HB 348 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0684
05/11
HOUSE BILL 348
AN ACT relative to eligibility for local assistance.
SPONSORS: Rep. Rhodes, Ches. 17; Rep. Lynn, Rock. 17; Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. Sweeney, Rock. 25; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44; Rep. Bogert, Belk. 5; Rep. Roy, Rock. 31; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Abbas, Dist 22
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill provides that municipalities may establish a residency requirement of up to 90 days for local assistance.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0684
05/11
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to eligibility for local assistance.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Eligibility for Local Assistance. Amend RSA 165:1 to read as follows:
165:1 Who Entitled; Local Responsibility.
I. Whenever a person in any town is poor and unable to support himself, he or she shall be relieved and maintained by the overseers of public welfare of such town, [whether or not he has residence there. For the purposes of this chapter the term "residence" shall have the same definition as in RSA 21:6-a] in accordance with this chapter.
II. The local governing body, as defined in RSA 672:6, of every town and city in the state shall adopt written guidelines relative to general assistance. The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) The process for application for general assistance.
(b) The criteria for determining eligibility for general assistance, which may require an individual to demonstrate that he or she has resided in the municipality for a period of time, up to 90 days, prior to applying for such assistance. Acceptable evidence of an individual's residence may include a lease, car registration, or utility bill in the individual's name.
(c) The process for appealing a decision relative to the granting of general assistance.
(d) The process for the application of rents under RSA 165:4-b, if the municipality uses the offset provisions of RSA 165:4-a.
(e) A statement that qualified state assistance reductions under RSA 167:82, VIII may be deemed as income, if the local governing body has permitted the welfare administrator to treat a qualified state assistance reduction as deemed income under RSA 165:1-e.
III. Whenever a town provides assistance under this section, no such assistance shall be provided directly to a person or household in the form of cash payments.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2025 | House | Hearing |
Jan. 15, 2025: Public Hearing: 01/23/2025 11:15 am LOB 301-303
Jan. 8, 2025: Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 2