) (603)889-4442
 (O) (603)271-4152
 david.gottesman@leg.state.nh.us
 13 Joseph Foster9 Keats Street
 Nashua, NH  03062-2509 (H) (603)891-0307
 (O) (603)271-2111
 joseph.foster@leg.state.nh.us
 14 Robert Clegg39 Trigate Road
 Hudson, NH  03051-5120 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-8630
 senclegg@aol.com
 15 Sylvia Larsen23 Kensington Road
 Concord, NH  03301 (H) (603)225-6130
 (O) (603)271-2111
 sylvia.larsen@leg.state.nh.us
 16 Theodore Gatsas20 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 BarnesPO Box 362
 Raymond, NH  03077-3062 (H) (603)895-9352
 (O) (603)271-6931
 jack.barnes@leg.state.nh.us
 18 Betsi DeVries14 Old Orchard Way
 Manchester, NH  03103 (H) (603)647-0117
 (O) (603)271-2104
 betsi.devries@leg.state.nh.us
 19 Robert Letourneau30 South Avenue
 Derry, NH  03038 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-8631
 robert.letourneau@leg.state.nh.us
 20 Lou D'Allesandro332 St. James Avenue
 Manchester, NH  03102-4950 (H) (603)669-3494
 (O) (603)271-2600
 dalas@leg.state.nh.us
 21 Iris Estabrook8 Burnham Avenue
 Durham, NH  03824-3011 (H) (603)868-5524
 (O) (603)271-3042
 iris.estabrook@leg.state.nh.us
 22 Michael Downing7 Darryl Lane
 Salem, NH  03079 (H) (603)893-5442
 (O) (603)271-2674
 michael.downing@leg.state.nh.us
 23 Margaret Hassan48 Court Street
 Exeter, NH  03833-2728 (H) (603)772-4187
 (O) (603)271-4153
 maggie.hassan@leg.state.nh.us
 24 Martha Fuller Clark152 Middle Street
 Portsmouth, NH  03801-4306 (H) None Specified
 (O) (603)271-6933
 martha.fullerclark@leg.state.nh.us
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