This bill mandates that marital masters, arbitrators, mediators, and judicial referees must be commissioned as justices of the peace to qualify for their respective positions. Specifically, it introduces new requirements in RSA 490-D:8, RSA 490-E, and RSA 493-A, stating that these individuals must renew their justice of the peace commission every five years and subscribe to the oath or declaration as outlined in part 2, article 84 of the New Hampshire constitution. The bill also includes a provision that individuals who violate this oath will be dismissed from their positions.

Additionally, the bill amends RSA 490-F:15 to stipulate that a referee must comply with the new justice of the peace requirements before being committed to a cause at law or equity by the circuit court. The effective date for these changes is set for January 1, 2027. The fiscal impact of the bill is expected to result in indeterminable increases in state expenditures, primarily due to the administrative work required for compliance verification and processing of the justice of the peace application fees, which could range from $10,000 to $50,000 prior to implementation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 490-D:8, 490-F:15
HB1550 text: 490-D:8, 490-F:15