N.H. Rev. Stat. § 21-P:5-a

I. Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 21-G and RSA 21-P:3, the commissioner, after consultation with the governor, shall nominate for appointment by the governor and council, a director of homeland security and emergency management, who shall serve for a term of 3 years. The director of homeland security and emergency management shall be qualified by education and experience and shall receive the salary provided in RSA 94:1-a. II. The director of homeland security and emergency management, under the supervision of the commissioner and the governor, shall devote full time and attention to overseeing the state-level planning, preparation, exercise, response to and mitigation of terrorist threats and incidents and natural and human-caused disasters. He or she shall serve as the state's primary contact with the federal Department of Homeland Security, and shall have authority to oversee and coordinate planning, response, and recovery efforts of all state agencies to terrorist events and natural and human-caused disasters and wide-scale threats to public safety. He or she shall collaborate with the department of health and human services and shall coordinate the efforts of other state agencies in preventing and responding to epidemics and other significant threats to the public health. All state agencies shall and are authorized to cooperate with the director in carrying out his or her duties as enumerated in this section. III. [Repealed.] IV. The director of homeland security and emergency management shall keep the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives or their designees promptly informed of any impending or actual emergencies that require coordinated action with the legislative branch. V. During service as director, the director of the division of homeland security and emergency management may elect not to become a member of the retirement system, however if he or she becomes a member he or she shall be eligible to be a group II member if he or she was a group II member or receiving a group II retirement allowance prior to appointment.