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Committee reviews bill to repeal "legally liable relative" requirement in local welfare law
Summary
House Bill 132 would remove an antiquated statutory provision that allows towns to seek reimbursement and, in some cases, compel support from close relatives of a person seeking municipal welfare. Advocates for keeping the law argued towns sometimes rely on the provisions leverage to secure family assistance in emergency housing or burial cases;
The committee heard House Bill 132, which would repeal a portion of New Hampshires poor-relief/local-welfare statutes that identifies "legally liable relatives" (for example, a parent, adult child, spouse or step-relative) and authorizes municipalities to seek reimbursement from them or to compel attendance at court to establish liability.
Sponsor Representative Lehi said he introduced the bill after a Piermont resident described a case in which a select board sought help from a close relative under the statute; the sponsor said the provision is "antiquated" (the law dates to…
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