Karen Bass: “Mr. Chairman, 10 years ago this year the New Hampshire Constitutional Convention passed a resolution which, in effect…”

“Mr. Chairman, 10 years ago this year the New Hampshire Constitutional Convention passed a resolution which, in effect, prohibited unfunded State mandates. The people of New Hampshire approved that resolution in the fall of 1984. It reads as follows, ``The State shall not mandate or assign any new, expanded or modified programs or responsibilities to any political subdivision in such a way as to necessitate additional local expenditures by the political subdivision unless such programs or responsibilities are fully funded by the State or unless such programs or responsibilities are approved for funding by a vote of the local legislative body or political subdivision.'' Mr. Chairman, what this resolution did was to impose for the first time in New Hampshire history real discipline on the legislature. It is high time that we impose that type of discipline here in Congress. I urge support for H.R. 5.”