This bill amends the administration of the Health Care Consumer Protection Trust Fund by eliminating the requirement for Executive Council approval for expenditures, while maintaining the need for approval from the Governor and the advisory commission. It prohibits grants or contracts to New Hampshire state agencies and limits funded projects to those that directly benefit health care consumers through measurable patient-outcome objectives, which must include milestone-based disbursements and clawback provisions for unmet milestones. Additionally, the bill explicitly prohibits the use of trust fund moneys for academic research, allowing only for incidental evaluations necessary to verify outcomes. Furthermore, the bill introduces new legal language that empowers the Department of Justice to draft and monitor grant agreements, oversee reporting, and enforce compliance with statutory criteria. To support these changes, the Department estimates the need for one additional full-time Assistant Attorney General and one investigative paralegal, with projected costs of approximately $137,000 and $98,000 respectively for FY 2027. However, the bill does not allocate funding for these positions, and the overall fiscal impact could range from $100,000 to $500,000 per fiscal year, depending on the volume of proposals and enforcement actions. The implementation costs would be classified as General Fund expenditures, and any funding for the additional positions would need to be included in future budget requests.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 7:6-g
HB1784 text: 7:6-g