The New Hampshire Senate Finance Committee will hold its hearing on the state budget on Tuesday, May 6. We need you to raise your voice in support of funding for women and girls in the state budget. We have provided information at the bottom of this page about Medicaid cuts and access to healthcare – particularly maternal health, mental health, and reproductive and sexual health. You can use this information to help you write your email.
How to Email the Senate Finance Committee:
- Go to the Senate Finance Committee’s page on the General Court website: https://gc.nh.gov/senate/committees/committee_details.aspx?cc=32
- Click the “Email Entire Committee” button
- A pop-up email will be generated in your device’s email system with all the committee members’ email addresses included in the recipient line.
- Please BCC info@nhwomensfoundation.org. Any email we are copied on will be included in a stack of letters the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation will be submitting with our testimony at the Senate budget hearing.
- Include keywords in the subject line. Example: Senate Budget Hearing Written Testimony: Please Support Momnibus 2.0
- Address your email “Dear Honorable Members of the Committee”
- State your name, town, and any other relevant identifying information. Example “I am a mother” or “I am a doctor”
- Pick one or two issues. Having a clear focus is most impactful.
- Explain why YOU care. Your personal reason for caring about this topic is what the committee needs to hear.
- Sign your email with your name and town.
Advocate for Women + Girls in the State Budget
Here is more information about some items in the state budget impacting women and girls.
MOMNIBUS 2.0
Momnibus 2.0 will support moms, babies, and families across New Hampshire. New Hampshire moms continue to face serious gaps in maternal health and wellness. Behavioral health, including substance misuse, is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the state. In the past two decades, 11 maternity wards in the state have closed. Momnibus 2.0 improves maternal mental health, strengthens workforce protections, expands family supports, and supports moms across New Hampshire. Most notably, SB 246 would improve maternal mental health screening and address barriers to accessing mental health care. The bill would also train EMS providers in rural communities on labor and delivery emergencies, ensure job security for parents attending postpartum and pediatric appointments, and expand access to home visits for new parents.
NH FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM
The NH Family Planning Program provides essential sexual and reproductive health care services and information to lower-income Granite Staters including birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and pregnancy testing and counseling.
MEDICAID
NH women are more likely to be enrolled in Medicaid than men and cuts to reimbursement rates may reduce the number of providers serving this population at a time when it is already hard to find care. Women and girls suffer from depression and anxiety at higher rates than men and boys and women and girls are more likely to seek care for mental health. Cuts would impact community mental health centers and efforts to eliminate emergency department psychiatric boarding.
If you have any questions, please email info@nhwomensfoundation.org