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New Hampshire

New Hampshire Legislation

New Hampshire Key Legislation – 2024

Democracy

  • Democratic Lawmakers Passed Legislation In The House To Establish An Online Voter Registration Portal. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 1/4/24]

  • House Republicans Introduced Legislation To Eliminate All Exceptions For Voter Photo Identification Requirements. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 1/4/24]

    • The Legislation Was Passed In The Republican-Controlled House. [NH Bulletin, 3/16/24]

    • The Bill Would Require All Voters In The State To Bring Proof Of Citizenship With Them To The Polls If Registering To Vote For The First Time During An Election. [HB1569, 2024 Regular Session, Introduced 1/3/24]

Education

  • House Republicans Voted To Approve Removing All Income Limits From New Hampshire’s Voucher-Style “Education Freedom Accounts” Program. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 1/31/24]

    • The Bill Was Defeated On A Party Line Vote. [HB 1634, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 2/8/24]

  • A Republican-Sponsored Bill To Allow The State Board Of Education To Remove Books From Schools Was Defeated In The House. [WKBK, 2/19/24]

  • Republican Lawmakers Sponsored Two Bills To Allow Unlicensed And Uncertified Individuals To Teach In Public Schools. [Reachinghighernh.com, 2/27/24]

  • Democratic House Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Repeal The 2021 Divisive Concepts Law. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 3/19/24]

    • The Republican-Controlled House Voted To Block The Bill. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 3/19/24]

  • House Republicans Passed A Bill To Provide Parents Advanced Notification Of Any Teaching Relating To Sexual Orientation, Gender, Gender Identity, Or Gender Expression. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 3/19/24]

Gun Safety

  • Democratic Lawmakers Are Pushing Red Flag Laws And Waiting Periods For Purchases As Firearm Safety Measures. [WMUR, 1/3/24]

    • Senate Republicans Blocked The Effort To Enact A Red Flag Law. [Seacoast Online, 2/17/24]

  • Democratic Senators Introduced Legislation To Require Background Checks For Firearm Purchases. [SB 571, 2024 Regular Session, introduced, 1/3/24]

    • Senate Republicans Blocked The Effort To Expand Background Checks For Firearm Purchases. [Seacoast Online, 2/17/24]

  • New Hampshire House Republicans Approved Legislation On An Initial Floor Vote To Protect The Privacy Of Firearm Purchases. [HB 1186, 2024 Regular Session, Passed 2/22/24]

Immigration

  • Republican Lawmakers Voted To Approve Gov. Sununu’s Request For $850,000 To Send 15 National Guard Members To The Southern Border. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 2/16/24]

  • Republican Senators Advanced Several Bills To Curb The Flow Of Migrants In The State, Including A Move To Ban “Sanctuary Cities.” [Center Square, 3/18/24]

Labor

  • Senate Democrats Proposed Increases To The States’ $7.25 Minimum Wage. [SB 308, 2024 Regular Session, introduced, 1/3/24]

LGBTQ+ Rights

  • A Republican Sponsored Bill To Ban Gender-Affirming Care For Minors Passed In The House. [HB 619, 2024 Regular Session, passed House, 1/4/24]

  • A Republican Sponsored Bill To Mandate Gender-Specific Spaces Such As Bathrooms, Locker Rooms, And Prisons Passed In The House. [HB 369, 2024 Regular Session, passed House, 1/4/24]

    • The Bill Was Approved By The House And Sent To The Senate For Consideration. [Boston Globe, 2/1/24]

  • Republican Lawmakers Sponsored A Bill To Require Mandatory Disclosure By School District Employees To Parents. [SB 341, 2024 Regular Session, introduced, 1/3/24]

    • The Bill Was Criticized For Targeting LGBTQ+ Students. [InDepthNH, 1/4/24]

Reproductive Rights

  • House Republicans Prefiled Legislation To Introduce A 15-Day Abortion Ban. [HuffPost, 12/7/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked In The House. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 2/1/24]

