HB161: relative to residency in determining entitlement to local welfare assistance.

HB 161-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-0427

05/01

HOUSE BILL 161-FN-LOCAL

AN ACT relative to residency in determining entitlement to local welfare assistance.

SPONSORS: Rep. Dickinson, Carr 4; Rep. Babson, Carr 6; Rep. Vallone, Rock 80; Sen. Kenney, Dist 3; Sen. Prescott, Dist 23; Sen. Gallus, Dist 1; Sen. Johnson, Dist 2; Sen. Sapareto, Dist 19

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

ANALYSIS

This bill requires a person to be a resident in order to receive local assistance from a city or town under RSA 165, aid to assisted persons.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0427

05/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT relative to residency in determining entitlement to local welfare assistance.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Aid to Assisted Persons; Who Entitled; Residency Required. 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 has residence there]. For the purposes of this chapter the term "residence" shall have the same definition as in RSA 21:6-a.

2 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.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2004.

LBAO

03-0427

12/27/02

HB 161-FN-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to residency in determining entitlement to local welfare assistance.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Department of Health and Human Services indicated this bill will have an indeterminable impact on state and local revenues and expenditures. There will be no impact on county revenue or expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Health and Human Services stated homeless people often have not established residency. The Department expects this bill may result in increased costs to the state for services provided for state-funded shelters, community mental health agencies, the emergency assistance program and the New Hampshire Hospital, and an indeterminable impact on local community hospitals. The Department further stated that many towns in New Hampshire do not have temporary housing and costs to some towns may increase, while costs to others will decrease. The Department indicated there may be additional administrative costs to towns for confirming residency and re-negotiating co-operative agreements with other towns. The Department is not able to estimate the additional cost to the state or the fiscal impact on local governments

The New Hampshire Municipal Association was not able to determine the fiscal impact of this bill.