This bill amends the administration of the Health Care Consumer Protection Trust Fund by eliminating the requirement for Executive Council approval for expenditures, while still necessitating approval from the advisory commission and the governor. It prohibits grants or contracts to New Hampshire state agencies, including any subgrants or pass-throughs, and limits funded projects to those that directly benefit New Hampshire health care consumers through defined, measurable patient-outcome objectives. The bill also mandates milestone-based disbursements and clawback provisions for any failures to meet these milestones, while explicitly prohibiting funding for academic research, although incidental evaluations for outcome verification are allowed. New legal language emphasizes that proceeds from acquisition transactions involving health care organizations must be used solely for projects that measurably improve health outcomes for consumers.

Additionally, the bill proposes amendments to current law that require the addition of one full-time Assistant Attorney General and one investigative paralegal to the Department of Justice, with estimated costs of approximately $137,000 and $98,000 respectively for FY 2027. While the bill does not allocate funding for these positions, it is expected that necessary funding for FY 2028 and FY 2029 will be included in the Department's budget requests. The overall fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminable, as it will depend on the volume of proposals and enforcement actions under the new statutory framework, with estimates ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 per fiscal year based on workload.

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