HB 1520-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED
2024 SESSION
24-2642
05/08
HOUSE BILL 1520-FN-A
SPONSORS: Rep. Schapiro, Ches. 16; Rep. Palmer, Sull. 2; Rep. Schultz, Merr. 29
COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a car ownership pilot program for participants in the New Hampshire employment program and family assistance program. The bill makes an appropriation to the department of health and human services for this purpose.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
24-2642
05/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Statement of Findings. The general court hereby finds that:
I. In February of 2021, the state released a study, entitled “Constraints on New Hampshire’s Workforce Recovery that focused on key factors that impact the decision-making of households and that may serve as constraints to returning to the workforce or expanding their participation. The report provided several policy recommendations that would remove barriers that families and individuals experience including transportation challenges.
II. For New Hampshire businesses, there is an untapped source of potential employees - individuals who want to work, but cannot afford to or do not have transportation means to get to and from work.
III. In order to begin work away from home, or work additional hours, individuals can incur higher transportation costs, which can in combination with other increased expenses or benefit losses, disincentivize increased workforce participation.
IV. Not having reliable transportation and childcare are the top barriers to employment for parents who are participating in the department’s employment program, and nearly half do not own a vehicle and cannot afford one. Public transportation is not available statewide. The lack of reliable transportation is the second most common reason for families to seek public assistance.
2 New Section; Car Ownership Pilot Program. Amend RSA 167 by inserting after section 77-g the following new section:
167:77-h Car Ownership Pilot Program. The department shall establish a car ownership pilot program for participants in the New Hampshire employment and family assistance program. The department shall identify and contract with a qualified vendor to acquire quality cars that meet program standards for efficiency and reliability through donation, auction or other means, refurbish them as necessary, and provide clear title in the name of select and eligible participants of the department’s employment program. To be eligible for the car ownership program, the participant must be receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families cash assistance, be participating in the department’s employment program, have a valid driver’s license, have a department-approved individualized work plan, and lack access to transportation that is preventing the individual from entering the workforce. The department shall determine other eligibility criteria for success. Further expansion of the program shall be subject to available funding, access to a supply of suitable vehicles, and assessment of program outcomes and objectives. On or before November 1, 2024, and annually thereafter for the duration of the pilot program, the department shall provide a report regarding the pilot program to the oversight committee on health and human services established in RSA 126-A:13.
3 Appropriation; Car Ownership Pilot Program. For the biennium ending June 30, 2025, the sum of $220,000 is hereby appropriated to the department of health and human services for the purpose of administering the pilot program established in section 2 of this act. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
24-2642
12/1/23
HB 1520-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
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• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] Yes • Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a car ownership pilot program for participants in the NH employment and family assistance programs. The Department is charged with contracting with vendors to acquire vehicles through donation, auction, or other means, and refurbish them as necessary. The bill contains a $220,000 general fund appropriation for this purpose for the FY24/25 biennium. The Department assumes that this will be matched by federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds, resulting in a total of $440,000 available for the program. In response to an earlier iteration of the bill, the Department assumed that any qualified vendor would need 10 percent for administrative overhead, resulting in $396,000 available for vehicle purchases. The Department further assumed the cost of a reliable vehicle to be approximately $20,000, meaning it would be able to procure approximately 20 cars with the available appropriation. Finally, the bill requires the Department to issue a report on the pilot program on or before November 1, 2024. The Department assumes that the cost of completing this report can be absorbed within its current operating budget.
As the bill has an effective date of July 1, 2024, it is assumed that the fiscal impact will take place in FY25.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services