| State Budget & Related Issues |
| Bill No. |
Sponsor |
Description |
Notes |
Children's Lobby Position |
Status |
| HB 1 HB 2 |
|
state operating budget |
state operating budget; final budget restores some cuts proposed by Governor. Others remain: notably $8M cut in ct ordered svs; inadequate funding for TANF; likely require waiting list for child care scholarships despite increase in general funds |
|
signed |
| HB 287 |
Burridge |
allowing convenience and grocery stores to sell liquor other than beer & wine so long as the store does not sell tobacco products |
Expanding liquor sales to grocery and drug stores would likely lead to increased alcohol abuse by teenagers. |
oppose |
ITL/killed |
| HB 166 |
Osborne |
Increasing the beer tax |
Increased beer taxes will decrease teen drinking. |
support |
ITL/killed |
|
Juvenile Justice
CHINS
|
| HB 523 |
Welch |
Requiring DNA testing of all persons convicted of a felony |
Many advocates, including the NH Children’s Lobby, are concerned about building a DNA data base that will stay with juvenile’s (who commit minor offenses) for his or her lifetime. |
|
Retained |
| HB 154 |
Stiles |
relative to truancy |
This bill makes minor changes to the truancy statute. |
no position |
Rereferred |
| HB 111 |
Jennifer Brown |
exempting tier I offenders from inclusion in the department of safety's public list of registered offenders |
The NH Children’s Lobby will work to ensure that child victims are protected, community safety is maintained and child offenders are provided a fair opportunity at rehabilitation. |
no position |
Retained |
| HB 332 |
Shaw |
Commission to study school discipline |
This grows out of a concern that some schools may be misusing school suspensions and expulsions, resulting in vulnerable children losing even a tenuous connection with school. A representative from CFS would serve on the commission. |
support |
Passed House & Senate |
| SB 161 |
D'Allesandro |
Relative to parental responsibility for school attendance |
requires on parents and legal guardians to assist schools in enforcing compulsory school attendance provisions; essentially mirrors existing law |
no position |
ITL/killed |
| Divorce - Custody Support |
| HB 38 |
Burridge |
Relative to the minimum amount of child support ordered by the court |
Increasing the minimum amount of child support ordered from $50/month to $150/month. A report commissioned by the NH Dept. of Health and Human Services was released in March. The Children's Lobby will work with other advocates to implement some of its recommendations. Full report is available http://www.dhhs.nh.gov |
no position |
ITL/killed |
| HB 195 |
Wells |
relative to relocation of a residence of a child |
Creates an exemption from the requirement that the court hold a hearing on the proposed relocation of the principal residence of a child if the move is less than 100 miles from the child’s current residence. |
no position |
ITL/killed |
| HB 207 |
Bickford |
allows parent to ask for modification of parental rights & responsibilities every 3 years |
This invites parents unhappy with the outcome of the original court order to relitigate every three years to the detriment of the children. |
oppose |
ITL/killed |
| HB 79 |
Bickford |
Relative to use of child support guideline worksheet (requiring court to show its own worksheet to the parties?) |
The NH Children’s Lobby believes that all parties should have the right to review any worksheets used to derive child support payments. |
support |
Passed House & Senate |
| HB 139 |
Bickford |
Requiring the court to promote comparable parenting in a divorce or include written explanation of why comparable parental rights and responsibilities were not ordered |
In 90% of divorces, parents agree on the division of parental rights and responsibilities. In those few cases where this does not happen, the NH Children’s Lobby believes that a child’s best interest should govern the court’s determination. |
oppose |
Retained |
| HB 504 |
Wendelboe |
termination of guardianship of a minor |
termination of guardianship of a minor; as amended, guardianship shall terminate if conditions that led to guardianship are no longer present; court may create new supplemental guardianship as necessary |
support w. amendment |
ITL/killed |
| HB 173 |
Bickford |
Removes reference to the possibility of awarding parental rights and responsibilities to a step-parent or grandparent as part of a divorce |
This may be constitutionally required. Removing custody from a parent should be done through the guardianship process which has protections for all parties. |
support |
ITL/killed |
| HB 209 |
Bickford |
Requires courts to hold expedited hearings on enforcement of parenting plans; allows DCYF to launch child protection investigation based on failure to comply with parenting plan |
The NH Children’s Lobby supports consideration of innovative ways of assuring that parenting plans are followed, but involving DCYF is not helpful to children in these cases. |
oppose as introduced; acceptable amendment may be possible |
ITL/killed |
|
Health & Mental Health
|
| HB 274 |
Hess |
Requiring parental notification before abortions may be performed on unemancipated minors |
Note: several other abortion bills also introduced; CFS generally supports current law. |
oppose |
ITL/killed |
| HB 588 |
Robertson |
Lowering the legal drinking age |
There is little chance this will pass. |
oppose |
ITL/killed |
| HB 171 |
Rosenwald |
Establishing commission to explore mental health courts |
Mental health courts have shown some promise, but the real outcomes have been hard to assess. |
support |
Passed House & Senate |
| HB 410 |
Harding |
relative to alcohol and drug abuse treatment |
Deals with scope of practice of LADAC's and Mental Health Practioners relative to co-occuring disorders |
no position |
Retained |
| SB 114 |
DeVries |
lowers threshold for notifying owner of property of presence of lead levels in child’s blood. Also est. window replacement program when moneys available for such program. |
This is a product of the Task Force on Lead Poisoning and an important step forward in the fight against lead poisoning. |
no position |
Passed House & Senate |
|
Family Support
Youth Development
|
| HB 661 |
Gile |
relative to family leave insurance |
While a worthy goal, this is unlikely to get much support in this economy. |
no position |
retained |
| Low Income |
| HB 479 |
Wendelboe |
lowering Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) maximum time |
TANF is a basic safety net program for poor children and families; restricting it would hurt those children and shift the burden to local property tax payers. |
oppose |
ITL/killed |
| HB 658 |
Donovan |
relative to housing assistance for recipients of TANF |
Although the bill only authorizes, not requires, a housing subsidy, some legislators objected to creating an unfunded program. |
support |
Rereferred |
| Child Protection Foster Care Adoption |
| HB 474 |
Harvey |
Prohibiting the trafficking in persons for the purposes of sexual or labor exploitation |
A representative from Child and Family Services served on the task force that created the bill which will establish criminal penalties for human trafficking. |
support |
signed |
| HB 250 |
Schulze |
access to information in the abuse and neglect of adults registry and relative to persons providing child care or child placing services who are charged with a crime |
As amended, expands the background check for certain child care providers to include a search of both the child abuse and neglect registry adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation registry |
no position |
Tabled in Senate |
| HB 165 |
Elliott |
Permits a licensed foster family home with six children to take an additional child or to take a sibling or group of siblings of a child already in their care |
The NH Children’s Lobby opposes increasing the number of children in foster homes because of the importance of individualized attention for children removed from their parents. Provisions already exist for keeping siblings together. |
oppose |
ITL/killed |
