In 2025, New Hampshire Women’s Foundation is actively involved in legislation that would defend progress on women’s rights, repeal attacks on women’s rights and support the interests of women and girls in the state.
2026 Legislative Watch List
2025 Legislative Watch List
MOMNIBUS 2.0 (SB 246)
Prime Sponsors: Senator Denise Ricciardi and Senator Sue Prentiss
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness
About this bill: 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.
Status: In the Senate Budget. Momnibus 2.0 passed the Senate and was added to the Senate’s version of the budget. It will need to stay in the budget through the Committee of Conference process where the House and Senate agree to a final budget.
OPPOSING A BAN ON CONFIDENTIAL BIRTH CONTROL (SB 72 and HB 10)
Prime Sponsors: Senator Tim Lang and Speaker Sherman Packard
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About the Bill: New Hampshire has the lowest teen birth rate in the country. Access to confidential birth control is crucial for NH teens to make decisions about safe sex with a trusted health care provider. Both HB 10 and SB 72, the so-called “Parental Bill of Rights” would end confidential access to birth control. Only Texas has ended access to confidential birth control and they have seen an increase in teen births.
These bills would also prohibit any confidential medical treatment for teens including yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, or urinary tract infections which young women can get regardless of their sexual activity. Further, if a person under 18 is pregnant, they would need their parents’ permission for their own medical care. In other words, she would not be able to consent to her own epidural, labor induction methods, amniocentesis, etc.
New Hampshire leaders have promised to not move backwards on reproductive rights and abortion, and we can’t let them move backwards on birth control.
Status: Both SB 72 and HB 10 will be voted on in the House and Senate on Thursday June 5.
MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS IN SCHOOLS REPEAL (HB 415)
Prime Sponsors: Representative Peternel
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness
About this bill: The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation opposes HB 415, which would repeal the 2019 law that requires public schools to provide menstrual products in schools. Providing basic necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues are standard operating procedures for schools, and menstrual hygiene products, that are needed by half the population, should continue to be considered standard basic necessities too. When girls and young women have readily available access to menstrual products, they are able to return to class quickly, without diversion, and get back to learning; they avoid stressful situations and distractions during the school day, and they are treated with respect by supplying them with what they need where they are. Girls who don’t have access to menstrual products from home, either because they don’t have caregivers they can ask for products or their caregivers can’t afford products, are more likely to skip school when they menstruate leading to missed instruction and poor educational outcomes. Many students over the years have advocated for menstrual products in school bathrooms and we continue their advocacy yet again.
Status: BILL KILLED! HB 415 was heard by the House Education Policy Committee where it received a unanimous Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) vote from the Committee and then was killed by the whole House.
REPEALING NH PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE INSURANCE (NH PFML) (HB 517)
Prime Sponsors: Representative Turcotte
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security
About this bill: NH PFML isn’t perfect but we can’t repeal the only option Granite Staters have for paid leave without a plan to replace it with something better. New Hampshire Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) is a voluntary insurance program that offers paid leave benefits for child bonding or to care for your own or a family members’ serious health condition. Employers who have enrolled in this program use it to recruit and retain employees in a modern economy. Employees need to be able to take care of themselves and their loved ones without losing their jobs or pay. This program isn’t perfect, and the Women’s Foundation supports universal paid leave, but we can’t repeal the only option many people have for paid leave without replacing it with something better.
Status: Likely to Pass in Budget but amended. The House Commerce Committee recommended the bill Ought to Pass with an amendment (OTP-A) that keeps the NH PFML program intact but removes the advertising budget for the program which passed the House. This is now represented in the House and Senate’s budget. Most Granite Staters do not know about the availability of the program, particularly the individual market, therefore the Women’s Foundation opposes cuts on efforts to make sure the public knows about the PFML individual market.
INCREASING ACCESS TO CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIPS (SB 243)
Prime Sponsors: Senator Denise Ricciardi
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security, Child Care
About this bill: SB 243 would reduce paperwork and streamline processes to make sure families can access existing childcare scholarships. These efforts are crucial for making child care affordable for hard working families.
Status: In the Senate Budget. The bill passed the Senate but the House Laid the bill on the Table (halting its progress this session). The Senate has since added it to their Budget but it will need to stay in the budget through the Committee of Conference process where the House and Senate agree to a final budget.
