Areas of Focus

The Dupont Group offers a variety of services including:

Administrative Rulemaking
New Hampshire’s administrative rules process is the implementation phase of the legislative process, and can be even more complex and tedious than law-making. We have had extensive experience with every step involved in rulemaking, from stakeholder input, to development of rules on the agency level, to consideration of a final agency proposal by the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. We have had much success assisting clients as they participate in and work to affect this complicated and lengthy process.

Business Development
In today's economic climate, it doesn't make sense to go it alone. The Dupont Group helps firms maneuver through the regulatory and legislative hurdles they face when doing business in New Hampshire. We have had considerable success assisting companies new to New Hampshire, as well as existing businesses that have used our services to shape their own niche in the state. We also provide companies considering New Hampshire as a location in which to operate with our experience and insight into the regulatory, economic and political climate, and with guidance on how to modify those dynamics to their advantage.

Commercial and Financial Business Regulation
The Dupont Group's expertise in commercial and financial business regulation extends from legislative policy decisions to rulemaking to departmental enforcement.  New Hampshire's regulatory framework has most financial-based entities licensed and regulated by the Banking department, while insurance products are regulated by the Insurance Department.  Each department is run by a single commissioner with a deputy commissioner and division directors, and the state's consumer protection bureau in the Attorney General's office comes into play as well, and the Dupont Group provides the necessary guidance in complex regulatory environs.    Our experience includes a variety of insurance products, lending, money transmission and pre-paid value cards.

Communications
White Birch Communications Group operates as a subsidiary of The Dupont Group, providing specialized public relations services to clients who need to effectively interact and communicate with other businesses, consumers, and public officials. Our core philosophy is to develop and maintain a strong understanding of our clients' business activities and market position in order to ensure that an effective and timely public relations and marketing effort can be deployed in regional, trade, and national news media. Recent projects have included the roll-out of two major reports from state agencies and a number of non-profit partners, with an eye to educating and informing the public and policymakers about the mental health needs of New Hampshire citizens.

Contracts and Government Procurement
In addition to the impact of new laws and administrative rules, businesses need to be regularly apprised of available state contracts, RFPs, bidding schedules, and the Governor and Council approval process. We have assisted many companies in both identifying opportunities and understanding the nuances of selling products and services to state government. Working through the procurement process, recognizing the needs of the agency putting out an RFP, and developing the final proposal for submission, are all part of a process we can help manage.

Energy
The Dupont Group has represented independent energy producers, consumers and developers in New Hampshire and the region for many years. We were key players in the development of the electric energy deregulation legislation in the mid-90’s; served on the Advisory Board of the Independent Systems Operator (ISO-New England); and are founding members of and active participants on the Independent Energy Council of New Hampshire. Our history with and network of contacts in the Public Utilities Commission, the Governor’s Energy Office, the Office of Consumer Advocate, and the energy committees in the legislature is broad, as are our relationships with other stakeholders. We assist both start-ups and established firms successfully navigate the legislative and regulatory waters in the energy area.

The Dupont Group’s efforts continue in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable power generation.  In the decade to come, as the challenges of energy and the environment intersect, the Dupont Group is well positioned to assist clients in finding opportunities and managing a changing regulatory structure.

Environmental
In 2008 and 2009, the Dupont Group worked with environmental interests in the development, enactment and implementation of the regional greenhouse gas initiative (RGGI). Passage of this groundbreaking law led to the recent award of grant money for energy efficiency improvements, to the Retail Merchants Association, another Dupont Group client. In addition, our work for transportation and energy providers, recycling facilities, and technology interests has proactively contributed to environmental improvements in the state.

Environmental Permitting
On large and small development projects, The Dupont Group is expert at coordinating and expediting all permitting activities related to project approval. Because this often involves multiple governmental agencies, knowledge of the structure, operations and people in state government is key to moving projects through the permitting process in a timely fashion. Our permitting expertise ranges from wetlands, shoreland, current use, and other environmental permits, to transportation-related issues; and the types of projects we routinely work on range from large retail, commercial and industrial developments, to smaller projects such as docking structures and boathouses.

