New Hampshire SB 558: relative to the appointment of the youth development center claims administrator.

Bill Text

SB 558 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2145

 05/09

SENATE BILL 558

AN ACT relative to the appointment of the youth development center claims administrator.

SPONSORS: Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Rep. Ebel, Merr. 7

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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ANALYSIS

 This bill transfers the position of YDC claims administrator from the executive branch to the judicial branch. The bill also removes changes to the claims process made in 2025, 141 (HB 2) relative to payment of attorney's fees in settlements involving periodic payments, the time period for acceptance of the administrator's decision, and reporting requirements.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2145

 05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to the appointment of the youth development center claims administrator.

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

 1 Youth Development Center Claims Administrator. Amend RSA 21-M:11-a, III to read as follows:

 III. There is further established in the [executive] judicial branch a temporary full-time or part-time position known as the youth development center claims administrator, to be appointed by the [governor with the consent of the executive council] supreme court. A part-time administrator may maintain a private, unrelated mediation or legal practice apart from the duties as administrator notwithstanding any other provision of rule or law to the contrary. The [governor, with the consent of the executive council,] supreme court shall appoint an administrator agreed to by the attorney general and counsel for claimants. If the attorney general and counsel for claimants are unable to agree upon an administrator, the [governor, with the consent of the executive council,] supreme court shall select the administrator from the candidates submitted to the court by the attorney general and counsel for claimants, not later than 30 days following the court's receipt of the candidates. The attorney general and counsel for claimants shall each submit two candidates, not later than 30 days following the joint fiscal committee's approval of the claim process and guidelines as provided in paragraph IV. The administrator shall receive compensation at no more than the rate of salary of an active superior court justice and shall, if working full-time, receive the same benefits as other [executive branch employees] nonjudicial employees of the judicial branch. If working part-time, the administrator shall receive compensation at no more than the equivalent per diem rate of an active superior court justice, provided that in any calendar year, the administrator shall not receive more in total compensation than that received by an active superior court justice. The [executive] judicial branch shall provide the administrator and any necessary support staff with office space. The salary, benefits, and expenses of the administrator, and any necessary support staff, shall be paid from the fund. The administrator shall report to [the governor or the governor’s designee for employment-related purposes, but the governor] the chief justice of the supreme court or the chief justice's designee for employment-related purposes, but the supreme court shall have no authority to review the administrator's decisions. At such time as the administrator's duties are concluded, or at such time as full-time service by the administrator is no longer needed to carry out the administrator's duties, the [governor] supreme court shall either eliminate the administrator's position or reduce it from a full-time to a part-time position as may be appropriate. The [governor] supreme court may remove the administrator [at any time, as the administrator serves at the pleasure of the governor] if, after a request for removal received from the attorney general or claimants' counsel, or upon the court's own motion, the court determines that good cause for removal exists. Once appointed, the administrator shall process claims as provided herein and may settle claims at such amounts as may be agreed upon between the AG designee and each claimant, or at amounts which are determined by the administrator, giving due consideration to the guidelines adopted by the joint fiscal committee as provided in paragraph IV.

 2 Youth Development Center Claims Administration and Settlement Fund; Attorney's Fees; Periodic Payment. Amend RSA 21-M:11-a, XV to read as follows:

 XV.