AFFIRMING THE RIGHT TO ABORTION (HCR 7 and SB 260)
Prime Sponsors: Representative Alexis Simpson and Senator Deborah Altschiller
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About this bill: Access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, is crucial to women’s health and economic security. New Hampshire is the only state in New England that has not affirmed the right to abortion in law. Abortion is legal in New Hampshire until 24 weeks, with certain exceptions. While promises have been made to NH voters to not roll back abortion rights, these two bills provide the opportunity to take action on that promise.
Status: Killed. Both the House and Senate voted Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) their respective bills, effectively killing these bills.
OPPOSING ABORTION RESTRICTIONS (HB 476 and HB 191)
Prime Sponsors: Representative Peternel and Representative Cordelli
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About this bill: HB 476 would ban abortion at 15 weeks. HB 476 rolls back reproductive rights even further than the current 24 week NH abortion ban and is far more restrictive than the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. New Hampshire is the only state in New England that does not proactively protect abortion.
HB 191 would increase barriers to abortion access for people under 18 years old and criminalize anyone who helped get them to their appointment. Creating criminal penalties around abortion further stigmatizes and reduces access to abortion in the state.
Access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, is crucial to women’s health and economic security and has long-term impacts on women and their families.
Status: Killed. After overwhelming public outcry, the sponsor of the 15-week abortion ban withdrew HB 476, meaning the bill will not move forward. It is effectively killed.
DEFENDING TRANS GIRLS (HB 148, SB 38, and SB 268)
Prime Sponsors: Representative Kofalt and Senator Avard
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Supporting At-Risk Women and Children
About this bill: HB 148, SB 38, and SB 268 would roll back some of the gender non-discrimination protections passed in 2018, opening the door to discrimination in public spaces, including restrooms. In 2018 New Hampshire became the first U.S. state to pass an update to its nondiscrimination law to include transgender people through an entirely Republican-controlled State House, Senate, and Governor. A bill similar to HB 148 (HB 396) to roll back gender non-discrimination protections was vetoed by Governor Sununu last year.
Trans girls are girls. And trans girls deserve to be safe in their schools and communities and have the same educational opportunities as every other student. This bill would move us further backwards in our discrimination protections.
Status: Passed. HB 148 passed in the House and Senate and now awaits the Governor’s action. SB 38 and SB 268 were amended and the Committee recommended Ought to Pass. The other two bills were stalled as HB 148 moved forward.
2024 Legislative Watch List
EQUITABLE COVERAGE FOR FERTILITY TREATMENT AND OTHER MATERNAL HEALTH WORKER PROTECTIONS (SB 558)
Prime Sponsor: Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About this bill: SB 558, the Modern Economy Act, provides equitable access to health insurance coverage for fertility treatment for same-sex couples and individuals seeking to start or grow their families. Currently, there are additional medical hoops same-sex couples must jump through, including paying out of pocket, to access the same level of fertility treatment heterosexual couples can immediately access. This bill also expands the requirement that employers provide time off and job protection for pregnancy-related appointments to also include appointments for fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, and postpartum care. And it prohibits an employer from requiring an employee to use PTO as a condition of parental leave. SB 558 will better support women through the entire process of seeking to build their families while working. Women make the economy work. Let’s make the economy work better for them.
Status: SIGNED INTO LAW! SB 558 passed with unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate but met opposition in the House. Language from SB 558 was added to HB 1197, an unrelated bill, and passed after a joint Committee of Conference. HB 1197, which includes equitable coverage for fertility treatment but does not include workplace protections to attend fertility treatment appointments was signed by the Governor and takes effect in January 2025.
Read our testimony in support here.
EATING DISORDER HOTLINE ON STUDENT ID CARDS (HB 1109)
Prime Sponsor: Representative Rosemarie Rung
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness
About this bill: New Hampshire girls are more likely than boys to try to lose weight and engage in harmful ways to lose weight, however, girls are also more likely to ask for help from services such as NH Crisis Text Line. This bill adds the Eating Disorder Hotline to the back of student ID cards. Putting resources literally in the hands of students will support girls and is a smart way to reduce stigma and reach all students where they are.