  • House Democrats Announced Plans To Pass A Constitutional Amendment Protecting The Right To An Abortion. [WMUR, 12/11/23]  

    • The Bill Fell Short Of The Three-Fifths Vote Needed For A Constitutional Amendment In The House. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 2/1/24]

  • Senate Democrats Introduced Bills To Protect Access To Abortion, Including Legislation Shielding New Hampshire Doctors From Anti-abortion Laws In Other States And Protections For Mifepristone. [WMUR, 1/4/24]
    • SB 567 Protects And Expands Access To Medication Abortion. [SB567, 2024 Regular Session, introduced, 1/3/24]

New Hampshire Key Legislation – 2023

Climate

  • House Democrats Introduced Legislation To Set Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Goals And Establish A Climate Action Plan. [HB-208, 23-24 General Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-208, 23-24 General Session, 1/4/23]

  • A Bill Backed By Democrats That Would Have Required The Adoption Of California’s Vehicle Emission Standards And Ended The Sale Of New Gas-Powered Cars By 2035 Was Blocked In The New Hampshire House. [New Hampshire Bulletin, 3/10/23]

Democracy

  • House Republicans Introduced Legislation To Make Election Ballots Public Documents. [HB-415, 23-24 General Election, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-415, 23-24 General Election, 1/5/23]

  • House Republicans Introduced Legislation To Audit The 2020 Presidential Election. [HB-599, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-599, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • House Republicans Introduced Legislation To Restrict Voting Rights For College Students To Those Who Receive In-State Tuition, Require Students To Bring A Copy Of Their Tuition Bill When Registering To Vote, And Require Colleges To Provide A List Of Eligible Voters To The Secretary Of State. [HB-405, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23] 

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-405, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23] 

  • A Bill Was Introduced By State House Republicans That Would Require Voters To Send Copies Of Their ID And Proof Of Residency With Their Mail Ballots. [HB-482, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-482, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • Legislation Sponsored By House Republicans Would Move The Deadline For Submitting Mail Ballots On The Day Before Election Day From 5 PM to 12 PM And Move Forward The Creation Of Final Voter Registration Lists. [HB-244, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Adopted With Amendments. [HB-244, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • House Democrats Introduced A Bill To Expand Same-Day Voter Registration And Eliminate Registration Cross-Checking By The Secretary Of State. [HB-40, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Tabled. [HB-40, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

  • House Democrats Introduced A Bill That Would Require The Secretary Of State To Prepay Postage Costs For Mail Ballots. [HB-508, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-508, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • More Than A Dozen Senate Democrats Introduced Legislation To Allow For No-Excuse Absentee Voting. [SB-220, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [SB-220, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]

Economy

  • Democratic Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Raise The Minimum Wage. “State Rep. Kris Schultz, D-Concord, is sponsoring a bill to establish a state minimum wage of $13.25 cents an hour starting in September, increasing to $15 an hour by 2025. Supporters of the legislation said the higher wage will help drive the local economy. ‘A lot of workers who are low-wage workers, when they get money, they tend to spend that money in the economy,’ said Viola Katusiime, of the Granite State Organizing Project. ‘So, this money is not going to be used to buy second homes or invest in the stock market.’” [WMUR, 1/19/23]

    • The Bill Failed In The House. [HB57, New Hampshire General Court, 23-24 Session, failed 2/22/23]

Education

  • Republican Lawmakers Introduced A Parental Bill Of Rights And Proposed An Increase In Funding For School Choice. “New Hampshire Senate Republicans promised no new taxes as they released their legislative priorities on Wednesday. The priorities include a balanced budget, defending education freedom accounts and school choice, passing a parental bill of rights and improving public safety.” [wmur.com, 1/4/23]

    • HB-10 Would Establish A Parental Bill Of Rights. [HB 10, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 1/4/2023]

