Title VIII, Public Defense and Veterans' Affairs

[Paragraph I(intro. par.) effective until January 1, 2027; see also paragraph I(intro. par.) set out below.] I. There is established a New Hampshire medal of honor, which may be awarded on behalf of the people of the state of New Hampshire to any New Hampshire citizen who has giv…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the adjutant general may solicit and receive monetary gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of paying costs of the design, manufacture or production, and distribution of the New Hampshire medal of honor as provided in RSA 110-B:81…

There is established in the office of the state treasurer a fund to be known as the New Hampshire medal of honor fund. All monetary gifts, grants, and donations received by the adjutant general pursuant to RSA 110-B:81-a shall be deposited in such fund. The fund is established to…

The state of New Hampshire hereby recognizes the designations of Prisoner of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) as valid descriptions of casualty status and category classification for military personnel.

I. Veterans services shall be divided into 3 classes, namely the division of veterans services, the state veterans cemetery, and the division of community based military programs. Additionally there will be 2 advisory bodies, namely the veterans council and the military leadershi…

The division of veterans services under the supervision of a director of veterans services: I. Shall assist veterans who are residents of this state or their dependents to secure all benefits or preferences to which they may be entitled under any state or federal laws or regulati…

I. The adjutant general shall, with the approval of the governor and council, appoint a director of the division of veterans services, who shall be a veteran as defined by RSA 21:50. II. The director shall: (a) Supervise the activities of a statewide service delivery structure wh…

When a copy of any public record is required by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be used in determining the eligibility of any person to participate in benefits made available by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the official custodian of such public record shall without c…

The division of veterans services may receive, on behalf of the state, all donations and bequests that may be made to support the delivery of state veterans services programs shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the division of veterans services.

The division of community based military programs, shall be under the supervision of an unclassified director of the division of community based military programs who shall be qualified to hold that position by reason of education and experience. The director shall facilitate mil…

I. There shall be a state veterans council of 5 members to be appointed by the governor and council, 4 of whom shall be veterans as defined by RSA 21:50. The fifth member shall be a family member of a veteran or family member of a currently serving member of the armed forces. All…

I. Each member state shall, through the creation of a state council or use of an existing body or board, provide for the coordination among its agencies of government, local education agencies, and military installations concerning the state's participation in, and compliance wit…

There shall be under the adjutant general one assistant adjutant general who shall be director of the army national guard and one assistant adjutant general who shall be director of the air national guard, both of whom shall have at least the rank of brigadier general. Under the …

There is hereby established a military leadership team which shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall provide advice and guidance to the adjutant general regarding the delivery of services to veterans and military service members in New Hampshire. The military leadership tea…

I. For this section: (a) "Board" means a regulatory body with jurisdiction over professions within the office of professional licensure and certification under RSA 310. (b) "License" shall include licenses, certifications or registrations required to practice a regulated occupati…

The general court declares it to be the purpose of this subdivision to: I. Maintain the state's ability to attract and retain veterans to New Hampshire and attain and maintain a position as the most veteran-friendly state. II. Acknowledge and address demand signals for critical r…

In this subdivision: I. "Authority" means the New Hampshire first for veterans authority. II. "Board" means the board of directors of the New Hampshire first for veterans authority. III. "Grant obligations" means the legal obligation arising from the use of program funds.

I. There is hereby established the New Hampshire first for veterans program. The program shall provide funding to promote the general welfare of the state's veterans, service members and their families by providing quality services. II. The program will prioritize efforts that: (…

I. There is hereby established the New Hampshire first for veterans authority, which shall act as both a public and private entity. The authority shall be constituted as a public instrumentality of the state. The authority and power conferred by this subdivision shall be deemed a…

The authority shall have all the powers necessary and convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this subdivision and shall: I. Adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business. II. Adopt criteria and guidelines for: (a) Th…

The board of directors shall nominate one for appointment by the governor to serve as an executive director. The executive director shall serve a term of 5 years, with reappointment or a vacancy to be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. At the request of the bo…

I. The authority may hire, fix, and pay compensation, prescribe duties and qualifications, and establish personnel policies without regard to any personnel or civil service law or personnel or civil service rule of the state. The employees of the authority shall not be classified…

