Transcript Highlights:

• I think I'm asking these questions as they are more procedural about the committee because I'm... if
• I still think it's procedural. Mr.
• But what I do know is we have collaborated with the Governor's Commission on Disability to put together

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, private individuals have the right to file claims with the Human Rights Commission alleging that
• for human rights those fall commission for human rights those fall out<04:15:37.080><c> of</c><04:15
• </c><04:15:50.640><c> alleging</c> the Human Rights Commission alleging the Human Rights Commission alleging
• </c><04:34:17.719><c> and</c> chair of the Human Rights Commission and chair of the Human Rights Commission
• The Human Rights Commission also is unable to give equitable relief.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on House Bill 148, with the chair limiting testimony to two minutes and asking for no outbursts so the committee could get through eight bills that day. Representative Kofalt, the prime sponsor, said HB 148 was the same as last year’s HB 396, which passed both chambers but was vetoed by the governor. He explained the bill would allow, but not require, separation by biological sex in bathrooms, locker rooms, houses of correction, and certain athletic competitions, leaving local school boards and administrators discretion to set policies. He argued the bill was meant to address safety and privacy concerns and cited a Milford incident and concerns in several school districts as examples of why local flexibility was needed. Committee members questioned the lack of a definition of “biological sex” and how the bill would be applied. Kofalt said he did not think a definition was necessary because males and females are generally understood, and he said the bill would give local policymakers latitude to make practical rules. He also said the bill was intended to address situations where people might misuse transgender claims to access spaces inappropriately. In response to questions, he said he was aware of issues in Kearsarge, Milford, and Mascoma school districts and had heard of discomfort in the State House, though he did not know all the details. Several opponents testified that the bill would discriminate against transgender and non-binary people and create enforcement problems. Executive Councilor Karen Hill said the bill would roll back New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination protections and conflict with the state’s Live Free or Die values. Alice Wade, a trans woman, said she had used women’s restrooms without incident and argued the bill would invite invasive enforcement and harassment. Representative La Selig said the bill was discriminatory and that bathroom concerns were being confused with unrelated harassment by cisgender males. Betsy Harrington supported the bill, citing a girls’ soccer game at Kearsarge that she said was disrupted by a boy playing on a girls’ team. Rosie Emer and her child testified against the bill, saying bathroom restrictions would increase anxiety and risk for trans and non-binary children. Stephen Scaer and Wendy Stallings supported the bill, arguing sex is biologically fixed and that excluding males from female spaces should not require genital inspections. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned there is an opt-out procedure. Could you explain that procedure to me?
• I understand there is a procedure. I'm just asking you to explain that procedure.
• I'm just asking you to is a procedure.
• If I want to opt explain that procedure.
• </c><01:09:21.600><c> unless</c> when you're having a procedure unless when you're having a procedure

Keywords: MS House Floor - 21 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> procedure in subsection F. procedure in subsection F.
• </c> and school procedures. and school procedures.
• . procedures. procedures.
• </c> policies and procedures. policies and procedures.
• And if a policy or a<01:21:24.000><c> procedure</c><01:21:25.280><c> does</c> a procedure does a procedure

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :05:32.240><c> was</c><00:05:32.360><c> a</c><00:05:32.520><c> legislative</c><00:05:33.160><c> commission
• </c> there was a legislative commission there was a legislative commission formed<00:05:34.199><c> that
• As already mentioned, in 2016 there was a legislative commission formed to study special education and
• As already mentioned, in 2016 there was a legislative commission formed to study special education and
• </c> um so it puts actually a procedural um so it puts actually a procedural burden<03:41:32.880><c>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Education Policy and Administration Committee heard testimony on HB 222, which would repeal the requirement that a chartered public school and the resident school district sign a memorandum of understanding on how students with disabilities will receive special education services. The prime sponsor, Rep. Peggy Balboni, said the bill was requested by the New Hampshire Association of Special Education Administrators and the New Hampshire Alliance for Public Charter Schools. She argued that federal and state law already require districts to provide FAPE and that the MOU requirement has created extra work, legal costs, and delays without improving services. She said many MOUs remain unsigned, but students are still receiving services and complaint numbers have not changed. Rep. Mooney also supported repeal, calling the MOU duplicative and impractical because IEPs and 504 plans already govern services. Testimony from Jane B. Brulu of the special education administrators’ association and Beth McLure of the charter schools alliance echoed that view, saying the MOU has not helped students, has added hours of work and legal fees, and has mostly been a source of disputes over funding and service costs. McLure said her school has worked with more than 15 districts and has always been able to reach agreements, though the first year of the requirement took substantial time and money. Committee members asked about the original purpose of the law, unsigned MOUs, and whether disputes could be resolved without the requirement. A representative from the Department of Education said the MOU was originally proposed to address reports that some students were not getting services on time and to provide some oversight, but the department has no authority to order charter schools or districts to agree and no appeal process if they cannot. The department also said it does not currently audit charter school special education services because it lacks authority to monitor charter schools directly, and it urged the committee to consider some alternative oversight if the MOU requirement is repealed. The hearing on HB 222 was then closed, and the committee announced it would begin the hearing on HB 699 after a short break.

