Abigail Hammer

Dear Chairman Hill, Vice-Chairman Sheehan, and distinguished members of the committee: My name is Abigail Hammer, and I am a junior in high school from Rockingham County. I am writing to urge you all to support HB 1692. This past fall, I applied for a position on the Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC,) as did 37 other young citizens of New Hampshire. As the current statute stands, most of us would be denied this opportunity for meaningful and productive civic engagement. One thing that sets New Hampshire apart is that we proudly have one of the largest legislatures in the world. This gives the opportunity for many different voices to be heard. The youth council should absolutely reflect this with an increase to the number of youth voices that we allow to learn and advocate. Having access to an opportunity like this is something that we are all incredibly grateful for. Even so, there is room for improvement, which is exactly what this bill aims to accomplish. HB 1692 provides a needed update to formalize and streamline the application and appointment process as well as term length. Please vote "Ought to Pass" on HB 1692 to strengthen this opportunity for the youth of New Hampshire. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Abigail Hammer