Home » Bill Hearings for Week of February 13, 2023

Bill Hearings for Week of February 13, 2023

  • These are the most liberty-critical hearings for the week
  • Click on the bill number to read the bill.
  • Click on the committee name to email the committee your thoughts.

Of the 55 hearings in the House, we are recommending support of 8 and opposition of 7 with 3 being of interest.
Of the 42 hearings in the Senate, we are recommending support of 3 and opposition of 3 with 1 being of interest.

Position Bill Title Committee Day Time Room State Analysis
Of Interest HB550 relative to chartered public school dissolution. Education Mon 2/13 9:45 AM LOB Room 205-207 This bill provides for the assets of a chartered public school to be distributed to the nearest public school district following dissolution of the chartered public school. The bill also establishes a committee to study the current charter public school dissolution process.
Of Interest HB371 establishing a commission to evaluate and recommend standards for public schools. Education Mon 2/13 11:30 AM LOB Room 205-207 This bill establishes a commission to evaluate and recommend standards for public schools. The bill also requires the state board of education to initiate rulemaking based on the commission’s recommendations.
Of Interest HB558 relative to electric microgrids and electric grid resiliency. Science, Technology and Energy Mon 2/13 9:00 AM LOB Room 304 This bill establishes the authority for and procedures for adoption of electric microgrids.
Support SB200 relative to optometrists. Commerce Tue 2/14 9:00 AM SH Room 100 This bill removes a variety of prohibitions on the types of care that optometrists may provide to patients.
Oppose SB145 relative to New Hampshire housing champion designation for municipalities and making appropriations therefor. Commerce Tue 2/14 9:30 AM SH Room 100 This bill establishes a New Hampshire housing champion designation program, including a housing production municipal grant program, and a housing infrastructure municipal grant and loan program. The bill also establishes positions within the department of business and economic affairs and makes appropriations for the programs.
Oppose SB202 relative to establishing a homeownership innovations fund in the New Hampshire housing finance authority. Commerce Tue 2/14 9:45 AM SH Room 100 This bill establishes a homeownership innovations fund within the New Hampshire housing finance authority and makes an appropriation thereto.
Oppose SB217 establishing a rural and underserved area educator incentive program for higher education and making an appropriation therefor. Education Tue 2/14 9:00 AM LOB Room 101 This bill establishes the rural and underserved area educator incentive program and makes an appropriation therefor.
Oppose SB218 establishing an early educator professional development grant. Education Tue 2/14 9:15 AM LOB Room 101 This bill establishes in the department of education an early educator professional development grant program to award school districts funds for their local professional development master plans.
Oppose SB219 relative to a salary floor for public school teachers. Education Tue 2/14 9:30 AM LOB Room 101 This bill prohibits public school teachers from receiving salaries below a salary floor if the corresponding school administrative unit or school district employs more than one assistant superintendent or employs one or more diversity professional.
Oppose SB255 relative to the expectation of privacy. Judiciary Tue 2/14 2:30 PM SH Room 100 This bill creates a new chapter detailing a consumer expectation of privacy.
Oppose HB513 relative to affordability and safety of clinician administered drugs. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Wed 2/15 2:00 PM LOB Room 302-304 This bill requires a health plan to utilize the lowest cost method of reimbursement for clinician administered drugs and requires a health maintenance organization to cover clinician-administered drugs if the drug cannot reasonably be self-administered and is typically administered by a health care professional. The bill also prohibits a health maintenance organization from requiring that a pharmacy dispense a medication to a patient with the expectation that the patient will transport it to a health care setting for administration by a health care professional.
Support SB162 relative to exemptions from rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Energy and Natural Resources Wed 2/15 1:45 PM SH Room 103 This bill makes the initial period for an exemption from the rabies vaccination for dogs, cats, and animals annual with the recertification of a veterinarian.
Oppose SB212 relative to the regulation of massage, reflexology, structural integrator, and Asian bodywork therapy establishments. Executive Departments and Administration Wed 2/15 9:00 AM SH Room 103 This bill requires massage establishments to be licensed, regulated, and inspected by the office of professional licensure and certification. The bill also adds compensation to members of the advisory board of massage therapists.
Support HB559 establishing a state retirement plan group for new state employee members of the retirement system. Executive Departments and Administration Wed 2/15 2:00 PM LOB Room 306-308 This bill establishes a group III, defined contribution retirement state retirement plan for new state employee members of the retirement system, who begin service on or after July 1, 2024. All new employees of state employers on and after July 1, 2024 will be required to join the group III defined contribution plan as administered by the retirement system, and any other group I employees may join.
