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HB 348 · 2026 · House · Municipal and County Government Committee

Municipal residency rules for local aid

AI-generated

relative to eligibility for local assistance.

Allows municipalities to establish residency requirements for local assistance, requires short-term emergency aid while residency is verified, requires special consideration for individuals who relocated due to domestic or sexual violence, and establishes an administrative process for resolving financial responsibility among municipalities.AI-generated

Status

Signed into law · May 28, 2026
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✓Senate
  4. ✓Governor
  5. ✓Law

Analysis

This bill enables municipalities to establish residency requirements for local assistance, requires short-term emergency aid while residency is verified, requires special consideration of individuals who have left their town of origin due to domestic or sexual violence, and establishes an administrative process for resolving financial responsibility among municipalities.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as enacted. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“Whenever a person in any town is poor and unable to support [himself, he] themselves, he or she shall be relieved and maintained by the overseers of public welfare of such town[, whether or not he has residence there.”
RSA 165:1
“The welfare official shall provide temporary emergency assistance for up to 6 days to individuals, as necessary to relieve a basic needs emergency.”
RSA 165:1-f
“The financial responsibility for general assistance for assisted persons shall be the responsibility of the town or city in which the person making application [resides] has residence for local welfare purposes, as defined in RSA 165:1 and RSA 21:6-a, except as otherwise provided in RSA 165:1-c.”
RSA 165:2-a
“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.”
RSA 165:1

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Jennifer RhodesRPrimeVice Chair· Criminal Justice and Public Safety
  • Rep. Bob LynnRChair· Judiciary
  • Rep. Jason OsborneRMajority Leader
  • Rep. Joe SweeneyRDeputy Majority Leader
  • Rep. Ross BerryRChair· Election Law
  • Rep. Steven BogertRAssistant Majority Whip
  • Rep. Terry RoyRChair· Criminal Justice and Public Safety
  • Sen. Bill GannonRChair· Judiciary
  • Sen. Daniel InnisRChair, Majority Policy Conference
  • Sen. Daryl AbbasRPresident Pro Tempore

Also: Rep. Donald McFarlaneR

Public testimony

No one submitted online testimony on this bill. See the record

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced

Hearings and debates

  • Jan 23, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government1:50:22–1:52:582m 36slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Jan 30, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government6:27:30–6:29:261m 56slocated in the stream transcriptExecutive Session
  • Sep 24, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government6:14:16–6:19:285m 12slocated in the stream transcriptMajority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0154h — roll call; Executive Session
  • Jan 8, 2026Floor debateHouse floor5:23:09–5:29:075m 58slocated in the stream transcriptOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-0154h — adopted, roll call 190-157; Amendment # 2025-0154h — adopted, voice vote
  • Mar 3, 2026Public hearingSenate Election Law and Municipal Affairs30:56–32:331m 37slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • Mar 26, 2026Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamCommittee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1207s; Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-1207s — adopted, voice vote; Committee Amendment # 2026-1207s — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 9, 2026Floor debateHouse floor1:02:08–1:03:441m 36slocated in the stream transcriptHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1207s (Rep. Pauer) — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 23, 2026Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-1673e Adopted — voice vote
  • Apr 23, 2026Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-1673e — adopted, voice vote
  • May 7, 2026Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamEnrolled Adopted — voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 2 P. 16
  2. Jan 23, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 01/23/2025 11:15 am LOB 301-303
  3. Jan 30, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 01/30/2025 02:00 pm LOB 301-303
  4. Jan 31, 2025HouseRetained in Committee
  5. Sep 24, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 09/24/2025 01:00 pm GP 154
  6. Sep 24, 2025HouseMajority : Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0154h 09/24/2025 (Vote 9-8; RC) HC 51 P. 42
  7. Nov 13, 2025HouseMinority : Inexpedient to Legislate
  8. Jan 8, 2026HouseAmendment # 2025-0154h: AA VV 01/08/2026 HJ 2 P. 60
  9. Jan 8, 2026HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-0154h: MA RC 190-157 01/08/2026 HJ 2 P. 60
  10. Jan 7, 2026SenIntroduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 2
  11. Mar 3, 2026SenHearing: 03/03/2026, Room 122-123, SH, 09:30 am; SC 7
  12. Mar 26, 2026Sen: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1207s, 03/26/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 11
  13. Mar 26, 2026SenCommittee Amendment # 2026-1207s, AA, VV; 03/26/2026; SJ 7
  14. Mar 26, 2026SenOught to Pass with Amendment #2026-1207s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/26/2026; SJ 7
  15. Apr 9, 2026HouseHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1207s (Rep. Pauer): MA VV 04/09/2026 HJ 10 P. 8
  16. Apr 23, 2026SenEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-1673e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 04/23/2026); SJ 11
  17. Apr 23, 2026HouseEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-1673e: AA VV (in recess of) 04/23/2026 HJ 11 P. 84
  18. May 7, 2026SenEnrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 05/07/2026); SJ 12
  19. May 7, 2026HouseEnrolled (in recess of) 05/07/2026 HJ 12 P. 40
  20. May 22, 2026HouseSigned by Governor Ayotte 05/22/2026; Chapter 81; eff.07/21/2026

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.