Retained Health & Wellness Bills 21/22

The 2022 legislative session began this past week, and to start, lawmakers considered retained bills held over from this past year. Thank you so much to advocates for making your voices heard on the critical bills below which will have deep impacts on New Hampshire’s public health system.

Retained bill recap:

• TABLED HB 255: NF opposes this legislation which would tie the hands of businesses, organizations and schools and limit their ability to adopt COVID-19 vaccine policies that are recommended by public health experts. State government should not prevent businesses or other organizations from making choices based on public health and safety concerns. This is especially true for hospitals and other health care providers. Wisely, the House of Representatives voted to table HB 255, which stalls it for now. But it could be called again for a vote in the coming weeks.
• DEFEATED HB 237: NF opposed this bill which, if passed, would have moved NH in the direction of legalizing recreational cannabis through a commercial model. It is imperative to get the policy right from the start. Optimal cannabis commercialization policy for our state must utilize the best available scientific evidence to reduce public harm, limit youth and problematic use, and purposefully advance social justice and equity in the state. HB 237 failed to meet the principles required for safe cannabis commercialization policy and regulation. The House of Representatives rejected this bill.
• PASSED SB 144: NF supports this bill which will create a pilot to change the New Hampshire state childcare scholarship from attendance-based payments to enrollment-based payments. It is an important bill that will help income-eligible working families better afford childcare and help care providers serve more families in need. The Senate voted to pass SB 144, and it will now move along to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.
• PASSED HB 103: NF supported this bill which will create a dental benefit under New Hampshire’s Medicaid program. This legislation, which now goes to the House Finance Committee, will go far to help increase access to critical dental care for thousands of Granite Staters. It now goes to the House Finance Committee for review.
• PASSED HB 503: This bill, as amended, will help individuals better access substance use treatment over telemedicine. The Senate voted to approve the bill, and it will now go back to the House for further review.
• TABLED HB 611: NF opposed this legislation which would ban the addition of fluoride in community water systems. Fluoride is a critical tool to prevent oral disease. The bill has been tabled for now in the House of Representatives.
• DELAYED HB 622: NF supports this legislation, which as amended, would repeal the harmful ultrasound requirement for women seeking abortion care. The House vote was delayed on a procedural maneuver and could come up again in the coming weeks.

Remote participation update:

• Unfortunately, the Legislature returned this week with no plans to extend remote access to bill hearings. Unless changes are made, advocates will have to attend in-person to testify at hearings and meetings, putting both the physical and civic health of NH at risk. Please continue to keep the pressure on House and Senate leaders, take action here.

Thank you for your advocacy!