Support SB238 relative to the use of telemedicine to treat mental health conditions. Health and Human Services Wed 2/15 10:00 AM LOB Room 101 This bill permits doctors and APRNs to use telemedicine to prescribe medication to treat mental health conditions.
Oppose SB237 relative to the child care scholarship program and making an appropriation therefor. Health and Human Services Wed 2/15 11:00 AM LOB Room 101 This bill modifies the child care scholarship program, establishes a child care workforce program and a regional fingerprinting support program, and makes appropriations for these programs, and for child caregiver supports, early childhood mental health support, and for early childhood education scholarships.
Support HB69 relative to direct payment and membership-based health care facilities. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Wed 2/15 10:00 AM LOB Room 201-203 This bill exempts facilities operating with membership-based or direct payment business models from the special health care licensing requirement that the facility adopt a policy to assure that it provides services to all persons who require the services of the facility regardless of the source of payment.
Oppose HB510 relative to removing the exemption for premium cigars from the tobacco tax. Ways and Means Wed 2/15 1:15 PM LOB Room 202-204 This bill removes the exemption for premium cigars from the tobacco tax.
Support HB553 relative to school district information on personnel salaries. Education Thu 2/16 9:00 AM LOB Room 205-207 This bill requires school boards to publish on each school or the school district website a complete list of all position names and their annual or hourly salary.
Support HB651 authorizing the department of education and local school districts to contract with transportation network companies to provide school transportation services. Education Thu 2/16 11:00 AM LOB Room 205-207 This bill allows the department of education to contract for buses to transport pupils with transportation network companies.
Oppose HB528 relative to school lunches and establishing the meals for students fund. Education Thu 2/16 11:30 AM LOB Room 205-207 This bill requires schools to make free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch available to children who meet federal eligibility guidelines and provides for reimbursement to schools for offering meals at no cost to eligible students. The requirement is repealed in 2025.
Of Interest SB241 relative to graduated public assistance programs. Health and Human Services Thu 2/16 9:00 AM LOB Room 101 This bill directs the department of health and human services, the housing finance authority, New Hampshire employment security, and the department of energy to study the creation, funding, and implementation of graduated public assistance programs to complement existing programs within the state.
Oppose SB234 directing the department of health and human services to develop a public awareness campaign on brain health, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias and making an appropriation therefor. Health and Human Services Thu 2/16 10:00 AM LOB Room 101 This bill directs the department of health and human services to develop a public awareness campaign on brain health, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias and makes an appropriation to the department for this purpose.
Oppose HB617 prohibiting, with limited exceptions, state agencies from requiring use of proprietary software in interactions with the public. Executive Departments and Administration Thu 2/16 1:00 PM LOB Room 306-308 This bill prohibits, with limited exception, state agencies from requiring use of proprietary software in interactions with the public.
Oppose HB359 relative to legal holidays. Executive Departments and Administration Thu 2/16 2:30 PM LOB Room 306-308 This bill clarifies the effect of designating a day a legal holiday and makes the days on which the state primary preceding a biennial election and the quadrennial presidential primary are held legal holidays.
Support HB406 relative to parental access to children’s medical records. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Thu 2/16 9:00 AM LOB Room 201-203 This bill expands parents access to their 13 to 18-year-old children’s medical records without their children providing a release to each medical provider.
Support HB557 relative to the department of health and human services’ rulemaking authority regarding immunization requirements. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Thu 2/16 11:15 AM LOB Room 201-203 This bill removes the rulemaking authority of the commissioner of health and human services on immunization requirements beyond those diseases identified in statute.
Support HB408 relative to foster children and vaccinations. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Thu 2/16 1:00 PM LOB Room 201-203 This bill requires that children living in a foster family home but who are not in foster care shall be subject to the same immunization requirements as any other child in the state.
Oppose HB342 relative to lead testing in children. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Thu 2/16 2:00 PM LOB Room 201-203 This bill establishes a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools.
Oppose HB425 repealing the statute relative to medical freedom in immunizations. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Thu 2/16 2:30 PM LOB Room 201-203 This bill repeals the statute pertaining to medical freedom in immunizations.
Support HB652 relative to nonpublic sessions under the right to know law. Judiciary Thu 2/16 3:00 PM SH Room Reps Hall This bill provides that, when a public body goes into nonpublic session to discuss matters likely to adversely affect an individual’s reputation, the person affected shall be given notice of the meeting and an opportunity to attend, be represented by counsel and speak on their own behalf.