Status: SIGNED INTO LAW! This bill passed the House and Senate and was signed by Governor Sununu on June 14, 2024 and takes effect August 13, 2024.
Read our testimony in support here.
CHILD CARE FOR CHILD CARE WORKERS (SB 404)
Prime Sponsor: Senator Becky Whitley
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Child care
About this bill: Affordable and accessible child care is essential for a functioning economy. Women are the most impacted by the child care industry – both as the providers and as those who rely on its service. SB 404 will provide all child care workers with full child care scholarships. This would bring child care workers back into the industry to expand the number of classrooms and slots available in communities. This will support the child care industry, child care workers, and families, particularly moms, who rely on child care to return to the workforce. Women make the economy work. But they need child care.
Status: SIGNED INTO LAW! This bill, as amended, creates a pilot program to provide child care workers with greater access to the childcare scholarship.
Read our testimony in support here.
TARGETING AND DISCRIMINATING AGAINST TRANS YOUTH (SB 562, SB 375, and HB 1205)
Prime Sponsors: Senator Kevin Avard and Representative Louise Andrus
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Supporting Women & Children at Risk
About this bill: Trans students deserve to be accepted and included in our schools and school activities. This legislation would move us backwards from the progress New Hampshire has made in recognizing transgender people in nondiscrimination law. Despite growing public awareness of gender identity and support for transgender people, they still face disproportionate rates of discrimination, harassment, and violence — that must change. All students deserve the opportunity to participate in sports. Transgender girls are girls. Like all girls, trans girls deserve to be treated fairly and have access to all our schools have to offer.
Status: ¾ ANTI-TRANS BILLS WERE SIGNED INTO LAW.
The House and Senate considered many bills targeted at trans youth and passed four anti-trans bills including:
- HB 1205 which bans trans girls from participating in girls sports
- HB 1312 which requires advanced notice of school curriculum that includes gender or sexuality
- HB 619 which bans provider referrals for gender-affirming surgeries for minors
- HB 396 which allows discrimination on the basis of gender identity in schools, bathrooms, locker rooms, prisons, and jails
Governor Sununu signed three of them (HB 1205, HB 1312, and HB 619) and vetoed one (HB 396). We are deeply disappointed in Governor Sununu’s decision to sign these three bills that harm trans youth. New Hampshire girls are twice as likely as boys to experience poor mental health, and LGBTQ girls have even higher rates of poor mental health than their heterosexual or cis-gender peers. We need more support for girls, including trans girls, not efforts to socially alienate them.
Read our testimony in opposition here: SB 562, SB 375, HB 1205
COVERING EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR YOUTH IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS (SB 411)
Prime Sponsors: Senator Becky Whitley
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness
About this bill: This bill will have a positive impact on youth mental health, but, in particular, girls’ mental health. Girls have higher rates of depression, considering suicide, higher rates of making a plan to attempt suicide than their male peers, and self-harm. Girls are also more likely to ask for help from services such as NH Crisis Text Line. Families deserve to know they can get the help they need for their children and it will be covered by their insurance.
Status: SIGNED INTO LAW! The legislature amended the bill to create a committee to study emergency mental health services for persons 21 years of age and younger in New Hampshire.
ENSHRINING THE RIGHT TO ABORTION IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CONSTITUTION (CACR 23 + CACR 24)
Prime Sponsors: Senator Debra Altschiller and Representative Amanda Toll
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About these bills: Access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, is crucial to women’s health and economic security and has long-term impacts on women and their families. Since the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade, New Hampshire is the only state in New England that has not protected the right to abortion in state law. New Hampshire women, from across the political spectrum, have fought for decades for their right to reproductive freedom. This bill would allow the voters to decide if there should be a clear and affirming right to bodily autonomy in the state’s constitution, but it must first pass the legislature. It’s time to allow New Hampshire voters to decide.
Status:
Neither bill passed in the House or Senate. The House bill, CACR 23, did get a majority of votes (193-184) with bipartisan support, but a CACR requires a three-fifths (⅗) majority and therefore did not pass. The Senate bill, CACR24, failed 14-9 along party lines.
