HB 1629-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2016 SESSION
\t16-2121
\t05/01
HOUSE BILL\t1629-FN
AN ACT\trelative to disqualifying members of certain groups from receiving public assistance.
SPONSORS:\tRep. Weyler, Rock. 13; Rep. Baldasaro, Rock. 5; Rep. Itse, Rock. 10; Rep. Balcom, Hills. 21; Rep. LeBrun, Hills. 32; Rep. Tamburello, Rock. 5; Rep. Burt, Hills. 39; Rep. Leeman, Straf. 23; Sen. Avard, Dist 12
COMMITTEE:\tHealth, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
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ANALYSIS
\tThis bill prohibits any member of a foreign terrorist organization from receiving public assistance, medical assistance, or food stamps.
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Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
\t16-2121
\t05/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen
AN ACT\trelative to disqualifying members of certain groups from receiving public assistance.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 New Subparagraph; Eligibility for Assistance; Association with Terrorist Organization. Amend RSA 167:4, I by inserting after subparagraph (c) the following new subparagraph:
\t\t\t(d) Public assistance, medical assistance, or food stamps shall not be granted to an applicant or continue to be granted to a recipient who is a member of, or who supports, an organization that the United States Department of State has designated as a foreign terrorist organization in accordance with 8 U.S.C. section 1189. The department shall institute a reward system to identify recipients of assistance who have misrepresented their membership in or support of such terrorist organizations. Any person who provides evidence of a recipient's membership in or support of such an organization shall be eligible for a monetary award if the individual's membership or support is subsequently confirmed or verified by the federal government. The award may equal up to 4 months of the amount of public assistance the recipient was receiving.
\t2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2017.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t16-2121
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t12/18/15
HB 1629-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT\trelative to disqualifying members of certain groups from receiving public assistance.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill, as introduced, will have an indeterminable impact on state expenditures in FY 2017 and each year thereafter. There will be no impact on county and local expenditures, or on state, county, and local revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill adds a new section to RSA 167:4, I to make members of any U.S. Department of State-designated foreign terrorist organization ineligible for public assistance, medical assistance, or food stamps. The Department assumes "public assistance" refers to financial assistance because medical assistance and food stamps are specifically referenced. The bill further requires the Department to institute a reward system for anyone who helps to identify recipients of assistance who have misrepresented their membership in terrorist organizations. In order to be eligible for a reward, the individual will be required to provide evidence of a recipient’s membership in such an organization. The Department assumes that, since the bill only specifies a reward for public assistance and is silent regarding a reward for medical assistance or food stamps, a reward would only be provided regarding public assistance (cash assistance). The Department further assumes that, because the bill specifies the member of a foreign terrorist group will be ineligible for public assistance, medical assistance, and food stamps, only the individual family member and not the entire household will be ineligible for such assistance. The bill states the reward may equal up to four months' of the value of public assistance the recipient was receiving. Based on the average monthly proportional share of grant amounts, the Department projects potential rewards as follows:
The Department further notes that as of September 2015, the average per member per month cost for medical assistance is $468, and the proportional share of the average food stamp allotment is $111.91 per month. Although the Department is unable to determine the number of individuals whose benefits will be terminated as a result of having been found to be members of a terrorist organization, it estimates the per case savings as follows:
The Department notes that OAA, ANB, and APTD are 100 percent generally funded, while TANF is 47 percent state funded. The Department estimates medical assistance savings at $5,136 per case ($468 * 12 months). There would be no state savings resulting from food stamp cases because food stamps are 100 percent federally funded.
The Department states that the bill will impose administrative costs associated with modifying the New Heights and NH EASY eligibility systems. The Department assumes its contracted staff will need to make the following changes to satisfy the requirements of the bill:
Both New Heights and NH Easy:
New Heights only:
The Department projects that it will take four months for six contracted staff to complete the necessary revisions (4,159.2 hours) at a cost of $104 per hour, for a total of $432,557. The Department further notes there will be an indeterminable cost in staff time and resources to investigate claims that an individual is a member of a foreign terrorist organization, then to terminate and calculate reward amounts if the claim is substantiated.