RSA Chapter 275-D — Displaced Homemakers

Title XXIII — Labor

Current through the 2025 Regular Session of the New Hampshire General Court.

Title XXIII Labor

RSA 275-D:1 Purpose

The general court finds that there is an increasing number of persons in the state who, in their middle and later years and having fulfilled the role of homemaker, find themselves displaced because of dissolution of marriage, death of a spouse, or other loss of family income. As a consequence, displaced homemakers have a greatly reduced income, high rate of unemployment due to age, lack of paid work experience and discrimination, and limited opportunities to collect funds of assistance from social security, unemployment compensation, medicaid and other health insurance benefits, or pension plans of the spouse. The problems require the establishment of programs to assist displaced homemakers.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.

RSA 275-D:2 Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter the following terms have meanings given:

I. "Displaced homemaker" means a person who (a) worked in the home for a substantial number of years providing unpaid household services for family members; (b) is not gainfully employed; (c) has difficulty in securing employment; and (d) was dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by such income, or was dependent on government assistance but is no longer eligible for such assistance.

II. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of labor.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.

RSA 275-D:3 Programs Established

I. In order to enable the displaced homemaker to contribute to society and maintain independence and economic security, the commissioner shall establish 2 pilot multipurpose service centers for displaced homemakers, one in the metropolitan area in the southern tier of the state, and one in the rural north country area. To the greatest extent possible, the commissioner shall make grants to nonprofit agencies or organizations to carry out the various programs.

II. The centers shall develop, by working with federal, state and local governmental agencies and private employers, job counseling and placement services specifically designed for displaced homemakers. The services shall:

(a) Counsel displaced homemakers with respect to appropriate job opportunities;

(b) Identify community needs and seek funding for new public sector jobs;

(c) Provide displaced homemakers with the necessary counseling, training, skills and referral services to become gainfully employed, healthy and independent;

(d) Develop plans to include more displaced homemakers in existing training and placement programs;

(e) Refer displaced homemakers to agencies which may provide information and assistance with respect to health care, financial matters, education, nutrition, and legal problems, and

(f) Take into account and build upon the skills and experience of the displaced homemaker.

III. The centers shall utilize the counseling resources available through community mental health services programs or any other existing agency under the direction of the commissioner of health and human services pursuant to RSA 126-B to assist displaced homemakers in their adjustment from providing unpaid household services to locating appropriate job opportunities.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.

RSA 275-D:4 Coordination With Federal, State and Local Agencies

The commissioner shall cooperate with federal, state and local agencies to coordinate the service programs established pursuant to RSA 275-D:3. The commissioner, with the advice of the staff at the centers, shall promulgate rules concerning the eligibility of persons for the job training and other programs of the multipurpose service centers, the level of stipends for the job training programs, and a sliding fee scale for the service programs.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.

RSA 275-D:5 Reports

The director of each center shall report to the commissioner as prescribed by rule, and shall evaluate the effectiveness of the job training, placement and service to displaced homemakers, including the number of persons trained, the number of persons placed in employment, follow-up data on such persons, the number of persons served by the various service programs, and cost effectiveness of the various components of the center.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.

RSA 275-D:6 Securing Employment

Staff of the service centers shall assist the displaced homemakers in finding permanent employment. To this end, the commissioner and the service centers staffs shall work with the department of employment security and any other agency to secure employment for displaced homemakers.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.

RSA 275-D:7 Contributions

The director of each center may accept, use and dispose of contributions of money, service and property or any federal funds and private funds to implement this chapter.

Source. 1979, 363:1, eff. Aug. 22, 1979.