2023 Legislative Watch List
Supporting Maternal Health Care With “The MOMnibus” (SB 175)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Championing Health & Wellness, Reproductive Rights
About this bill: This bill provides a package of investments in maternal health that would increase access to safe, healthy and equitable care for pregnant and postpartum women. The bill includes: expansion of the pregnancy qualification for Medicaid from two months postpartum to 12 months postpartum; Medicaid coverage for lactation support, doula services and donor milk bank; minimum workplace supports for nursing mothers; establishment of a commission to study expanded access to home visiting; and directs DHHS to create a network of early childhood behavioral supports.
Status: This bill was included in the budget, passed, and signed into law!
Read our testimony in support of SB 175 here.
See our SB 175 data sheet here.
ENSURING THE RIGHT TO ABORTION IN STATE LAW (HB 88 AND SB 181)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About this bill: In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, eliminated the federal right to abortion, leaving abortion rights up to the states. Abortion is legal in New Hampshire, however, the Granite State is the only state in New England that has not protected the right to abortion in state law. The Access to Abortion Act would codify the right to abortion in New Hampshire up to 24 weeks.
Status: This bill passed in the House but did not pass in the Senate.
Read our testimony supporting HB 88 here and SB 181 here.
Read our Gender Matters on Abortion Rights in New Hampshire here.
Ensuring Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products in Prisons and Jails (SB 209 and HB 421)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Championing Health & Wellness
About this bill: Women deserve access to menstrual hygiene products in the amount and frequency they individually need. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen at County Jails. This bill would ensure that people who are incarcerated are provided menstrual hygiene products at no cost and in the amount and type they request.
Status: HB 421 was signed by Governor Sununu and is now law.
Read our testimony in support of SB209.
Municipal Property Tax Relief for Child Care Centers (SB 221)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security, Child Care
About this bill: This bill is enabling legislation which would allow individual municipalities to decide to refund child care agencies their local property taxes. This provides an opportunity for local elected officials to take action to improve access and affordability to child care.
Status: This bill was amended to be a study committee but was ultimately not passed while the House Special Committee on Childcare hosts community input meetings across the state and will include discussion on this topic.
Read our testimony in support of SB221.
Making Child Care More Affordable for Working Families and Supporting Child Care Workers (SB 237)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security, Child Care
About this bill: Women are four times more likely than fathers to cut hours or leave their jobs if they do not have access to reliable child care. Women are also the majority and backbone of the child care workers and industry. This bill makes child care more affordable for low-income families by expanding the child care scholarship program; it makes the change permanent to a funding formula for child care centers based on enrollment rather than attendance, a crucial change for child care centers; and creates the infrastructure for a child care worker sign-on and retention bonus program.
Status: This bill was included in the budget, passed, and signed into law!
Read our testimony in support of SB237.
Repealing the 24-week Abortion Ban (HB 271)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About this bill: Abortion is legal in New Hampshire and the “Live Free or Die” state has a long bipartisan history of supporting abortion rights. However, In June 2021, Governor Sununu signed the first abortion ban in modern history, banning abortion after 24 weeks. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation believes that women and people who can become pregnant should have access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. We continue to support full repeal of the harmful 24-week abortion ban.
Status: This bill died in the House, failing after a TIE vote.
Read our testimony in support of SB271.
Read our Gender Matters on Abortion Rights in New Hampshire here.
Reducing the Harm done by the Abortion Ban (HB 224)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Reproductive Rights
About this bill: This bill would reduce the harm done by the abortion ban by eliminating the criminal and civil penalties targeting providers. Threatening doctors with felony charges and imprisonment creates a chilling effect that leads to difficulty in hiring and retaining providers in the state.
Status: This bill passed in the House but did not pass in the Senate.
Read our testimony in support of HB224.
Read our Gender Matters on Abortion Rights in New Hampshire here.
A Student-Led Effort To Increase Mental Health Education In Schools (SB 151)
NHWF Position: Support
Area of Focus: Championing Health & Wellness
About this bill: Girls have higher rates of anxiety and depression than boys. Girls also have higher rates of considering suicide and making a plan to commit suicide. The Governor’s Youth Advisory Council recommends that schools include more mental health education. This bill would increase knowledge about mental health and resources among girls and all youth, while allowing schools the flexibility to determine the specifics of the instruction and curriculum.
Status: This bill passed in the Senate but did not pass in the House.
Read our testimony in support of SB 151 here.
