HB 1511-LOCAL – AS INTRODUCED
2010 SESSION
05/10
HOUSE BILL 1511-LOCAL
AN ACT relative to municipal reimbursement for local assistance and establishing a committee to study local assistance under RSA 165, concerning aid to assisted persons.
SPONSORS: Rep. Buco, Carr 1; Rep. Umberger, Carr 1; Rep. Bridgham, Carr 2; Rep. Butler, Carr 1; Sen. Gallus, Dist 1; Sen. Reynolds, Dist 2
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
This bill:
I. Provides that if a person has been a resident of a town for less than 90 days and seeks local assistance, the town may seek reimbursement for such assistance from the person’s town of prior residence.
II. Permits reimbursement for case management of local assistance cases.
III. Establishes a committee to study local assistance provided under RSA 165, concerning aid to assisted persons.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
10-2656
05/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
AN ACT relative to municipal reimbursement for local assistance and establishing a committee to study local assistance under RSA 165, concerning aid to assisted persons.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Aid to Assisted Persons; Residency Not Required for Assistance. Amend RSA 165:1, I to read as follows:
I. Whenever a person in any town is poor and unable to support himself or herself, [he] the person shall be relieved and maintained by the overseers of public welfare of such town, whether or not [he] the person has residence there. For the purposes of this chapter the term “residence” shall have the same definition as in RSA 21:6-a.
2 Assisted Person Defined; Local Responsibility; Reimbursement from Town of Prior Residence Permitted. Amend RSA 165:1-a to read as follows:
165:1-a Assisted Person Defined; Local Responsibility. Any person in a town or city who is poor and unable to support himself or herself shall be known as a town or city assisted person, and shall be relieved and maintained at the expense of the town or city of residence. If the person has been a resident of the town or city for less than 90 days, the town or city may seek reimbursement for such assistance from the person’s town or city of prior residence.
3 Aid to Assisted Persons; Nonresidents; Temporary Assistance to Return to Place of Residence. Amend RSA 165:1-c to read as follows:
165:1-c Nonresidents. Any person, poor and unable to support himself or herself, who is temporarily in a town or city which is not his or her residence, and who does not intend to make it his or her residence, shall be provided such temporary assistance as is reasonable and necessary by such town or city[. Such town or city may, if requested, cause] so that such person [to] may be returned to his or her place of residence.
4 Aid to Assisted Persons; Recovery of Expense; Case Management. Amend RSA 165:20 to read as follows:
165:20 Recovery of Expense. If a town, city, or county acting as agent for a town under RSA 165:34 spends any sum for the support, return to his or her home, or burial of an assisted person having a residence in another town or city, or for an assisted person having relations able to support him or her under RSA 165:19, such sum may be recovered from the town, city, or relation so chargeable or from a county acting as agent for the town under RSA 165:34. The sum may include case management costs incurred by the town, city, or county providing assistance. In any civil action brought under this section to recover such sum, the court shall award costs to the prevailing party.
5 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the delivery of local assistance under RSA 165, concerning aid to assisted persons.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
III. The committee shall study the delivery of local assistance under RSA 165. Areas of study shall include issues related to residency, reimbursement, and mediation processes for disputes between municipalities, the possibility of providing local assistance at the county rather than municipal level, the need to standardize welfare guidelines, and clarification of pertinent statutes. The committee shall solicit information and testimony from interested persons throughout the state, both within government and from the public.
IV. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
V. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2010.
6 Effective Date.
I. Section 5 and 6 of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect July 1, 2010.