Transcript Highlights:

• areas for the public so the public can come through—zoo guests, school tours—and watch veterinary procedures
• :51.640><c> and</c><00:09:51.920><c> watch</c><00:09:52.200><c> Veterinary</c><00:09:52.640><c> procedures
• </c> tours and watch Veterinary procedures tours and watch Veterinary procedures while<00:09:53.440><
• Commission Chair Pappas, Commissioner Ho, Senator Johnson Stewart first of all, it's great to have an
• chair Pap commissioner ho commission chair Pap commissioner ho Senator<01:05:48.680><c> Johnson</c><

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:27:48.919><c> working</c><00:27:49.200><c> on</c> Third party, uh, where they're working on a commission
• , they get the data on the driver, they send the tickets, and they get a commission from the municipality
• That's all just a procedural thing. Thank you.
• </c><04:42:50.120><c> thing</c><04:42:51.120><c> thank</c><04:42:51.320><c> you</c> all just a procedural
• thing thank you all just a procedural thing thank you some<04:42:52.878><c> again</c><04:42:53.080><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee opened with an announcement correcting the public hearing list: House Bill 209 was mistakenly listed as a continued hearing, but the chair said that hearing had already been closed and would not be reopened. The committee then moved to House Bill 305, which would allow municipalities to install and use speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement. The prime sponsor, Rep. Jones, said the bill was intended as a tool to address police staffing shortages and erratic driving, and emphasized that municipalities would pay the costs, work with DOT and the Department of Safety, and retain full control without using third-party vendors. He said the bill was meant to target speeding, red-light violations, and similar conduct, with enforcement handled locally and subject to state and federal law. Committee members raised questions about how citations would work, who would be held responsible in multi-driver or rental-car situations, whether due process would be affected, and whether cameras could identify the driver rather than just the vehicle. The sponsor and supporting witness Edward H. of Keene said municipalities would determine procedures, that an officer would still have to review and issue any summons, and that the bill was meant to be a limited enforcement tool rather than a catch-all. Edward H. also described the bill as adding guardrails such as a needs analysis, coordination with DOT, annual reporting, and public records of detections and fines. The Department of Transportation testified neutrally, saying it had no position on the bill and noting that current state systems include speed feedback signs, bridge security cameras, toll cameras that capture plates only, and traffic-signal detection cameras that do not record video. No vote was taken. The committee then held a brief hearing on House Bill 368, which would prohibit smoking tobacco products or e-cigarettes in a motor vehicle when a child under 16 is present and impose a $100 secondary fine. Rep. Miller introduced the bill in the sponsor’s absence, and there was no public testimony for or against it. The chair closed the hearing. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 390, which would add retired fire apparatus to the antique vehicle exemption so old fire trucks can be registered and used in parades without being stripped of their equipment. Rep. Parson explained that a strict reading of current law had led DMV to reject some antique fire engine registrations, and said the bill would fix that while preserving the ban on commercial use and on impersonating emergency vehicles. Members asked about the relationship to existing laws on emergency-vehicle impersonation, and the sponsor said the bill would not affect those laws. The hearing remained open as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• , including all of the procedures that are in this bill.
• It only, those procedures that we're asking for, Surgeries that optometrists do.
• So we spend all of our training on just this short list of procedures.
• I currently refer 20 to 30 patients every month for procedures covered in this bill.
• So in summary, these are office-based procedures that do not require an operating room.