A Bill That Would Harm Transgender and Intersex People In Schools, Sports and Corrections (HB 396)
NHWF Position: Oppose
Area of Focus: Supporting At-Risk Women and Children
About this bill: This bill would identify a “state interest” in binary sex, particularly in school academics, bathrooms, locker rooms and in corrections. This bill would allow schools and corrections to move backward on efforts towards inclusion and safety for trans, nonbinary and intersex communities. This bill moves backward from the progress made to include transgender people in nondiscrimination laws and may lead to violations of Title IX. We strongly oppose this bill because trans women are women and, like all women, deserve safety, fairness and dignity in all facets of life.
Status: This bill failed in the House.
Read our testimony against HB 396 here.
2022 Legislative Watch List
Adjusting the Scope of the Fetal Protection Act (HB1609)
NHWF Position: Support
Status: Passed and signed into law. See our statement on the passage of 1609.
About this bill: This bill retains the 24-week abortion ban passed in 2021 but clarifies the scope of the ultrasound mandate to only required at or near 24 weeks. This limits the harm done by an ultrasound mandate that previously required ultrasounds for abortions at all stages of pregnancy (regardless of best medical practice). This bill also adds an exception to the 24-week ban for fatal fetal anomalies. Attempts to add exceptions for rape and incest were not successful. While NHWF continues to support a complete repeal of the 24-week abortion ban (we supported HB1674 and SB436 which were both full-repeal bills and both died on House and Senate floors respectively), we celebrate the passage of HB 1609 which limits the harm done by the ban.
CODIFYING ROE – PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ABORTION (SB436 and HB1674)
Area of focus: Championing Health & Wellness, Reproductive Rights
NHWF position: Support
Status: Died in House and Senate
About this bill: This legislation would have codified the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks. Legislators had several chances to codify the right to an abortion before and after the Supreme Court decision overturned the federal right to abortion in June in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
SUPPORTING CHILD CARE WORKERS, AKA THE “WORKFORCE BEHIND THE WORKFORCE ACT” (SB 446)
MPROVING ACCESS TO POSTPARTUM HEALTH CARE THROUGH MEDICAID (HB 1536 & SB 407) AKA “Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act”
Area of focus: Championing Health & Wellness, Reproductive Rights
NHWF position: Support
Status: Died in Committee of Conference
About this bill: This legislation would have opted-in to a federal program to continue Medicaid coverage for postpartum women to 12 months postpartum who would otherwise no longer income-qualify after 2 months postpartum. Access to health care coverage would reduce maternal mortality, treat maternal depression, and provide preventive and acute care for all other health concerns for a year following pregnancy/birth.
REQUIRING STUDENT ID CARDS TO INCLUDE THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFE-LINE (SB 234)
Area of focus: Championing Health & Wellness, Reproductive Rights
NHWF position: Support
Status: Passed and signed into law
About this bill: This bill requires public schools, charter schools, and universities who already provide student identification cards to include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on the card. Our Status of Girls in New Hampshire report showed that girls have a higher rate of depression, considering suicide, and making a plan to attempt suicide compared to their male peers.
ELIMINATING THE PRACTICE OF SHACKLING AMONG PREGNANT PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED (SB393)
Area of focus: Championing Health & Wellness, Supporting Women & Children at Risk
NHWF position: Support
Status: Passed and signed into law
About this bill: This bill virtually eliminates the practice of shackling pregnant people who are incarcerated during labor, childbirth, and postpartum. It eliminates the use of lower body shackles and limits the use of hand shackles to transportation for medical appointments. This bill adds a reporting requirement and applies to state and county correctional facilities.
CHANGING THE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY TO “OPT-IN” (HB 1639)
Area of focus: Championing Health & Wellness, Reproductive Rights
NHWF position: Oppose
Status: Died in Committee of Conference
About this bill: This bill would have changed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from an “opt-out” survey to an “opt-in” survey. The YRBS is an anonymous survey taken by middle and high school students every year and collects data about behavioral health including seat belt use, exercise and eating habits, mental health, alcohol and drug use, intimate partner violence, bullying and other subjects related to health. This survey is one of the only and one of the best sources of data for public health and organizations serving youth and one of the few NH data sources that can be broken down by gender and race and ethnicity on certain topics. Changing this survey to opt-in would mean every single student would have to get a form signed by their parent to be able to participate.
