by Jeanine Poole

New Hampshire’s requirements for employer safety programs are changing. Passed in June, House Bill 1587 goes into effect on January 1, 2013. The new law provides:

• Employers with 15 or more employees (formerly 10 or more employees) must have a written safety program filed with the New Hampshire Department of Labor (NHDOL).
• Once filed, the program must be updated and filed with the NHDOL every two years (formerly biennially on January 1).
• Employers with 15 or more employees (formerly five or more employees) must establish a joint loss safety committee.
• The NHDOL can assess administrative penalties up to $250 (formerly $1,000) per day for each day of noncompliance.
• The workers’ compensation safety inspection fund is repealed. Collected penalties now go to the state’s general fund.

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By Jeanine Poole

New Hampshire employers using noncompete and nonpiracy agreements face new limits beginning July 14. That’s when House Bill 1270 goes into effect.

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By Douglas R. Chamberlain
Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision on healthcare reform (also known as the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) will be dissected and argued about for many years to come. The Court essentially upheld all the key elements of the healthcare reform law — most notably the so-called “individual mandate,” which will require that individuals purchase health insurance or else pay a penalty (or “tax”). There are two surprising elements to the Court’s decision: read more…

By Kathy Carlson

A federal appeals court in Massachusetts ruled Thursday that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional because it prevents same-sex married couples from receiving benefits available to heterosexual married couples. The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled that in enacting DOMA, the federal government was intruding into domestic relations law, which states have historically regulated.

The appeals court itself acknowledged that the U.S. Supreme Court will have to address the issue, and the ruling won’t take effect pending appeal. The case examined only DOMA’s definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman and not a separate provision saying states need not recognize same-sex marriages legally contracted elsewhere. Even if the ruling went into effect, it would cover only the 1st Circuit, which includes Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island.

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by Jay Surdukowski, Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C.

In New Hampshire, Republicans claimed a 19-5 edge in the state senate, a huge house majority, and likely unanimous control of the Governor’s Council, though incumbent Democratic Governor John Lynch managed to keep his post.

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