Upcoming Hearings and Votes (Week of 1/15/24)
Welcome to Week Three of the 2024 Legislative Session! Thank you to everyone who signed in or emailed lawmakers about bills last week – your advocacy efforts make a difference.
Learn more about bills with hearings this week:
Hearings on January 16
1:30 PM: SB 562 – LGBTQ+ Discrimination (Senate Judiciary, State House Room 100)
SB 562 would allow for discrimination against transgender people by banning them from using the bathrooms or locker rooms that align with their preferred gender identity or banning them from playing sports aligned with their preferred gender identity. Bans such as these prohibit transgender youth from participating in typical daily activities and make them feel unwelcome in their communities, which leads to poorer mental health outcomes.
Hearings on January 17
9:15 AM: SB 495-FN – SUD Oversight (Senate Health & Human Services, LOB Room 101)
SB 495 would strengthen patient protections and ensure high-quality services in New Hampshire's substance use treatment system. It would do this by creating a mandatory certification system for substance use treatment provider organizations and by establishing a new position within the state that is dedicated to investigations of misconduct.
Hearings on January 18
9:30 AM: HB 1011 - Criminalizing Medical Care for Transgender Youth (House Criminal Justice and Public Safety, LOB Room 202)
HB 1011 criminalizes medically necessary care for transgender youth. Further, it adds medically necessary care for transgender to the Child Protection Act, making it child abuse for parents to simply get medical care for their children. This harmful bill discriminates against transgender youth and undermines their autonomy to make medical decisions. When transgender youth are unable to access the care they need, they feel rejected, which is connected to an increased risk of serious harm, including depression, self-harm, and/or suicidal thoughts or behavior.
9:30 AM: HB 1419 - Banning LGBTQ+ Materials in Schools (House Education, LOB 205-207)
HB 1419 would limit a school’s ability to have materials regarding gender identity or sexual orientation. This would prevent youth from learning about or exploring identities that they may be questioning.
Recapping Last Week
Hearings:
Public hearings were held on bills relating to investing in the health care workforce (SB 403), increasing efforts to make homes lead-safe (SB 392), and permanently banning hemp-derived THC products (SB 505).
You can still take action to support these bills:
