Local welfare serves as the last resort safety net for New Hampshire residents facing crisis, helping with emergency shelter, food, and medicine when all other options are exhausted. This program is critical for older adults, who experience poverty and homelessness at higher rates than other age groups.1,2 Many live on fixed incomes that don't stretch to cover rising costs for housing, health care, and other basic needs. When an older Granite Stater on a fixed income faces an unexpected crisis, like a sudden rent increase, a medical emergency, or the loss of a spouse, local welfare can mean the difference between keeping a roof over their head and sleeping in their car.
HB 348 would significantly restrict access to local welfare at a time when more older adults and families need it most.
Sign In Virtually to OPPOSE HB 348
Sign in to the public hearing to let lawmakers know you OPPOSE HB 348:
- Go to the Senate Remote Sign-In Sheet.
- Select the date: March 3 (You may need to move the calendar from February to March.)
- Select the Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs
- Choose the Bill: 9:30 am - HB 348
- For "I am", select "A Member of the Public" unless another label is appropriate.
- For "I'm Representing", select "Myself" unless officially representing an organization.
- Select "I Oppose this Bill".
- Click "Continue".
- Add your personal information.
- Check the box.
- Click "Continue" again.
- You did it! Thank you!
Attend the Public Hearing
Make your voice heard by attending or testifying at the public hearing! New Futures can help you prepare remarks, find the committee room, and offer moral support at the hearing.
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee has scheduled a public hearing for House Bill 348 on Tuesday, March 3 at 9:30AM in room 122-123 at the State House.
Visit the links below for more resources:
Email Your State Senator
WATCH: Challenges Granite Staters Face Aging in NH
Share Your Story
Have you, a loved one, or a client/patient been impacted by local emergency assistance?
Share your experience.
Need help? Contact Martha McLeod (Vice President of Community Engagement) for help taking action or Judith Jones (Healthy Aging Policy Director) with policy questions.
About the Bill
HB 348 would create two major barriers to getting help through local welfare:
- Residency Requirement: It would require unhoused individuals to prove residency with documents like leases or utility bills—documents that someone sleeping in their car or temporarily staying with friends wouldn't have.
- Limit on Assistance: It would cap monthly assistance at just $652—an amount that doesn’t even cover one month’s rent and would only pay for about one week in an emergency motel. For a 75-year-old facing homelessness in winter, this could mean just one week of help before being left without shelter for the rest of the month.
Rather than restricting access to emergency assistance, we need systemic solutions that ensure our safety net works for all of us as we move through life. HB 348 would undermine this critical protection for people across our communities who have nowhere else to turn.
Bill Status
Tuesday, March 3: The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing to receive input from the public for House Bill 348 at 9:30AM in room 122-123 at the State House.
Click Attend the Public Hearing under the Take Action section above to learn more and get involved.
January 8, 2026: The House of Representatives passed HB 348 in a 190-157 vote, advancing it to the Senate, where it was assigned to the Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee.
2025: HB 348 was retained during the 2025 legislative session to be worked on further in the 2026 session.
To learn more about how a bill becomes a law, visit our About the Legislature webpage sign up for a New Futures advocacy training.
References
- NH Coalition to End Homelessness (2025). The State of Homelessness in New Hampshire: 2025 Edition. https://www.nhceh.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-Edition-9.pdf
- New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. (2025, March 3). Who is Experiencing Poverty in the Granite State? https://nhfpi.org/resource/who-is-experiencing-poverty-in-the-granite-state