2020 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
The 2020 legislative session was largely eclipsed by the COVID-19 pandemic which brought many unique public health and economic policy challenges. Quarantine and social distancing protocols further slowed the pace of legislative business and disrupted consideration of many policy initiatives.
Establishing Reproductive Parity, By Including Abortion Access in Insurance Coverage (SB 486 / HB 685)
Area of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness; Reproductive Rights
We believe that women should have access to the full range of reproductive choices and related health coverage when faced with an unintended pregnancy and we support public policies which prohibit discrimination against coverage for any specific pregnancy option. While all private insurance plans in New Hampshire offer maternity coverage, some currently exclude payment for elective abortion. Most women are not informed of this at the time of enrollment or have no option based on their employer’s choice of plan. HB 685 would address this inequity.
Status: This bill had very little opposition, however, Governor Sununu vetoed it in early August and there was insufficient support for an override. In doing so he has given a green light to the current discriminatory practices of employers and insurers and, as a result, New Hampshire women will continue to be denied access to abortion coverage.
Establishing a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program (HB 712)
Area of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security
Women are disproportionately providing family caregiving and more likely to be employed in circumstances without paid medical leave or sick days when faced with unexpected health care needs. Enacting a paid leave program is a critical priority in support of working women and working parents to allow them to take time away from work to care for themselves or a family member. The recent circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new demands upon parents of young or school-aged children have only amplified the importance of having a financial support program for family and medical leave.
Status: We were deeply disappointed in Governor Sununu’s swift veto and his failure to recognize the importance of paid family and medical leave to NH women and families.
Requiring Wage Transparency to Help Promote Equal Pay, Expose Disparity (HB1144)
Area of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security
In 2014 NHWF played a central role in enacting a pay equity law which prohibits paying employees in the same or substantially similar positions different wages based on their sex. What we have learned in the years since is that most women are unable to obtain the comparative wage data for their male counterparts in order to know whether the law is being followed or to develop a potential grievance. In 2019, women were still only making 79 cents on the dollar in New Hampshire. HB 1144 would build on a federal regulation that larger employers submit comparative wage data to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by requiring that same data to also be reported to the NH Department of Labor and thus available for public review.
Status: This bill received support in the House but was never taken up by the Senate. The issue remains ripe for re-introduction after more research.
Protecting Transgender Athletes in Public Schools (HB 1251 and SB 480)
Area of Focus: Supporting Women and Children at Risk
We have been deeply engaged in recent years in legislative efforts to expand our anti-discrimination laws to protect gender identity and expression. This work reflects our larger commitment to advance and unite the interests of both cisgender and transgender women and girls. The adoption of trans-inclusive protections in New Hampshire’s civil rights laws in 2018 and 2019 led to backlash by some legislators in 2020 targeting trans women and girls and specifically their participation in school sports. This session we actively opposed two separate bills that would prohibit transgender women and girls from participation in school and university sports activities consistent with their gender identity.
Status: We were pleased to see HB 1251 defeated in the NH House and SB 480 recommended for defeat by the Senate Education Committee, though no final action was taken by the full Senate.
Read Our Testimony Opposing HB 1251 here and Opposing SB 480 here
Establishing Protections for Breastfeeding in the Workplace (SB 618)
Area(s) of Focus: Advocating for Economic Security and Fostering Work/Life Balance
SB 618 would have required NH employers to provide accommodation for women who return to work after the birth of child while still breastfeeding in the form of regular breaks and a private hygienic space for expressing milk during the course of the work day. Leadership for this bill comes from the NH Breastfeeding Task Force.
Status: This bill enjoyed bipartisan support when introduced but then was delayed when the fiscal impact was not clearly addressed. It will likely return for more attention in 2021.
2019 LEGISLATIVE WATCH LIST
Area(s) of Focus: Advocating Economic Security and Fostering Work Life Balance
These are companion bills that would establish a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for New Hampshire workers. Currently women in New Hampshire bear a disproportionate share of family caregiving responsibilities and are less likely to have employment benefits that include paid leave to take time off due to illness, to care for a newborn, or to assist with a sick child or aging parent. A family and medical leave insurance program is a smart investment in our workforce and our economy.
