HB1692

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

Dear Mr. Chairman and Members of the House Legislative Administration Committee, My name is Piotr Kukula, and I am a student currently residing in Bedford, New Hampshire. I am writing to express my support for House Bill 1692, which seeks to streamline, modernize, and expand the current Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC). As a student who has recently applied to the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, a result of my passionate interest in local government, lawmaking, and civics, I recognize the numerous benefits and learning experiences the Council has to offer. However, the current application process is somewhat confusing for applicants, and the limited size of the Council restricts the number of students who could plausibly gain insight into the mechanisms of our state government and engage in the legislative process. HB 1692 not only expands the size of the Council from thirteen to twenty youth members, but it also seeks to eliminate unnecessary loopholes in the current law and establishes clear accountability measures. Every Granite State student should have the right to simple, direct, and equitable access to the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, which offers unparalleled insight into the lawmaking and policy debates that take place in the General Court. Due to the various meaningful reforms that the proposed legislation presents to our student population, I strongly urge the committee to vote "Ought to Pass" on House Bill 1692. Thank you for your commitment and consideration regarding this pivotal legislation. Sincerely, Piotr Kukula, Bedford, NH

I am Liam Clark, and I served on the New Hampshire Legislative Youth Advisory Council during its 2023-2024 session. During that time, NHLYAC played a large role in my high school civic and leadership development, skills that are increasingly needed among our youth. Before my participation on NHLYAC, my knowledge of government and politics was mostly limited to classroom instruction. While that gave some decent background knowledge, I learned much more from first-had experience on NHLYAC than I did anywhere else. Experiences included conducting in-depth research and issuing statements on bills and laws pertaining to youth issues, helping to give members of the council a much better understanding of state and local political processes, as well as giving state politicians an opportunity to see what youth voices in the state were thinking. In addition, actions were taken to hold summits regarding key issues affecting youth in New Hampshire, such as addressing mental health challenges among our peers. These experiences were very positive, helping in part to inspire a younger generation of New Hampshire public servants by giving them a realistic view into what New Hampshire politics look like. Personally, I have been inspired to pursue a career in public service due to my positive experience in state government so far. I was honored to have the opportunity to serve on NHLYAC. It was certainly the most positive and productive extracurricular that I did during high school, giving me a chance to try to help and give back to the great state that I was raised in. HB 1080, passed in 2024, introduced several meaningful improvements to NHLYAC by refining its scope and strengthening its effectiveness in addressing youth-specific issues. HB 1692 will continue to strengthen the council by opening it up to even more students, giving them the same amazing opportunities that I was given, to better understand state governance and provide feedback from a youth perspective. Thank you for your time, Liam Clark

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