Lawmakers in the state House and Senate voted on a host of bills Wednesday and Thursday, racing against a May 3 reporting deadline. Here is a list of some of the key votes, updated throughout the day.
HB 1587: A bill to set the legal minimum age of marriage at 16. Currently in New Hampshire, girls may marry at age 13 and boys at 14 as long as they get the approval of a judge and parental permission. The bill would raise the age to 16 – the legal age of sexual consent – after supporters had raised concerns about abusive or coercive marriages. Sununu has indicated that he supports and will sign the bill. Voted ought to pass by unanimous consent. The Senate also voted, unanimously, to pass HB 1586, a companion bill that prohibits judicial allowance of marriage if it would otherwise be sexual assault.
SB 438: A bill to give the authority to town officials to postpone elections during emergency events. Following a blizzard in 2017 on the day many localities hold town meeting, moderators were plunged into confusion over whether they had the authority to postpone their meetings and voting sessions due to the weather. About half ultimately did, despite advice from the Secretary of State’s office that the voting could not be put off.
A version of SB 438 that left the Senate in March would have vested authority with the secretary of state to determine whether a town could postpone elections and meetings, but an amendment presented on the House floor Wednesday reverted the authority to the towns. Supporters touted local control, while opponents warned that the move could create a patchwork series of decisions by towns that could affect the outcome of votes in cooperative school districts. The amendment was approved, 178-158, while the final bill passed by voice vote.
SB 569: A bill to strengthen New Hampshire’s animal cruelty laws. Proposed by Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, after a string of high-profile animal rescues, the original bill would have shifted the costs associated with animal relocation to the accused and would have required on-site inspections in order for commercial breeders to obtain a license.
A revision by the House Agriculture Committee removed that requirement, kept the costs on the towns and established a study commission to determine a new payment model for relocation. The bill moves back to the Senate, but will likely face a steep uphill battle in a committee of conference between the House and Senate Voted “ought to pass,” 222-111.
SB 421: A bill to require insurers cover birth control for 12 months. Under the Affordable Care Act – known as Obamacare – insurers are mandated to provide oral contraceptives for up to three months. This bill would expand that to 12 months and codify the federal law into state law. Supporters in the House said it would help to prevent lapses in coverage for women that can lead to unplanned pregnancy; opponents said it would be too costly and impose an unconstitutional mandate. Voted “ought to pass as amended,” 219-111.
SB 434: A bill to roll back additional requirements imposed on school nurses. In 2016, the Legislature passed a series of requirements, including that school nurses have completed their bachelor’s degree and have three or more years’ experience in the nursing field before working at a school. Proponents of the bill had called the regulations overly onerous and would lead to shortages; others said they imposed necessary standards. Voted “ought to pass” by voice vote.
SB 566: A bill to establish a study commission to look into the statewide shortage of school bus drivers. In recent years low pay and low hours have caused a shortfall among school districts, prompting a scramble. One school district, Wakefield, delayed the beginning of its school year in response. As originally written in the Senate, the bill would allow school bus drivers to receive unemployment compensation provided that they return to the job within 12 weeks. It was amended to a study committee to look into ways to alleviate the shortage, including by allowing drivers to work for more than one school district. Voted “ought to pass” by unanimous consent.
SB 541: A bill to establish a compensation for firefighters over cancer treatment. For decades, New Hampshire firefighters have not been able to apply for worker’s compensation for cancer under state law; an attempt in the 1980s to create compensation was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court, which determined it an unfunded mandate. The final version does not create a fund, but it does amend the language to allow firefighters who have served for five years to have the presumption to qualify for compensation. Voted “ought to pass” by unanimous consent.
SB 575: A bill to establish new restrictions and protocols for electric vehicles in New Hampshire. This bill would capitalize on a $31 million payout to the Granite State by Volkswagen, as a result of a federal lawsuit over the company’s emissions practices. In a proposal released earlier this month, Gov. Chris Sununu called for $4.6 million to go toward building electric-charging infrastructure across the state, a suggestion subject to a public comment period. SB 575 would create the standards for those stations and establish signage along the state’s highways to direct drivers to them. Voted “ought to pass” by unanimous consent.
SB 502: A bill to impose higher oversight standards for hospital mergers. As New Hampshire hospitals increasingly look to consolidate, some have raised concern that the new arrangements could create higher costs for patients, particularly in rural areas. The mergers are already overseen by the Charitable Trust Unit; the bill would mandate the the Unit examine the impact on affordable physical and mental health care. Opponents said that the oversight carried out by the Unit is sufficient and that no major problems with existing mergers have come to light yet. Pushed to interim study, 170-160.
(Ethan DeWitt can be reached at edewitt@cmonitor.com, or on Twitter at @edewittNH.)