Welcome to the NECA!

With the start of the New Year, there has been a considerable uptick in legislative and regulatory activity.

MAINE

LD 1695: An Act to Provide More In-store Space. This bill eliminates the administrative burden of publicly displaying certain permits and licenses and the use of space for the display of those licenses that could be otherwise used. Instead of displaying the license or permit, a licensee or permittee must make the license or permit available on demand at the premises or at the licensee's or permittee's primary place of business. Text of the legislation can be found at http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/HP124701.asp

LD 1749: An Act to Amend the Tax Laws. Among other changes, this bill removes the requirement that persons who rent or lease temporary retail space must file monthly returns reporting those rentals and replaces it with a tax registration certificate and record-keeping requirement. Additionally, the characteristics of the registration certificates are clarified. Full text of the intended changes can be found by going to http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1749&snum=125

LD 1768: An Act to Improve the Department of Environmental Protection's Annual Waste Discharge License Fee System. This bill revises the Department of Environmental Protection’s annual waste discharge fee system. It eliminates the base fee, the fee for quantities of pollutants actually discharged or licensed to be discharged, the annualized license renewal service fee, the initial dilution fee and the multiple discharge point fee. In place of these fees it establishes for existing licensees a fee based on the average of the licensee's 2009 and 2010 bill amounts or a fee based on the licensee's 2011 bill amount, depending on the discharge group. It establishes for new licensees an annual fee based on the median fee of all licensees within the new licensee's discharge group. It establishes that, if no discharge occurs for an entire year, the fee is reduced to 25% of the annual fee. It establishes that an annual fee may be modified by a percentage that is equivalent to the percentage of any change to the licensed discharge flow. Full text of the legislation can be found by going to http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1768&snum=125

MASSACHUSETTS

HB 3628: An Act Related to the Disclosure of Financial Records. This bill prohibits any creditor, agent of the creditor or individual with access to credit information from releasing any financial information relating to a customer. It requires that “creditors and others shall adopt reasonable procedures to assure compliance with this section” but does not define what these reasonable actions are. Text of the legislation along with a list of when information can be released can be found at http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H03628

SB 973: An Act making the members of Limited Liability Companies liable for violations of the payment of wages statute. This bill would make all owners, members and managers of an LLC and LLP liable for a violation of the wage laws under chapter 149 of Massachusetts General Law. Text of the legislation can be found at http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00973

SB 922: An Act Related to the Pooling of Tips. This bill removes employer liability regarding the pooling of tips following any good faith effort to rectify an alleged violation. Text of the legislation can be found at http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00922

NEW HAMPSHIRE

HB 1619: An Act Relative to the Assessment of Property Taxes on the value that exceeds $50,000. This bill establishes that the taxable value for all assessments of property taxes shall exclude the first $50,000 of value of each parcel. Full text can be found by going to
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HB1619.html

HB 1607: An Act Establishing an Education Credit Against The Business Profits Tax. This bill establishes an education credit against the business profits tax for business organizations that contribute to scholarship organizations which awards scholarships to be used by students to defray the educational expenses of attending an independent school. Full text can be found at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HB1607.html

SB 231: An Act Establishing a Committee to Study Charges by Municipal Water Departments. As the title suggests, this bill establishes a committee to study charges by municipal water and sewer departments. Text of the legislation can be found at
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/SB0231.html

RHODE ISLAND

HB 7003: An Act Relating to Commercial Law – General Regulatory Provisions- Deceptive Trade Practices. This bill would give the Attorney General power under the deceptive practices act to award a consumer reimbursement, restitution or compensation with respect to a consumer’s claim. Full text of the legislation can be found by going to http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7003.pdf

HB 7129: An Act Relating to the Business Corporation Tax and Franchise Tax. This bill would repeal the minimum business corporation tax and the minimum franchise tax. Full text of the proposed bill can be found at http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7129.pdf

HB 7142: An Act Relating to Taxation. This act would provide that a municipality can only charge a penalty on a late quarterly tax payment, and not the whole tax or remaining unpaid balance, in an amount no greater than six percent per year. Text of the legislation can be found by going to http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7142.pdf

HB 7260: An Act Relating to Motor Vehicles and Taxation. This bill would expand the definition of the owners of motor vehicles for registration and property tax purposes to include partnerships, firms, association, corporations and limited liability companies which operate on state roads for more than 30 days. Text of the legislation can be found at http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7260.pdf

SB 2216: An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations. This act would establish the E-verify compliance chapter, an electronic system designed to verify that an employee is eligible to work in Rhode Island and the United States, and require that all employers with 3 or more employees apply to participate and to take part in the program if accepted. Text of the legislation can be found at http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/SenateText12/S2216.pdf

VERMONT

SB 229: An Act Relating to Utility Bill Payments. This bill proposes to require the public service board to regulate the payment of utility bills through online services or with a credit or debit card. Text of the bill can be found by going to http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=S%2E0229&Session=2012