Upcoming Hearings and Votes (Week of 4/29/24)

We’re gearing up for another busy week at the State House! Both the House and Senate will hold sessions this week, meaning votes will be cast on many New Futures priority bills. Find out which bills are heading for floor votes and how you can contact your legislators beforehand.

There are also two public hearings earlier in the week!

Learn more and take action below:

Upcoming Public Hearings

Tuesday, April 30

9:00 AM - HB 1205: Sports Ban for Transgender Girls (LOB Room 101, Senate Education)

HB 1205 would ban transgender girls from playing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity at public middle and high schools. It is unclear how this bill would be enforced, which could lead to intrusive and damaging inquisitions on any student-athlete.

Wednesday, May 1

2:00 PM - SB 411: Insurance Coverage Mandate for Youth Mental Health Services (Legislative Office Building, Room 210, House Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs)

SB 411, as amended, creates a committee to study emergency mental health services for youth in New Hampshire, such as wraparound services, behavioral or mental health crisis assessments, crisis intervention services, crisis stabilization services, intensive in-home services, residential treatment services, intensive structured outpatient programs, parent and youth peer support services, and partial hospitalization programs. These services are critical to ensuring that the needs of New Hampshire's most vulnerable children are met.

Upcoming Votes

House of Representatives

The following bills will be voted on during the House of Representatives session on Thursday, May 2:

Child Care for Child Care Teachers: The House Special Committee on Child Care voted unanimously to amend SB 404 back to its original intent of providing child care workers with access to the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship regardless of household income. SB 404 will head to the House floor this week for a vote. Email your representative(s) to encourage their support to pass SB 404.

Supports for Child Care Centers: SB 596 would provide resources to child care centers caring for children with additional developmental and behavioral needs. This would help child care centers better support high-need children and further address the state's child care availability crisis. SB 596 heads to the House floor this Thursday with a recommendation of “Ought to Pass” from the House Education Committee. Email your representative(s) to encourage their support to pass SB 596.

Growing the Health Care Workforce: The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee voted with no recommendation on SB 403. This bill aims to increase access to care by creating a voluntary certification for Community Health Workers, which would provide a clear career path and greater financial stability for these frontline health workers. As the bill is going to the House floor with no recommendation, it’s important to email your Representative(s) to urge them to vote in support of the bill.

Mandatory Outing in Schools: Last week, the House Education Committee held a public hearing and voted with no recommendation on SB 341, the bill that would require school employees to disclose the gender identity or sexual orientation of students to parents. The bill will go to the House floor for a full House vote, likely on Thursday, May 2. Now is the time to email your Representative(s) to urge them to oppose forced outing in schools.

Sports Ban for Transgender Girls: SB 375 would ban transgender girls from playing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity at both the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels. Last week, the House Education Committee held a public hearing and recommended sending the bill to Interim Study, meaning that it would not move forward this session. The bill will still go to the House floor for a full vote to confirm the recommendation, likely on Thursday, May 2. Email your Representative(s) to urge them to oppose sports bans for trans girls.

Oversight of Substance Use Treatment System: SB 495 would improve New Hampshire’s substance use treatment system by strengthening patient protections and ensuring high-quality services. The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee voted on a recommendation to send this SB 495 to interim study. SB 495 will go to the House floor for a vote - there is still time to Email the Committee to urge them to support improving NH’s substance use treatment system.

Senate Votes

Legalizing Drug Checking Equipment: HB 470 would make it easier for Granite Staters to access life-saving drug testing kits to prevent overdoses and save lives. Under current law, with the exceptions of fentanyl and xylazine test strips, possession with intent to distribute life-saving drug-checking equipment is an unclassified misdemeanor and punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,000. HB 470, which has already passed the House of Representatives, received an Inexpedient to Legislate recommendation by the Senate Judiciary Committee. There is still time to email your Senator to ask them to overturn the committee recommendation and pass this important legislation.

Immunization Requirements for Child Care Centers: The Senate will vote to send HB 1213 to interim study. HB 1213, as amended, would impact child care reporting and exempt child care centers from any and all immunization enrollment requirements. Following the hearing, the Senate Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee voted on a unanimous recommendation to send the bill to interim study. This bill is not expected to advance this session.

Upcoming Executive Sessions

RSV Immunization: SB 559 would ensure access to the RSV immunization for New Hampshire children. RSV immunization is a preventive option to protect babies from severe RSV, a common respiratory virus. This bill doesn’t make the immunization mandatory; it simply removes financial barriers for families who choose to get it. The House Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee will hold an executive session to vote on a recommendation on SB 559 on Wednesday. There’s still time to email the committee to urge them to support SB 559.

Recapping Last Week

Public Hearings

Last week was one of the busiest weeks of the session, with public hearings on 10 New Futures priority bills. Many of our advocates gathered at the State House to share their stories and deliver testimony to state legislators. Some of the committees held executive sessions following the hearings, and have already voted on a recommendation for some of the bills. Learn more about the bills and where they’re headed next below.

Preventing Childhood Lead Exposure: SB 399 would help families access lead testing by removing financial barriers. This would help protect Granite State children, who are at the highest risk for lead poisoning, from the harmful impacts of lead exposure. Next, the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee will hold an executive session to vote on a recommendation for the bill. There’s still time to email the committee to urge them to support SB 399.

Treatment Services in NH’s Criminal Justice System: SB 508 would increase access to substance use and mental health screening and treatment for individuals in New Hampshire's criminal justice system. This would help them receive the treatment services they need, reduce criminal recidivism, and help New Hampshire overcome the ongoing addiction and mental health crises. Next, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold an executive session to vote on a recommendation for the bill. There’s still time to email the committee to urge them to support SB 508.

Ban on Medical Care for Transgender Youth: HB 619, as amended, would ban gender-affirming surgery for transgender youth and prohibit doctors from referring care for transgender youth to out-of-state doctors. Transgender youth, like all youth, have the best chance to thrive when they are supported and can get the doctor-prescribed medical care they need when they need it. Gender-affirming care is evidence-based and supported by medical authorities like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. There is still time to email the committee to urge them to oppose HB 619.

Discrimination in Public Spaces: HB 396 would allow for discrimination against transgender people by banning them from using restrooms or locker rooms and participating in sports that align 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. There is still time to email the committee to urge them to oppose HB 396.

Cannabis Commercialization: HB 1633 is the only bill in the legislature this year attempting to legalize cannabis for adult use. The bill was amended a few times in the House and currently falls short of meeting the Principles for Responsible Cannabis Commercialization. In its current form, the bill does not provide any funding to reduce the harms of legalizing another addictive product. More money needs to be dedicated to mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. Next, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an executive session to vote on a recommendation for the bill. There is still time to email to the Senate Judiciary Committee to ask them to amend the bill to include funding for prevention, treatment, and recovery programming.

To check in on the status of all our priority bills, visit our Current Legislation page and select an issue you care about!