Legislative Update

NH Nurse Practitioner Association
May 19, 2023

What happened this week at the NH State House
Yesterday was a very good day in the House. The Democrats only had 3 members absent – the Republicans were missing 8. Attendance matters! Medicaid expansion (SB 263) passed the House, after 4 hours and after over 35 floor amendments were debated and voted on. The final version adopted, by a vote of 193 to 166, has no sunset provision.

SB 263 will be worked on by House Finance over the next 2 weeks. Finance is the only
committee in the House where the Republicans have a majority (other House committees are 10-10) so we need to work on the Republican members. Also, Senate Finance will continue to work on the budget bills (HB’s 1 and 2) – HB 2 as amended by the House and sent to the Senate also has the SB 263 language, but with a 2-year sunset. Remember that the Senate passed SB 263 unanimously, with no sunset, earlier this year – so that is the Senate position. This will likely be a major issue or the major issue during the committee of conference on the budget in June.

Also in the House yesterday, the parental rights bill (SB 272) failed, 195 – 190. This is clearly one of, if not the, most contentious issues in 2023. It was Indefinitely Postponed, meaning it can’t be considered again in the House until 2025.

In the Senate yesterday, HB 655, consolidating administrative functions of the OPLC, was
passed with amendment: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=673&inflect=2 However, several other bills that address OPLC and licensing issues are still in play. Earlier this week, the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee held a lengthy work and executive session on HB 532 and HB 409, where changes to the makeup of the Board of Nursing were discussed. See sections 3 and 4 of this amendment to HB 409: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=542&inflect=2 Amendments to HB 532 that were adopted include a licensing exemption for some physicians licensed out of state to treat existing patients in New Hampshire. https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspxid=778&inflect=2

What is happening next week
There are no House or Senate floor sessions. On Monday the 22nd, Senate Finance will hear from DHHS on the budget at 1:00 pm. On Tuesday the 23rd, Senate Finance holds an executive session on the budget at 2 pm. On Thursday and Friday, Senate Finance will continue to work on the budget.

Submitted by:
Susan Paschell, Senior Associate
The Dupont Group

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