Summary: The committee first continued the public hearing on House Bill 2897, which would expand optometrists’ authority to perform certain office-based procedures. Supporters, including an optometrist from rural Missouri, argued the bill would improve access to care in counties without resident ophthalmologists, reduce wait times and travel burdens, and better align scope of practice with optometry training. Opponents, including representatives of osteopathic physicians, raised concerns about patient safety, the lack of live-human-eye training in Missouri, and whether the bill would actually direct services to rural areas. The hearing then closed on HB 2897 without a vote. The committee next heard House Bill 2353 on interior designers’ licensure and sign-and-seal authority. The sponsor and supporters said the bill modernizes the profession, moves oversight under the state’s architecture/engineering board, and would let licensed interior designers stamp their own non-structural work after education, testing, and experience requirements. Supporters emphasized workforce retention, consumer savings, and that interior designers are trained in fire/life safety, ADA, and code compliance. Opponents from engineering groups said they were still negotiating language but objected to provisions that could be read to require interior designers for broad categories of buildings or blur boundaries with architecture and engineering; they asked for clearer scope language and continued collaboration. No final action was taken. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2241, which would create a framework for certain faith-based residential child care facilities to operate outside the standard foster care licensing system under a new oversight board. The sponsor said the bill is intended to address a shortage of foster placements while allowing Christian homes to maintain their religious mission, with background checks, inspections, and reporting still required. Supporters from Christian child care agencies said the bill would preserve religious freedom and expand placement capacity. Opponents, including child advocacy and child abuse prevention groups and several legislators, argued the proposal would create a separate, less accountable system for vulnerable children, weaken state oversight, and risk repeating past abuse scandals; they said existing licensing rules already allow faith-based providers to participate. The discussion was extensive, but no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• To date, the district has implemented governing board conflict of interest procedures, improved open
• meeting law practices, established annual contract approval processes, created procedures for stipends
• We have also strengthened our financial operations by improving procurement procedures, implementing
• Several of these corrective actions have since been reviewed through subsequent... ...procedures.
• We will continue refining certain procedures, particularly in our IT monitoring, and other areas where

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Summary: The committee first heard an update on Topok Elementary School District’s long-running noncompliance with Arizona’s Uniform System of Financial Records. The Auditor General’s office explained the USFR noncompliance process and reported that Topok had made substantial progress, correcting many deficiencies in areas such as open meeting law, procurement, payroll, attendance reporting, property control, and information technology. The district’s superintendent and staff described the corrective actions they had taken, the use of outside consultants, and their plan to maintain compliance through stronger leadership, training, and consistent procedures. Members praised the district’s progress and asked about the remaining deficiencies and the status of the 3% state-aid withholding, which the Auditor General said would be addressed by the State Board of Education. The committee then considered a request for a fourth school safety special audit, tied to concerns raised by Representative Martinez about Phoenix Union High School District and school violence response practices. The Auditor General said the proposed audit would be a new topic focused on policies and procedures for responding to credible threats of violence and allegations of staff misconduct affecting student safety, and could include Phoenix Union in the sample. Representative Martinez described a fatal 2024 shooting, weapons incidents, and concerns about district oversight. The committee approved the motion 10-0. Next, staff presented the fiscal years 2027-2028 school district performance audit schedule, describing 26 randomly selected school districts and career and technical education districts, plus 84 planned follow-ups. The Auditor General said the schedule is intended to shorten the average time between audits and that the school audits division is now fully staffed. Members asked about county coverage and the inclusion of ESA accountability, but the schedule was ultimately presented for review rather than approval. The committee also heard a detailed federal compliance audit presentation on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by DES. The Auditor General reported repeated findings involving missing provider documentation, questioned costs, and FFATA reporting errors, including a 2024 sample that led to questioning $2.88 million in costs. The office recommended stronger documentation, record retention, reporting procedures, and staff training; DES concurred and said it would correct the findings in 2026. Members discussed the limits of the single-audit scope, the possibility of a broader special audit, and the federal government’s recent actions on CCDF oversight in other states. Finally, the committee considered and discussed a special audit request for CCDF that would broaden review to provider oversight, licensing, site visits, and billing accuracy across multiple state agencies, with estimated costs of $547,000 to $625,000 and a projected report date of July 31, 2027.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, uh, my opposition is based on procedural issues and procedural grounds.
• <00:41:25.839><c> issues</c><00:41:26.240><c> and</c><00:41:26.480><c> procedural</c> procedural issues
• and procedural procedural issues and procedural grounds.<00:41:27.839><c> This</c><00:41:28.079><c>
• </c><00:41:34.160><c> move</c><00:41:34.640><c> that</c> premature procedural move that premature procedural
• </c> reconsideration um is a procedural reconsideration um is a procedural motion<00:59:06.960><c> and

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We call them agreed-upon procedures using our terms of art in the audit community, but what they are
• They would reach out and say, "Hey, here's how you can get an agreed-upon procedure.
• I kind of gave you some information on what we're talking about when we say "agreed-upon procedures"
• and some of those guys taking fees, right, puts you in a level of review called an "agreed-upon procedure
• Why do you need an "agreed-upon procedure"?

