New Hampshire HB 1784: relative to the health care consumer protection trust fund.

Bill Text

HB 1784-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2783

 05/08

HOUSE BILL 1784-FN

AN ACT relative to the health care consumer protection trust fund.

SPONSORS: Rep. Miles, Hills. 12; Rep. L. Walsh, Rock. 15; Sen. McGough, Dist 11

COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

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ANALYSIS

This bill modifies the statute governing administration of the health care consumer protection trust fund to: 

 I. Remove the executive council approval for expenditures while retaining approval by the advisory commission and the governor. 

 II. Prohibit grants or contracts to New Hampshire state agencies, including subgrants or pass-throughs to such entities. 

 III. Limit funded projects to those that directly benefit New Hampshire health care consumers through defined, measurable patient-outcome objectives, with milestone-based disbursements and clawbacks. 

 IV. Prohibit funding of academic research while allowing incidental evaluation necessary to verify outcomes.

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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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2783

 05/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to the health care consumer protection trust fund.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Health Care Consumer Protection Trust Fund. Amend RSA 7:6-g to read as follows:

 7:6-g Health Care Consumer Protection Trust Fund Established. 

 I. In this section: 

 (a) "Acquisition transaction" or "acquisition" means transfer of control, direct or indirect, of a health care organization, or of 25 percent or more of the assets thereof, including, but not limited to, purchases, mergers, leases, gifts, consolidations, exchanges, joint ventures, or other transactions involving transfer of control or of 25 percent or more of assets. However, changes in membership of the governing body of a health care organization occurring through regular election or filling of vacancies in accordance with the bylaws thereof do not of themselves constitute acquisition transactions within the meaning of this section. 

 (b) "Health care organization" means an entity organized to provide health care services including, but not limited to, hospitals, community health services, and medical-surgical or other diagnostic or therapeutic facilities or services, or an entity operating as a health insurer or health maintenance organization. 

 I-a. The general court finds that proceeds from acquisition transactions involving health care organizations shall be used solely for projects that measurably improve health outcomes for New Hampshire consumers through direct services and implementations, and not for academic research activities. 

 II. There is hereby established in the state treasury, the health care consumer protection trust fund that shall be kept separate and distinct from all other funds. All proceeds received by the state from any settlement, judgment, or other resolution related to any acquisition or acquisition transaction shall be deposited into the trust fund, provided that any proceeds obtained to reimburse the department of justice pursuant to RSA 356:4-b, or RSA 358-A:6, IV for all costs related to the review, investigation, or litigation of any acquisition or acquisition transaction may be deposited in appropriate funds as designated by the attorney general. The fund may also receive moneys through private contributions or appropriations from the general court. Any amount received in connection with an acquisition or acquisition transaction that would have been deposited into the general fund under RSA 7:6-e or RSA 7:6-f shall be deposited into the trust fund. All moneys in the trust fund shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the department of justice. Any earnings on trust fund moneys shall be added to the trust fund. 

 III. The attorney general shall administer the health care consumer protection trust fund and may only expend funds in the trust fund upon approval by the health care consumer protection advisory commission established in RSA 7:6-h and the governor [and council]. 

 IV. Funds from the health care consumer protection trust fund shall be expended solely for the purpose of benefiting health care consumers in the state and in accordance with any relevant terms of the settlement, judgment, or other resolution by which the funds were received. Expenditures from the trust fund may include, but are not limited to, expenditures by the department of justice, [grants to state agencies,] grants to municipalities, or grants to non-governmental recipie