Gaming
Gambling in New Hampshire has a long history and has seen dramatic changes in recent years.  The landscape has changed from a thriving pari-mutuel industry to the onset of telephone account wagering and, most recently, the innovation of the regulation of charitable games of chance with high-stakes card tournaments.  Gambling policy and regulation requires involvement on a number of levels, including the Governor’s office, legislative committees, the Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission, and, in some circumstances, the Executive Council and the Lottery Commission.  Our experience (see our case study) with each regulatory body and with legislation gives us a unique background in this arena.  Our long history of representing technology vendors and gaming licensees, and pari-mutuel tracks, includes successful efforts to innovate gaming products in the state.

Healthcare
Our healthcare work has included agency and legislative representation for community mental health centers, acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, substance abuse and lead poisoning prevention. We have an expertise in Medicaid and are often called upon to provide input.

Labor
Changes in healthcare, unemployment, family and medical leave, workers compensation and wage payment requirements have been frequent in New Hampshire.  On behalf of our clients the Dupont Group stays on top of the regulatory and policy changes and our people have a broad knowledge base of the various subject.

Legislative Histories
Nothing much is ever completely new in the legislative process. Most major pieces of legislation take about ten years to become law. A legislature as large and diverse as the 424-member New Hampshire General Court - with a one-third turnover every two years - takes about that long to absorb a new concept, refine it, and finally adopt it. Looking only at the records for a bill that is enacted and not the earlier iterations of the legislation is a narrow view of why an idea finally became a law. We have the technical ability and the institutional memory to prepare legislative histories on a wide variety of subject areas. We also have the on-the-ground knowledge of what has gone on politically in a given year, which is often key to providing a context for legislative intent.

Local Government
Our legislative and regulatory clients have included municipalities, local industrial parks, local transportation providers, and the NH Association of Counties. In addition, our principals and staff have served as local and county elected officials, municipal board members, and volunteers in their communities.

Medicaid
The Dupont Group has extensive experience in the often complicated Medicaid arena. Our clients include many healthcare providers as well as vendors to the Medicaid system.  This work includes managing the payer and rate reimbursement process with the NH Department of Health and Human Services, detailed expertise in the Medicaid portions of the state budget as well as the development of Medicaid benefits and Medicaid health policy at the legislative level. In addition, the procurement of medical vendor services is an area in which the Dupont Group has a great deal of expertise and a working knowledge of the RFI, RFP, contracting and contract approval process.

Policy Research
Our research and analysis of the latest reports, trends and data in a variety of areas helps to inform and assist key legislators and executive branch officials as they shape public policy and identify options for taking action. The Dupont Group is well-known and respected for providing substantive, quality research in a wide variety of public policy areas, through white papers, memoranda, legislative histories, Powerpoint presentations, and other formats.

Regulated Agencies
Achieving optimal results for clients before executive branch agencies requires particular experience and knowledge. Businesses operating in New Hampshire often need to commit significant amounts of time and resources to get approvals, permits and licenses from the State and its agencies. We have worked successfully with regulatory agencies on every level and can assist both established businesses and start-ups with the process, the people and the politics.

Regulated Professions
New Hampshire, like all other states, regulates a number of professions at various levels; but being the “Live Free or Die” state, New Hampshire puts a unique spin on regulation in some cases.  The personnel at the Dupont Group have successfully represented a number of regulated professions in attempts to change scope of practice, insurance coverage, oversight and education requirements and other areas.

State Budget
New Hampshire’s biennial state budget process takes about 10 months to complete, from the time that state agencies prepare their initial requests, to the time the Governor presents his budget plan, to the months of legislative hearings and conference committee meetings, to final enactment of a new spending and revenue plan. We have been involved in the budgets of the last 30 years and have an intimate understanding of the process, the substance, and the players.

Tax Policy
Taxation is a policy area that makes New Hampshire unique.  Our business tax structure, particularly the Business Enterprise Tax, was created in 1993 specific to New Hampshire’s existing tax structure, and the state famously has no broad-based income or sales tax.  The Dupont Group represented a major manufacturer and employer in the state in making the business tax system fairer through the change in 1993.  We have helped the retail industry in New Hampshire to maintain the importance of New Hampshire’s sales tax-free status through research, writing, opinion leaders and grass-roots efforts.   Our work has also included the state’s gas tax, gambling taxes, telecommunications tax, property tax, current use tax, and proposals for an entertainment tax, among others.