This bill proposes amendments to RSA 669:7 to prevent conflicts of interest and limit the concentration of power among municipal board and committee members. The bill specifies that no person can simultaneously hold two of the following offices: selectman, treasurer or deputy treasurer, moderator, trustee of trust funds, collector of taxes, auditor, highway agent, and head of the town’s police department on full-time duty. It also prohibits town clerks or deputy town clerks from holding any other elected or appointed office except tax collector, if authorized. Additionally, the bill restricts full-time town employees from holding the office of selectman, and it prevents various officials, including selectmen, town managers, and municipal employees, from serving on certain boards such as school boards, boards of assessors, budget committees, land use boards, and planning boards, among others.

The bill also states that no person can file a candidacy for two or more elected offices that are incompatible as per the outlined restrictions. However, it allows for the transfer of information between offices in the regular conduct of business and does not prevent clerical assistance across offices. Members of governing bodies can still serve as ex officio on committees they supervise. Alternates for any board are considered full members for the purposes of this section. Current members holding conflicting positions may remain until the next elections. The act will take effect upon passage.