CHAPTER 3
SB 176 -FN-A - FINAL VERSION
4/22/99 0887s
9june99.....1485h
5jan00.....2124h
1/13/00 3147eba
2000 SESSION
04/09
SENATE BILL 176-FN-A
AN ACT establishing a committee to study certain assistive technology services provided statewide.
COMMITTEE: Public Institutions, Health and Human Services
This bill establishes a committee to study the provision of certain statewide assistive technology services and information.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
4/22/99 0887s
9june99.....1485h
5jan00.....2124h
1/13/00 3147eba
99-0913
04/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine
AN ACT establishing a committee to study certain assistive technology services provided statewide.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
3:1 Purpose and Intent. The purpose of this legislation is to insure that individuals with disabilities will continue to be supported through assistive technology. In 1988, the federal Technology Related Assistance Act was passed to create systems changes at the state and local level to assist individuals affected by disabilities or the aging process. Since 1991, the New Hampshire Assistive Technology Partnership Project has been committed to impacting change through a partnership with ATECH services, which is a statewide program providing centralized service for assistive technology information, training, and equipment refurbishment and redistribution. Currently, thousands of individuals in New Hampshire have physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments and are able to maximize independence through the benefits of assistive technology information and services. Without this support, more state and local dollars would be spent on nursing home or institutional support. A reduction in federal funding jeopardizes the continuance of the current ATECH programs and this legislation seeks to continue the important work now in progress. The study committee included in this act shall evaluate the general operations and procedures of ATECH services focusing on the overall effectiveness and integrity of ATECH services statewide to determine the need for continued funding.
3:2 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the general operations of ATECH services, a statewide program providing centralized assistive technology services and information.
3:3 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house.
(b) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
3:4 Duties. The committee shall study the general operations of ATECH services including, but not limited to, issues related to funding, equipment refurbishment and redistribution procedures, training programs, and other areas of ATECH operations deemed in furtherance of the objectives of the committee.
3:5 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
3:6 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before April 1, 2000.
3:7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
(Approved: February 2, 2000)
(Effective Date: February 2, 2000
LBAO
99-0913
Amended 6/10/99
SB 176 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to technology support for individuals and making an appropriation therefor.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Health and Human Services indicates this bill, as amended by the House, will increase state expenditures by $500,000 in FY 2000. There will be no impact on state, county and local revenue or county and local expenditures.
This bill appropriates $500,000 in FY 2000 from the general fund to the Department of Health and Human Services for the purposes of this act.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department assumed that the appropriated funds would be provided by contract to qualified organizations to provide technology support, assistive devices, information, and training programs to individuals with disabilities.