    • HB-10 Was Narrowly Voted Down In The House; A Similar Senate Bill Will Be Taken Up In The House In The Coming Months. “The House then tabled the original, unamended bill, House Bill 10, which lays out a number of other parental rights in schools, 193-192. Four Republican lawmakers joined all 191 Democrats present to vote against that bill. […] But Wednesday’s vote did not close the door on the legislation. Earlier this month, the Senate approved Senate Bill 272, which also requires that teachers disclose gender pronoun changes to inquiring parents. That bill will automatically receive a House floor vote in the coming months.” [New Hampshire Bulletin, 3/22/23]

      • SB-272, The Senate Version Of A Parental Bill Of Rights, Passed In The Republican-Controlled Senate. “Senate Bill 272 would outline a number of rights for parents – many of which exist in current law – such as the right to inspect the curriculum and the right to opt out of certain classroom materials. The bill would also require teachers to disclose a student’s gender identity changes if their parent asks, unless the teacher had ‘clear and convincing evidence’ that doing so would put the child at risk of abuse or neglect.” [New Hampshire Bulletin, 4/18/23; SB-272, 2023-2024 Regular Session, Passed Senate 3/16/23]

      • HB-272 Would Increase Funding For Charter Schools. [HB 272, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 1/5/2023]

      • The Bill Did Not Pass In The House. [SB-272, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 5/18/23]

  • House Democrats Proposed Legislation To Increase Funding For Low-Income School Districts. [HB 529, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Retained In Committee. [HB 529, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • A Bill Proposed By Democratic Lawmakers Would Repeal The 2021 “Divisive Concepts” Law. “The New Hampshire Legislature had passed a law in 2021 barring public school teachers from advocating for certain positions around race, gender, and other protected classes. […] Over a multi-hour hearing Thursday, educators and public school advocates gathered in Representatives Hall to argue that the 2021 law is overly vague and punitive, and to advocate for a bill from Democrats to repeal the law. […] The Democrats’ bill, House Bill 61, would repeal all of the statutory language added by the Legislature in 2021. And it would add new language stipulating that teachers will not face civil liability for instruction around “the historical or current experiences of any group that is protected from discrimination” under the existing state law. Sponsored by Rep. Peter Petrigno, a Milford Democrat, the bill stipulates that teachers are not barred from giving those lessons.” [New Hampshire Bulletin, 1/13/23]

    • The Bill To Repeal The “Divisive Concepts” Law Was Tabled. [HB-61, 23-24 General Session, 1/4/23] 

  • Democratic Lawmakers Introduced A Students’ Bill Of Rights To Codify Rights For Youth. “Democrats are countering this push with a students’ rights bill. Its sponsor, Rep. Linda Tanner, says it’s meant to codify existing rights for young people. ‘The goal of the bill is to bring focus back on the student,’ Tanner says. ‘In education, the student should be the focus of the community, of the parents, of the education committee. That’s why we’re there, and that’s what we do.’” [nhpr.org, 1/26/23]

    • The Bill Was Tabled. [HB-629, 23-24 General Session, 1/5/23]

Gun Safety

  • Rep. Jason Gerhard (R, Merrimack – 25) Introduced Legislation That Would Allow Certain Non-Violent Ex-Felons The Right To Firearms. [HB-144, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

  • House Democrats Proposed A Bill That Would Impose A Waiting Period Between The Purchase And Delivery Of A Firearm. [HB-76, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-76, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

Health Care

  • Democratic Lawmakers Sponsored A Bill To Expand Medicaid Coverage For Mothers. [SB-175, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]

    • The Bill Was Tabled. [SB-175, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]

  • The House Voted To Permanently Expand Medicaid. “The New Hampshire House gave preliminary approval Thursday to making the state’s expanded Medicaid program permanent, rejecting attempts to set another expiration date or otherwise change it.” [Fox News, 5/19/23]

    • House Republicans Attempted To Add Multiple Amendments To The Bill Which Included Work & Drug Testing Requirements. “Before the 193-166 vote to advance the bill to the Finance Committee, Republicans spent hours unsuccessfully offering dozens of amendments, including measures that would have ended the program after six years, required participants to hold jobs and subjected them to drug testing. Four Republicans ended up voting for the Democratic version of the bill.” [AP, 5/18/23]

