HB661 Relative to the department of health and human services management of social security payments, supplemental security income payments, and veterans benefits for children in foster care.
Relative to the department of health and human services management of social security payments, supplemental security income payments, and veterans benefits for children in foster care.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Mixed
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Short-term state costs increase to implement procedures and ABLE accounts, but long-term financial burden on taxpayers decreases as the state relinquishes use of foster children's federal benefits for operational costs.
Your Community
Children aging out of foster care will have accumulated assets for transition to adulthood, reducing reliance on additional state services and improving long-term outcomes for vulnerable youth.
Your Freedom
Foster children gain meaningful control and benefit from their own federal entitlements rather than having those resources diverted to state operations, strengthening their economic independence and agency.
Status
Signed by Governor Ayotte 07/10/2026; Chapter 287; eff. I. Sec 1 eff 7/1/2027 II. Sec 2 eff 1/1/2028 III. Sec 3 eff 7/10/2026
Sponsor
Mary Wallner (D)
The Short Version
This bill requires the NH Department of Health and Human Services to identify and manage federal benefits (Social Security, SSI, veterans benefits) for children in foster care, with a phased plan to conserve increasing percentages of those benefits for the children's future rather than using them to offset state foster care costs. Implementation begins July 1, 2027, with full benefit conservation by July 1, 2034.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Children in NH foster care receiving Social Security, SSI, or veterans benefits
- ▲ Foster youth aging out of care who will retain accumulated assets for transition to adulthood
- ▲ Children with suitable non-state representative payees who will not have state as default payee
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ NH Department of Health and Human Services (increased administrative burden and costs to implement procedures, hire consultants, establish ABLE accounts by June 2027)
- ▼ State general fund (must approve requests for additional funding to establish ABLE accounts)
- ▼ State foster care budget (loses revenue source from federal benefits previously used to offset care costs, phased in over 6 years)
Bill statuses as of October 7, 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.