Committee of Conference Week
House and Senate negotiators meet to iron out their differences on the 49 remaining bills. They must reach unanimous agreement on a version to present to both bodies next week. The Speaker and Senate President may, but do not have to, replace recalcitrant members in order to strike a deal. Expect the most contentious items to be pushed later in the week, as agreements between House and Senate leaders may depend on reaching a consensus on unrelated legislation.
General Court Committee of Conference website
Monday, June 16
9:00 a.m. SB 221 – Annual Voter Checklist Verification – State House
This is the first of six election law bills to be debated Monday, with House Election Law Chairman Ross Berry and Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Chair James Gray as lead negotiators. Issues range from how often towns must update their voter checklist to absentee ballot procedures and the use of accessible voting systems.
10:00 a.m. HB 1, HB 2 – State Budget – Legislative Office Building
Negotiations continue as House and Senate budget writers work through differences in the 1,500-page document. This will take most of the week.
1:00 p.m. HB 377 – Puberty Blockers – Legislative Office Building
Both chambers agreed to stop the use of puberty blockers on children, which emerging research has shown to have little benefit and great harm. The issue is whether children who have already started a course of treatment should be allowed to continue, or immediately taken off the drugs.
2:00 p.m. SB 701 – Right to Try- State House
The House and Senate have both agreed on language expanding the right of terminally-ill patients to try experimental treatments, but the House version is much more expansive, potentially allowing patients to seek care from unlicensed providers in unlicensed facilities.
3:00 p.m. HB 712 – Minor Breast Surgeries – Legislative Office Building
Both chambers agreed to limit the use of controversial medical interventions for children. The Senate added provisions relating to residential care facilities and collection statistics on the number of abortions performed in New Hampshire.
3:30 p.m. SB 14 – Mandatory Minimums and Magic Mushrooms- State House
The libertarian House has traditionally been hostile to mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking and for sharing drugs with death resulting, but agreed to the law and order Senate’s position by adding a provision lowering penalties for possession and use of psilocybin (magic mushrooms). The Senate tabled a similar compromise earlier this month.
Tuesday, June 17
1:30 p.m. HB 60 – Termination of Leases – Legislative Office Building
The Senate agreed to the House bill allowing landlords to terminate a lease when the contract ends, but added a trigger that would delay the law until the state’s vacancy rate increases. Supporters argue that giving landlords the ability to change how they use their property without any excuses would encourage greater housing development. Opponents argue that it would result in more families losing their current housing. The Senate version also includes a provision that ending a lease will not count as an eviction on the tenant’s record.
Wednesday, June 18
1:00 p.m. HB 56 – Children’s Medical Records – Legislative Office Building
Expanding parental rights has been a common theme this year at the State House. This latest bill would expand the rights of parents to see their child’s medical records. The sticking points are abortion, birth control, and other medical treatments with privacy exceptions built into federal law.
Also, this is when negotiators will try to settle most of the outstanding debates, other than the state budget.
Thursday, June 19
4:00 p.m. Deadline for House and Senate conferees to sign off on Committee of Conference Reports. If all conferees have not signed off the agreement reached in conference, the bill dies.