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I want them to be able to get any of those procedures.
• I mean, emergency procedures have to be treated separately. Right.
• So many of our procedures, almost, I mean, the vast majority of our procedures are scheduled procedures
• You could have a higher number of procedures, which is what most patients want.
• is the high-cost outlier in other procedures.

Committee: House Health Care Affordability, Select

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> that through the governor's commission that through the governor's commission to<00:34:38.960><c
• </c> utilities commission to be part of that? utilities commission to be part of that?
• commission does the same thing. I was in commission does the same thing.
• And this would be enforced by the liquor commission.
• </c> they have to set it to the commission they have to set it to the commission ahead<04:17:44.000><

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 1281, which would establish standards and voluntary certification for agency-owned “facility comfort dogs” used by police and other public safety agencies. Representative Morton, the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to create a consistent statewide framework because different departments currently use different policies. He emphasized that the bill is meant to distinguish comfort dogs from service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and noted that a small amendment may be needed to make that distinction clearer. He also said the bill is timely under the ADA because comfort dogs fall outside service-animal protections, but still need training standards for public safety and consistency. Committee members questioned whether the bill was too detailed and whether the legislature should be setting rules on matters like training methods, diet, and breeding. Laura Barker of Hero Pups, who helped train New Hampshire’s first police comfort dog, supported the idea of a minimum standard but said the bill should be less prescriptive and should not interfere with therapy dogs or private handlers. She explained that comfort dogs vary in temperament and deployment needs, that raw diets raise zoonotic disease concerns, and that the program should remain voluntary and not cost the state money. Detective Michelle Jones of Portsmouth Police opposed the bill as written, saying the term “facility comfort dog” is confusing, the bill is overly restrictive, and some provisions go beyond what should be mandated by statute; she suggested a more flexible, guideline-based approach and noted that departments already have their own SOPs and can enforce them internally. Justin Brassen of the Manchester Police Department also testified, describing the history of comfort dog programs in New Hampshire and the work of a prior subcommittee formed through the governor’s commission on PTSD among first responders. He said there are currently no statewide standards and that the earlier study involved police, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, and NAMI New Hampshire, with the goal of creating a thoughtful work product. He agreed the bill needs work and answered questions about how departments handle training and public access. By the end of the hearing, members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, and one committee member suggested the bill may be better handled through interim study because of the amount of work still needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, the FTC, Federal Trade<02:48:11.840><c> Commission,</c><02:48:12.399><c> reported</c><
• 02:48:13.359><c> that</c><02:48:13.600><c> romance</c> Trade Commission, reported that romance Trade
• Commission, reported that romance scams<02:48:14.880><c> lost</c><02:48:15.279><c> victims</c><02:48:
• </c><03:05:27.920><c> House</c> Federal Trade Commission. House Federal Trade Commission.
• </c><03:15:13.760><c> to</c> Consumer Product Safety Commission to Consumer Product Safety Commission

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 23, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It basically streamlines the procedures to provide or continue a psychotropic medication prescription
• They are not allowed to provide any treatment, any procedures, prescriptions.
• We lobbied very hard for the bill in '23 that banned these transgender procedures and prescriptions on
• So the suicide rate goes way up after these procedures.
• What we've seen is providers use conventional medical diagnosis codes to hide these tragic procedures

Bills: S0560 , S0590 , S0778 , S1010

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Keywords: child welfare, psychotropic medication, Department of Children and Families, community-based care, liability insurance, forensic services, defendants, mental health, judicial system, defense, legal definitions, minors, healthcare, parental rights, criminal penalties, civil action, sex-reassignment, investigations, economic damages

