SB 562 — relative to a home damage mitigation and resiliency program.

CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - VERSIONFINAL ADOPTEDVERSION BY BOTH BODIES 06/04/2026 2135EBA SESSION 26-2275 12/08 SENATE BILL 562 AN ACT relative to a home damage mitigation and resiliency program.

CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - VERSIONFINAL ADOPTEDVERSION BY BOTH BODIES 06/04/2026 2135EBA 26-2275 12/08 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT relative to a home damage mitigation and resiliency program.

1265:1 New Chapter;

There is hereby established the granite state home mitigation and resiliency programprogram, which shall be implemented under this chapter.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a program to provide financial grants to homeowners to mitigate residential real property against loss from severe weather events, including but not limited to those involving rain, wind, snow, ice, sleet, hail, floods, sea water, lake water, river water, surface water, tornadoes, hurricanes, and microbuThes.microbursts.

The intent of this chapter is to provide New Hampshire residents with the opportunity to mitigate risks to their homes from severe weather events, thereby reducing claim severity, frequency of claims, and insurance premiums for New Hampshire homeowners.

This chapter does not create an entitlement for property owners and does not obligate the state to pay for the residential real property to be inspected, constructed, improved, remodeled, mitigated, retrofitted, or otherwise modTheed.modified.

The granite state home mitigation and resiliency program is subject to the availability of funds in the granite state home mitigation and resiliency fund established in RSA 407-E:4.

“IBHS” means the Insurance Institute for Business and Home SafetySafety. V.

V.

and (b) Repair or replacement of foundations, stairs, railings, decksdecks, or porches.

SB 562 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 2 - VII.

CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - FINAL VERSION - Page 2 - VIII.

“State median income" means an annual income figure calculated by the United States Census Bureau representing the point inat which there are as many families earning more than a specific amount as there are earning less than that amount.

(a) Federal government grants, loansloans, or other federal moneys;

and (b) Gifts, grants, donationsdonations, or moneys that are accepted by the department from any other source.

The department may accept gifts, grants, donationsdonations, or moneys from any source.

Grants shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to real residential property owners who meet the eligibility requirements subject to the availability of fundsEligibility does not create entitlement to receive grant funds or to a particular amount of grant funds.

Eligibility does not create entitlement to receive grant funds or to a particular amount of grant funds.

No more than one grant shall be awarded for any single eligible residence within a 33-year year period.

SB 562 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 3 - IV.

CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - FINAL VERSION - Page 3 - (c) Submit a grant application to the department as required by this chapter;

and (d) Meet all other applicable requirements of this chapter, including, but not limited toto, the availability of funds.

(8) Meet all other applicable requirements of this chapter, including, but not limited toto, the availability of funds.

SB 562 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 4 - (2) Agree to use an eligible contractor to perform the non-IBHS work.

(6) Meet all other applicable requirements of this chapter, including, but not limited toto, the availability of funds.

CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - FINAL VERSION - Page 4 - I.

The department's website shall be updated at least quarterly as to the current availability of fundsfunds, but is not a guarantee that funds will be available at time of application or determination.

In addition to the requirements of paragraph II, for IBHS grants, the residential property owner shall further provide the Departmentdepartment with:

SB 562 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 5 - V.

CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - FINAL VERSION - Page 5 - (c) The contractor shall possess an in-force, general liability insurance against all claims of bodily injury, death, or property damage, in amounts not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate for bodily injury or death in any one incident, and $500,000 for property damage in any one incident.

SB 562 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 6 - IV.

The evaluator shall not be a contractor or supplier of any materialsmaterials, or products or systems installed in any residential real property the evaluator inspects for designation purposes for the granite state home mitigation and resiliency program.

The department may share documents, materials, or other information, including the confidential applications, documents, materials, or other information under paragraph I, with other state and federal regulatory agencies or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, their affiliatesaffiliates, CHAPTER 265 SB 562 - FINAL VERSION - Page 6 - or subsidiaries;

III.III.No waiver of any applicable confidentiality in the applications, documents, materials, or information shall occur as a result of disclosure to the commissioner under this paragraph or as a result of sharing as authorized in paragraph II.

No waiver of any applicable confidentiality in the applications, documents, materials, or information shall occur as a result of disclosure to the commissioner under this paragraph or as a result of sharing as authorized in paragraph II.

The department shall disclose to the public annually the number and nature of grant applications filed with the department and the number and amount of each grant awarded, as well as the total amount of grants awarded, provided, however, no information exempt from disclosure under RSA 91-A91- A shall be discloseddisclosed, and no disclosure shall abridge the privacy interests of any applicant who filed a grant application or received a grant.

The department shall maintain a webpage detailing any and all gifts, grants, donationsdonations, or moneys received for the granite state home mitigation and resiliency fund from any source.

SB 562 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 7 - 407-E:13 Limitation of Liability.

If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstancecircumstance, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter whichthat can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of the chapter are declared to be severable.