I. There is established in the office of the state treasurer the New Hampshire first for veterans trust fund. Moneys in the fund and any interest earned on the fund shall only be used for the purpose of this subdivision. The trust fund shall be non-lapsing interest bearing funds …

I. Whenever any part of the New Hampshire national guard is in the active service of the United States, the governor is hereby authorized to organize and maintain within this state during such period, under such regulations as the Department of Defense of the United States may pr…

Whenever it shall become necessary, for reasons of public safety, all state, county and municipal authorities are authorized and the owners of suitable private facilities are urged to place their buildings or other facilities at the disposal of the adjutant general for military p…

The state guard shall not be required to serve outside the boundaries of the state of New Hampshire except: I. Upon the request of the governor of another state, the governor of this state may in his discretion order any portion or all of the state guard to assist the military or…

Any military forces or organization, unit or detachment thereof, of another state who are in fresh pursuit of insurrectionists, saboteurs, enemies or enemy forces may continue such pursuit into this state until the military or police forces of this state or the forces of the Unit…

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as authorizing the state guard, or any part thereof to be called, ordered, or in any manner drafted, as such, into the military service of the United States, but no person shall by reason of his enlistment or commission in any such force…

No civil organization, society, club, post, order, fraternity, association, brotherhood, body, union, league, or other combination of persons or civil group shall be enlisted in the state guard as an organization or unit.

No organization, society, club, post, order, league or other combination of persons, or civil group, or any members thereof, are authorized to assume any semblance of military organization or character by bearing or possessing rifles, pistols, sabres, clubs, or military weapons o…

No person shall be commissioned or enlisted in the state guard who is not a citizen of the United States or who has been expelled or dishonorably discharged from any military or naval organization of this state or of another state, or of the United States, or who has been convict…

The oath to be taken by officers commissioned in such forces shall be substantially in the form now prescribed for officers of the national guard, substituting the words "New Hampshire State Guard" where necessary.

In peace time, no person shall be enlisted in or appointed to the state guard by the adjutant general for more than 2 years; but, in the event that prior to the expiration of such term of enlistment the United States becomes involved in war, such enlistments shall be for the dura…

The oath to be taken upon enlistment in the state guard shall be substantially in the form now prescribed for enlisted men of the national guard, substituting the words "New Hampshire State Guard" where necessary.

Such military forces shall be composed of commissioned officers and such able-bodied citizens of the state as shall volunteer for service therein, supplemented, if necessary, by the unorganized militia enrolled by draft and subject to military duty as provided by RSA 110-B and, i…

Whenever the state guard or any part thereof shall be ordered out for active service, the New Hampshire code of military justice applicable to members of the national guard of this state in relation to courts martial, their jurisdiction and the limits of punishment and the rules …

No officer or enlisted man of the state guard shall be arrested on any warrant, except for treason or felony, while going to, remaining at, or returning from a place where he is ordered to attend for military duty. For any suit or claim brought against a member of the state guard…

Every officer and enlisted man of the state guard shall, during his service therein, be exempt from jury duty.

The acceptance of gifts, donations, gratuities or anything of value by the state guard or by any member of such forces from any individual, firm, association, or corporation, by reason of such membership is prohibited. Violation of this section may be cause for dishonorable disch…

The state guard shall be returned to its cadre and planning status as provided by RSA 111:1 when the governor determines that the release of the national guard or a part thereof from federal service makes it no longer necessary for the active guard to be retained. Property shall …

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the…

This chapter may be cited as The State Guard Act.

Such state defense forces shall be additional to and distinct from the New Hampshire national guard; shall be armed and uniformed; shall be known as the New Hampshire state guard; and are hereinafter referred to as the state guard.

The uniforms, the insignia of rank and grade, the devices, buttons, emblems, and decorations of the state guard shall be distinctive, specifications as to design and manner of wearing the same to be as prescribed in regulations to be issued by the adjutant general.

No person shall wear or exhibit the uniform, insignia, device, button, emblem, or decoration of the state guard, or shall wear or exhibit a uniform, insignia, device, button, emblem, or decoration so nearly like that of the state guard as might reasonably cause it to be mistaken …

The provisions of RSA 110-B authorizing the enlistment, organization, administration, equipment, maintenance, training, discipline and other matters pertaining to the military department of the state, the unorganized militia, and the national guard when not in the service of the …