Revision: May 9, 2025, 12:36 p.m.
Senate Children and Family Law
May 9, 2025
2025-2046s
11/06
Amendment to HB 132-FN
Amend the title of the bill by replacing it with the following:
AN ACT eliminating liability for support and recovery over certain indigent relations.
Amend the bill by replacing all after the enacting clause with the following:
1 Aid to Assisted Persons; Recovery of Expenses and Court Costs Limited. 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 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 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. [In any civil action brought under this section to recover such sum, the court shall award costs to the prevailing party].
2 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. RSA 165:19, relative to liability for support.
II. RSA 166:12, relative to rights of actions.
III. RSA 166:24, relative to recovery of expense and court costs.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.
2025-2046s
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill repeals the statutory provision requiring that the relation of any poor person in the line of father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, son, daughter, husband, or wife shall assist or maintain such person when in need of relief and limits or eliminates counties’ authority to recover costs for public assistance, including legal actions for reimbursement, expense recovery from municipalities and relatives, and claims against estates of deceased recipients.