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered four bills. SB 590, by Sen. Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement; an amendment clarified retroactive application for offenses not already time-barred by the bill’s effective date. Sen. Bradley said the bill is intended to ensure accountability in institutional abuse cases and not to change the reasonable-suspicion reporting standard. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 778, by Sen. Simon, which would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency can be housed with other Chapter 916 residents, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Barney Bishop appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without amendment. SB 560, by Sen. Garcia, would streamline procedures for psychotropic medication prescriptions for children in DCF custody, reduce duplicative background checks and reporting, and simplify consent documentation. Amendments removed language allowing licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists to serve as evaluators and narrowed changes to the Road to Independence Program’s postsecondary education services and supports, extending eligibility ages from 18 to 26 while keeping the five-year cap. Senators discussed the fiscal impact and funding blend for the education stipend. The committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. The committee then took up SB 1010, by Sen. Yarbrough, which adds criminal and civil enforcement for violations involving sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures for minors and related parental-rights provisions. An amendment clarified that the civil action authority applies to minors and that damages benefit the affected minor. Public testimony was heavily divided, with supporters saying the bill enforces existing protections and opponents warning it would chill care, counseling, and school-based support for transgender youth. Senators Harrell, Sharief, and Rouson raised concerns about vagueness, standing, and impacts on teachers and health professionals; Sharief voted no, while the bill was still reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• It basically streamlines the procedures to provide or continue a psychotropic medication prescription
• They are not allowed to provide any treatment, any procedures, prescriptions.
• They are not allowed to provide any treatment, any procedures, prescriptions.
• So the suicide rate goes way up after these procedures.
• So the suicide rate goes way up after these procedures.

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered several bills. SB 590, by Senator Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement, with a retroactivity amendment adopted. Supporters said it would help hold mandatory reporters accountable in institutional abuse cases; it was reported favorably. SB 778, by Senator Simon, would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency could be housed in the same secure setting under Chapter 916, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at APD; it was also reported favorably. The committee then took up SB 560, by Senator Garcia, which streamlines psychotropic medication procedures for children in DCF custody, clarifies when new medical reports are needed, reduces duplicative background checks, and simplifies consent documentation. An amendment removed language expanding who could serve as a qualified evaluator and revised the Road to Independence Program changes to focus only on post-secondary education services and support, extending eligibility ages to 26 while keeping a five-year maximum. Members discussed fiscal impacts and funding sources, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard SB 1010, by Senator Yarbrough, which strengthens enforcement of existing prohibitions on sex-reassignment prescriptions and procedures for minors and adds civil and criminal penalties, along with Attorney General enforcement authority and related parental rights provisions. An amendment clarified that actions could be brought by individuals as well as the Attorney General and that the provisions apply only to minors. The bill drew extensive public testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing child protection and accountability and opponents warning about chilling effects on medical care, schools, and parental rights. Senators raised concerns about standing, scope, and impacts on teachers and clinicians, but the bill was ultimately reported favorably on a 5-1 vote, with Senator Sharif voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this state, we take people's police commissions away if they fail to do that without passing go, without
• away if they fail to do that commissions away if they fail to do that without<01:35:14.880><c> passing
• You have on your desk the House of Representatives emergency and evacuation procedures.
• We ask that you familiarize your aides and any staff with the procedures in the manual as well.
• </c> the procedures in the manual as well. the procedures in the manual as well.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> composition of the commission. composition of the commission.
• c> oversight commission for children oversight commission for children services,<01:45:59.679><c> we<
• commission? commission? &gt;&gt; Thank<01:47:08.719><c> you,</c><01:47:08.880><c> Senator.
• . commission. commission.
• </c> were there are a number of commissions were there are a number of commissions that<02:15:13.360>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• state has an acceptable application processing timeline rate, payment error rate, and case and procedural
• </c><00:21:34.159><c> And</c> Case and procedural error rate.
• In this vein, I'm asking the members of this commission and ultimately the legislature this session to
• the commission and ultimately the legislature<01:20:51.679><c> this</c><01:20:51.920><c> session</c>
• </c> multiple manuals, guides, procedural multiple manuals, guides, procedural references<01:30:48.480

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's why we took this approach of saying districts come up with a procedure for doing this, come
• up with a procedure for balancing these interests.
• And that's why we took this approach of saying districts come up with a procedure for doing this, come
• up with a procedure for balancing these interests. ...districts come up with a procedure for doing this
• , come up with a procedure for balancing these interests.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all