Campaign for a Healthy NH

In 2022, more than 30 pieces of legislation have been introduced that, if passed into law, would undermine our public health infrastructure like never before. We want to help you use your voice effectively to make health and wellness improvements in the Granite State! Please join us in advocacy for a Healthy NH: 

A Rundown Of The Damaging Bills

  • House Bill 255, relative to prohibiting vaccine mandates by New Hampshire employers: This bill, which was held over from the 2021 session, now proposes to allow any individual to request a conscientious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine. If passed, this legislation would tie the hands of businesses, schools and other organizations, and limit their ability to adopt and enforce vaccine policies recommended by public health experts.  State government should not prevent hospitals, schools or any other organization from protecting the health and safety of their staff and community.
  • House Bill 1210, relative to exemptions from vaccine mandates: As proposed, this bill would require all private employers and colleges and universities to grant requests for a conscientious exemption from employees or students for all vaccines. Further, it would prohibit an employer from requiring vaccines or any medical treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only for emergency or experimental use. These provisions would prevent businesses, hospitals and other entities from requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and other diseases, including influenza (flu), hepatitis, measles, and other deadly conditions. This would not only put individual workers at risk, but could increase exposure and risk to seniors, children, and other vulnerable populations.
  • House Bill 1035, relative to exemptions from school vaccine mandates: This legislation would allow families to opt out of school vaccine requirements for philosophical reasons. Early childhood immunizations have been shown to be safe and cost-effective tools for protecting infants and children from potentially life-threatening, preventable diseases. Current law allows for medical and religious exemptions for students, but a philosophical exemption, as proposed in this bill, could open the door for many more families to send their children to school unvaccinated and at risk for spreading COVID-19, influenza (flu), hepatitis, measles and many other deadly diseases. 
  • House Bill 1606, making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program: This bill proposes to weaken New Hampshire’s vaccine registry, a critical tool in increasing vaccination rates and combatting infectious disease, by forcing individuals to opt-in to the program rather than allowing them to opt-out, as is the case under current law. Currently, individuals can choose at any time not to participate in the registry, a secure and confidential database that helps to monitor community immunization rates and identify coverage gaps. By shifting the program to “opt-in” participation, however, this bill would create new barriers to participation, limiting the data available, and leaving the state without a critical tool to inform its public health response.
  • HB1233, prohibiting higher education institutions receiving state funds from requiring face masks and COVID-19 vaccinations for attendance.
  • HB1224, prohibiting state and local governments from adopting certain mandates in response to COVID-19; and prohibiting employers and places of public accommodation from discriminating on the basis of vaccination status.
  • HB1487, relative to the procedure for withdrawal from the vaccine registry.
  • HB1379, relative to the department of health and human services' rulemaking authority regarding immunization requirements.
  • HB1608, requiring the department of health and human services to contact certain individuals whose information was included in the vaccine registry.
  • HB1604, including state medical facilities in the statute providing medical freedom in immunizations.
  • HB1490, relative to equal access to places of public accommodation regardless of vaccination status.
  • HB1351, prohibiting certain employers from requiring a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.
  • SB 288, prohibiting the requiring of COVID-19 vaccinations for schools or child care agencies. Unnecessarily and adversely impacts the childcare market in New Hampshire – potentially limiting both access for families and narrowing the market for providers.
  • SB374, relative to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Prohibits a person from requiring that an individual who had COVID-19 or who is under the age of 18 receive a vaccination against the virus as a condition for employment, education, or access to businesses or entities open to the public.
  • SB300, relative to the state commission for human rights.
  • Click here for the full list of bills.
  • Click here for New Futures legislative priorities.

Separately and together, these bills, along with dozens of others proposed this session, represent a significant threat to the health and wellness of NH families, communities, and businesses. 

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