NH Legal Assistance Legislative Wrap-up 2024
NH Legal Assistance fights for domestic violence survivors, people with low income, seniors and children when policies are discussed that threaten their rights and safety.
CONCORD, N.H.— In addition to representing individuals and groups of people in court when their legal rights are under threat, NH Legal Assistance maintains a vibrant legislative and administrative policy practice.
In 2024, NHLA worked in a challenging legislative environment to advance protections for people living with low income, in partnership with other organizations, and on both sides of the aisle.
Some highlights:
Major wins already signed into law:
Gov. Sununu signed SB 361 on June 13, a bill extending and expanding a paralegal pilot program that enables trained and supervised paralegals to represent lower-income litigants when they face legal problems that threaten their homes, families, and personal safety. For two years now, paralegals have done this work as part of a pilot project in a small number of courts. This bill expands the pilot to all courts and extends the deadline for a final report until 2029.
In May, Gov. Sununu signed HB 261, which creates new protections for domestic violence victims who need to break a lease. The bill allows survivors to terminate their lease early without incurring fees or an eviction and makes the process to certify they are a survivor easier and more confidential than in the past.
Waiting for Governor’s signature:
We successfully advocated for the passage of SB 463, a right to counsel for juveniles in abuse and neglect cases (RSA 169-c) who are placed or at significant risk of placement in institutions. To address courts concerns about adequate attorneys, we ultimately agreed to phase in the right to counsel according to age, prioritizing older youth in institutions (because there are many of these youth) and those placed outside New England (because these children are most vulnerable). New Hampshire is an outlier - one of only 6 states that do not guarantee the right to counsel for children in abuse and neglect proceedings under any circumstances. If signed, we’ll still be one of 13 that do not guarantee the right to counsel for all children throughout abuse and neglect proceedings.
We are also pleased that the Legislature passed HB 1598, which provides the Department of Health and Human Services with $150,000 in funds to hire a consultant to explore restoration of social security and veterans benefits for kids who are in foster care. New Hampshire is one of 38 states that collects these benefits from kids to defray the state’s costs, however these are the only children in foster care who are asked to pay for their own care. There is an effort across the country to change this. Kids aging out of foster care need all the support they can get, and this could make a difference in terms of housing, transportation or even education. The Department supported the amended bill so that they can “develop a roadmap forward and build it into the next budget.” Last year, the state collected about $521,000 in benefits from about 90 kids, who are eligible for benefits due to their own disability or based on a parent’s death or disability.
We were also incredibly proud the Legislature passed SB 499, addressing food insecurity by using a streamlined application for SNAP and summer EBT, also known as food stamps. Summer EBT is a new federal program that provides additional grocery dollars for low-income families with school aged kids. The benefit is 100% federal and would provide over 37,000 kids $120/summer for groceries. The streamlined application may also help older adults and people with disabilities living on fixed incomes to get enrolled and stay enrolled.
Of particulate note as we hear about the continued housing crisis in our state: NHLA successfully defeated HB 1115 twice! HB 1115 would have allowed landlords to evict tenants at the end of a lease term without good cause, upending decades of tenant protections, creating uncertainty and turmoil for tenants who have no where else to go.
With allies from other organizations, NHLA also successfully killed two bills that would have harmed immigrants. HB 1292 would have required that local police arrest and detain people at the mere request of federal officials without due process. HB 1127 would have invalidated out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants.
NHLA was unfortunately part of a coalition of programs supporting domestic violence survivors that faced a major policy loss:
HB 185 was passed by the House and Senate which changes the law on shared parenting time from a baseline of “frequent and continuing contact” to a baseline of “approximately equal,” which we know will harm domestic violence victims and children.
About New Hampshire Legal Assistance
New Hampshire Legal Assistance is a nonprofit law firm working to make justice a reality for and with people who experience economic hardship that threatens their basic human needs. Through representation and systemic advocacy, NHLA offers civil legal aid that addresses the effects and root causes of poverty.