New Hampshire HB 1701: reestablishing the New Hampshire college graduate retention incentive partnership program and making an appropriation therefor.

Bill Text

HB 1701-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-3141

 06/09

HOUSE BILL 1701-FN

AN ACT reestablishing the New Hampshire college graduate retention incentive partnership program and making an appropriation therefor.

SPONSORS: Rep. Manohar, Hills. 9; Rep. Chourasia, Hills. 11; Rep. Damon, Sull. 8; Rep. Gregg, Hills. 7; Rep. Spier, Hills. 6; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13

COMMITTEE: Education Funding

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ANALYSIS

 This bill reestablishes and makes modifications to the New Hampshire college graduate retention incentive partnership (NH GRIP) which provides financial incentives to college graduates who are hired by participating employers and makes an appropriation to the department of business and economic affairs for that 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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-3141

 06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT reestablishing the New Hampshire college graduate retention incentive partnership program and making an appropriation therefor.

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

 1 New Hampshire College Graduate Retention Incentive Partnership. RSA 12-O:46 to 12-O:50 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows: 

 12-O:46 Definitions. In this subdivision: 

 I. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of business and economic affairs (DBEA). 

 II. "Department" means the department of business and economic affairs.

 III. "Eligible institution of higher education" means any public or private institution of higher education authorized to grant 2-year or 4-year degrees in this state by the higher education commission pursuant to RSA 21-N:8-a. 

 IV. "Graduate" means a student who graduates from an eligible institution of higher education in May 2019 or thereafter.

 V. "Incentive" means a monetary award given each year for not more than 4 years by a participating employer to a graduate which the graduate may elect to be paid to the graduate or to an entity servicing the graduate's student loans.

 VI. "Participating employer" means any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, the state or political subdivision of the state, or any other entity which enters into a participating employer agreement to provide an incentive to a graduate.

 VII. "Participating employer agreement" or "agreement" means an agreement prepared jointly by the department of business and economic affairs in consultation with the New Hampshire College and University Council and the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire. 

 12-O:47 New Hampshire College Graduate Retention Incentive Partnership Established. There is established the New Hampshire college graduate retention incentive partnership (NH GRIP) which shall be administered by the department. The purpose of NH GRIP is to recruit and retain graduates from eligible institutions of higher education and provide incentives to those graduates to work in New Hampshire. 

 12-O:47-a Implementation. 

 I. The department shall relaunch and administer NH GRIP in accordance with this subdivision.

 II. The department shall develop and publish application procedures and eligibility guidelines for participating employers, including but not limited to: 

 (a) Criteria for employer participation;

 (b) Terms of graduate employment and retention;

 (c) Documentation and reporting requirements; and

 (d) Any other rules necessary to carry out the purposes of the program.

 12-O:47-b Prioritization. In administering NH GRIP, the department shall give priority to employers headquartered or principally located in New Hampshire that qualify as small businesses under federal or state definitions; and employers in sectors experiencing documented workforce shortages, including but not limited to health care, skilled trades, and technology. 

 12-O:48 Requirements and Procedure. Each participating employer shall compile a list of positions which qualify for an incentive under NH GRIP. The participating employer shall publish the list of qualifying positions on the employer's public Internet site and on any Internet employment search site used by the participating employer. A graduate who obtains employment in a qualifying position with a participating employer and who executes an agreement, shall receive an incentive of not less than $1,000 each year for the first 4 years of the graduate's employment with the participating employer. The agreement shall be signed by an authorized agent of the participating employer. The participat