Read our testimony in support of these programs – January 29, 2019
Update, May 2019: While this legislation successfully passed both chambers of the NH Legislature and enjoys broad public support it was vetoed by Governor Sununu earlier this month. The bill lacks sufficient margin of legislative support to override this veto making it difficult to see a positive outcome for a paid family and medical leave program until after the 2020 elections. We are proud of the strong coalition efforts and deeply disappointed in Governor Sununu’s position and approach to the issue.
For more information contact Family Friendly Economy.
Area(s) of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness and Reproductive Rights
SB 279 would provide insurance coverage for fertility care to optimize safe pregnancies and healthy infants. Fertility services, such as In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and fertility preservation are NOT currently included in most insurance plans in New Hampshire. We believe that women and families should have access to the full range of health services – reproductive care, fertility care and maternity care – on the path to parenthood.
Update, May 2019: This legislation passed the NH Senate on a Voice Vote with bipartisan support back in March. After a public hearing before the House Commerce Committee in late April, and several subsequent work sessions, amendments were introduced which limited the scope of the bill in some areas, but left the primary provisions intact. The House Commerce Committee voted 12 – 8 to pass the bill on to the full House for a vote in early June. While we are excited by the prospects for success, we are disheartened that the bill has taken a partisan turn. We hope to secure bipartisan support in the full House vote and then help persuade Governor Sununu to sign the bill into law.
For more information contact Resolve New England
Areas of Focus: Championing Health and Wellness and Supporting Women and Children at Risk
This legislation would require feminine hygiene products to be provided in girls’ restrooms in middle and high schools in New Hampshire. The considerable issue of period poverty impacts the health and hygiene of teenage girls whose families struggle with the cost of sanitary products and can result in missed school days each month.
Read our testimony in support of Senate Bill 142 – April 3, 2019
Update, May 2019: This bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support and we are currently working on a strategy to ensure support from the Governor.
For more information contact NH Women’s Foundation
Area of Focus: Promoting Women and Girls in Leadership
This legislation would allow a new category of expense for candidates for elected office by permitting campaign funds raised to be used for child care expenses incurred for campaign-related activity. This change would impact favorably candidates with young children and help support opportunities for women and greater diversity in civic involvement by recognizing child care as a legitimate campaign expense.
Read our testimony on House Bill 651 – April 24, 2019
Update, May 2019: This legislation enjoyed strong and overwhelming support in the House and passed unanimously on the House Calendar in March. After an objection to the bill by NH Secretary of State Bill Gardner before the Senate Election Law Committee, there was opposition from some Senate Republicans. The fate of the bill is now before the full Senate and up for a vote in late May.
Learn more about recent efforts to elect more women to public office in our recent Gender Matters Issue : Women and the 2018 General Election
2018 LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP
The newly-enacted updates to New Hampshire’s contraceptive equity law ensure women can access prescription birth control without any cost-sharing (such as co-pays and deductibles) and guarantee insurance coverage for 12-month prescriptions.
Read our testimony in support of this bill – February 20, 2018.
Read our testimony in support of this bill – April 11. 2018.
For more information contact Planned Parenthood.
New Hampshire’s Law Against Discrimination now prohibits discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment, and public accommodations.
Read our testimony in support of this bill.
For more information contact Freedom New Hampshire
Legislation to establish a paid family and medical leave program for New Hampshire workers died on the Senate floor. We continue to believe that paid family and medical leave is a lifeline for women, children, and families and will continue to work to see it passed.
Read our testimony in support of this bill – January 18, 2018.
Read our testimony in support of this bill – April 5, 2018.
For more information contact Family Friendly Economy
HB1287, to which we were opposed, did not pass. Instead, a package of three bills addressing New Hampshire’s child marriage laws was passed. Under the previous marriage laws, girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 14 could get married with permission from their parents and a court order. The newly-enacted laws set a minimum age of 16 for all people seeking to marry, regardless of gender and with no exceptions. In addition, 16- and 17-year-olds will have to convince a judge that marriage is in their “best interest” before obtaining the necessary court order – a meaningful judicial process that puts kids first.
Read our testimony in opposition to this bill.
Learn more in our Gender Matters NH Marriage issue.
For more information contact us at NH Women’s Foundation.