Labor

  • A Dalf Dozen House Democrats Introduced A Bill To Prohibit Employers From Requiring Employees To Attend Or Participate In Anti-Union Training. [HB-118, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-118, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

  • A House Democratic Lawmaker Introduced A Bill To Establish COVID-19 Related Workplace Protections For Employees. [HB-48, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-48, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

LGBTQ+ Rights

  • Democrats Introduced Legislation To Protect Gender-Affirming Health Care. [HB-368, 23-24 General Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Retained In Committee. [HB-368, 23-24 General Session, 1/5/23 ]

  • House Republicans Introduced A Bill That Would Prohibit Gender Affirming Health Care For Trans Youth, Prohibit The Use Of Students’ Preferred Gender Pronouns, And Alter The Definition Of Conversion Therapy. [HB-619, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Retained In Committee. [HB-619, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • Republican Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Require All Multi-Stall School Bathrooms And Locker Rooms Be Same-Sex. [HB-104, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Tabled. [HB-104, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

  • The Senate Passed A Parental Bill Of Rights Law, Which Would Require Schools To Disclose Changes To A Student’s Gender Identity to Parents. “The New Hampshire Senate passed a parental rights bill on party lines Thursday, sending to the House legislation that would require schools to disclose changes to a student’s gender identity if a parent asks. Senate Bill 272, which passed the Republican-led Senate on party lines, would help inform parents of a number of existing rights in their child’s school, including the right to opt their child out of sex education or specific instructional material, the right to inspect a school curriculum, and the right to exempt their child from vaccinations in certain conditions.” [New Hampshire Bulletin, 3/16/23]

    • SB-272 Was Postponed Indefinitely In The House. “A controversial parental rights bill will not be moving forward in New Hampshire after the House voted to postpone Senate Bill 272 indefinitely. The 195-190 vote followed a series of amendments that Republican lawmakers said fundamentally changed the bill.” [WMUR, 5/18/23]

  • A Group Of Lawmakers, Led By Representative Shaun Filiault (D),  Introduced Legislation To Ban The“Gay Panic” Defense.  “The so-called ‘gay panic’ defense is one step closer to being on its way out of New Hampshire after a House and Senate committee came up with a compromise on the bill. Lawmakers voted to make some changes to the language after concerns were raised last week about unintended consequences.” [WMUR, 6/22/23]

Reproductive Rights

  • Rep. Marjorie Smith (D, Strafford – 10) Introduced Legislation To Repeal The Fetal Life Protection Act. [HB 271, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Tabled. [HB 271, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • More Than A Dozen Democrats Proposed An Amendment To The State Constitution That Would Codify Reproductive Freedom. [CARC 2, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

  • Democratic Lawmakers Sponsored Legislation That Would Prohibit Interference With The Right To An Abortion And Provide For A Private Right Of Action. [SB-181, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked. [SB-181, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]

  • Over A Dozen Democrats Sponsored Legislation To Codify Access To An Abortion. [HB-88, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • The Bill Was Passed In The House. [HB-88, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/4/23]

    • Senate Republicans Blocked A Bill That Would Have Removed Civil And Criminal Penalties Under The 2021 24-Week Abortion Ban. “The penalties associated with New Hampshire’s 24-week abortion ban will remain in place after the state Senate on Thursday killed legislation that would have removed them. The Republican-led Senate voted 14-10 along party lines to reject a bill that would have removed the civil and criminal penalties from the 2021 ban on abortion after the 24th week of pregnancy. It also rejected adding an explicit right to abortion up to 24 weeks to state law. Both bills had passed the House, where Republicans hold a narrow 201-196 majority.” [NBC 5, 4/14/23]

  • House Republicans Introduced A Heartbeat Bill. [HB-591, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked.  [HB-591, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

  • Republican Lawmakers Proposed A Law To Require Informed Consent Prior To Receiving An Abortion. [HB-562, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

    • The Bill Was Blocked.  [HB-591, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/5/23]

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