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Panel reviews bill to raise small-claims payment cap for New Hampshire National Guard
Summary
HB 122 would raise the administrative payment limit the New Hampshire National Guard can pay for incidental property damage from $500 to $1,000 and update department naming to reflect the Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services.
Representative Jim Creighton told the committee HB 122 would increase the administrative, out-of-court payment limit the National Guard may use to reimburse small property damage arising from Guard activities. "What this bill does is it says ... let's up it to a $1,000," Creighton said, noting the $500 threshold dated to decades ago and made routine small reimbursements impractical.
Deputy Adjutant General Nicole Desilets Bixler testified the $500 limit dates to 1981 under RSA 110-B:73 and that raising it to $1,000 would allow the Guard to resolve minor claims in roughly two weeks rather than sending matters to the board of claims process that can take months. "The fiscal note ... for fiscal years 2025 through 2028, the fiscal impact would be less than $10,000," Desilets Bixler said.
Committee members asked whether an appeal process exists for claims exceeding the limit (witnesses said yes), whether the department has a line item for such payments (Desilets Bixler said she would confirm with her budget officer), and whether the $1,000 cap would require rules for determining fair market value of damaged items (sponsor replied that valuation rules already exist and the bill only raises the numeric cap).
State Veterans Advisory Committee member Kevin Grady testified in support of the measure, saying it modernizes an outdated threshold and reduces burdens on citizens affected by Guard operations. The committee closed the hearing without acting on the bill.
Why it matters: The change would speed resolution of minor claims against citizens stemming from Guard training and missions, while preserving the board of claims process for larger claims.
