Committee Summary for House Executive Departments and Administration (03/25/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
Unclear 00:02:28.840 - 9:02:44 AM	General Working Session	Unclear
Unclear 00:06:10.800 - 9:06:26 AM	General Working Session	Unclear
HB493 00:15:16.800 - 9:15:32 AM	Public Hearing	requiring education on child abuse and neglect for certain healthcare providers as a condition for licensure.	Grossman, Gaby(D)[CT]2024
HB493 1321H 00:27:03.399 - 9:27:19 AM	Public Hearing	requiring education on child abuse and neglect for certain healthcare providers as a condition for licensure.	Grossman, Gaby(D)[CT]2024
HB538 01:00:14.160 - 10:00:30 AM	Public Hearing	reallocating positions in the liquor commission.	Hunt, John(R)[B+]2024
HB493 1321H 01:02:02.279 - 10:02:18 AM	Executive Session	requiring education on child abuse and neglect for certain healthcare providers as a condition for licensure.	Grossman, Gaby(D)[CT]2024
HB538 01:14:57.280 - 10:15:13 AM	Public Hearing	reallocating positions in the liquor commission.	Hunt, John(R)[B+]2024
HB493 1321H 01:14:15.520 - 10:14:31 AM	Executive Session	requiring education on child abuse and neglect for certain healthcare providers as a condition for licensure.	Grossman, Gaby(D)[CT]2024

Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:02:28.840 - 9:02:44 AM; The speaker welcomed everyone to the session and discussed the schedule for the upcoming two days. They mentioned that committee reports have been sent out and speakers are expected to present unless the bills are on consent and remain unpulled. They also noted that committee members who wrote reports with an ought to pass recommendation are expected to follow up in the Senate, specifically mentioning Senate Edna's meeting the next morning.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:04:02.360 - 9:04:18 AM; The speaker continued discussing the schedule, indicating their personal involvement with the first few bills in Senate Edna and their role as a sponsor and committee report writer. They mentioned planning to schedule Senate bills in the afternoon on Wednesday to accommodate Senate Edna's morning meetings and reduce travel for committee members involved in writing reports.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:04:50.800 - 9:05:06 AM; The speaker concluded the scheduling discussion by stating that changes in speech responsibilities should be communicated, and they do not anticipate issues with bills being pulled from consent. They then announced the opening of a public hearing on House Bill 494 and called Representative Greg to introduce House Bill 493, noting that the original sponsor, Representative Gabby German, is on leave due to her son's hospitalization.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:06:10.800 - 9:06:26 AM; The speaker highlighted a gap in training among medical providers who commonly see children in abusive situations. They noted that while optional training exists, it is not being utilized, suggesting a need for mandatory training. The speaker emphasized the importance of understanding both what constitutes abuse and what does not, to prevent misjudgments. They mentioned that an amendment was recently added to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the training requirement, which was initially missed in the legislation.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:08:09.759 - 9:08:25 AM; The speaker responded to a question about whether the training applies to all physicians, including gerontologists. They confirmed that the training would apply to all physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and physician assistants, emphasizing the necessity due to the potential for any physician to encounter signs of child abuse, even indirectly through treating a parent.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:08:45.200 - 9:09:01 AM; The speaker addressed a question regarding the inclusion of psychologists and psychiatrists in the training requirement. They clarified that psychiatrists, being physicians, would be covered, but psychologists would not as they fall under a different licensing category. They also mentioned that other mental health counselors are under yet another category.
Unclear: Nicholas Fry, OPLC General Counsel Information Only00:10:11.120 - 9:10:27 AM; Nicholas Fry discussed concerns about the operationalization of targeting specific segments of physicians for the training, noting that physicians can change their area of practice. He pointed out that the current language might imply the training as a condition for initial licensure, not just continuing education, and that it might need to be repeated every two years. He also highlighted discrepancies in how the training hours are categorized between medical and nursing boards, and clarified the coverage of psychiatrists and psychologists under the proposed legislation.
Unclear: Unidentified Speaker Information Only00:13:10.480 - 9:13:26 AM; The speaker discussed amendments related to the training requirements, specifically addressing the categorization of medical and nursing hours and the inclusion of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. They confirmed that the amendments address these issues and mentioned a new section for continuing medical education requirements for physician assistants, which might require further review.
HB493: Gwendel Gladstone, Exeter Support00:15:16.800 - 9:15:32 AM; Gwendel Gladstone, a retired child abuse pediatrician from Exeter, provided background on the bill. Throughout her career, she treated thousands of children with concerns for abuse and neglect, noting repeated instances where children returned with severe injuries due to unrecognized early signs of abuse by healthcare providers. She emphasized that the problem is widespread and not limited to New Hampshire. Gladstone advocated for mandated education for healthcare providers, explaining that voluntary programs have had poor uptake. She argued that all physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants should be trained, as New Hampshire law mandates reporting of abuse and neglect by anyone. She highlighted that child abuse and neglect are linked to lifelong health issues, justifying the need for mandatory education. Gladstone concluded by supporting the bill and suggesting that the education should be a condition for licensure, available online and free.
HB493: Ben Bradley, representing state's hospitals Oppose00:23:57.240 - 9:24:13 AM; Ben Bradley, representing New Hampshire's acute care and specialty hospitals, acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the bill's proponents and the office of child advocate. He emphasized that hospitals and providers take their obligation to report child abuse and neglect seriously, as required by New Hampshire law. Bradley noted that healthcare providers are well-positioned to identify abused or neglected children and support existing educational programs. However, he argued against the proposed education requirements in HB493, stating that healthcare professionals already have a duty to report as part of their professional obligations, which include reporting elder abuse, dog bites, and communicable diseases. He pointed out that singling out child abuse education creates inconsistencies and that historically, similar legislative mandates, such as for opioid prescribing, have been repealed and left to the Board of Medicine. Therefore, the hospital association cannot support HB493.
HB493 1321H: Cassandra Sanchez, State of New Hampshire Child Advocate Support00:27:03.399 - 9:27:19 AM; Cassandra Sanchez, the Child Advocate for New Hampshire, expressed strong support for HB493 and its amendment 1321H. She highlighted the critical issue of child abuse and neglect, sharing that between February and June 2023, her office was alerted to nine non-ambulatory infants with severe injuries, including skull fractures. Sanchez pointed out the lack of early identification and the subsequent legal challenges due to conflicting medical testimonies. She emphasized the necessity of training for all doctors to better identify signs of abuse and the importance of having a unified medical opinion in court. She also mentioned the availability of free online training through Dartmouth since August 2024, which has been underutilized. Sanchez stressed the need for this training to be a part of continuing medical education to keep up with evolving science and legal standards.
HB493 1321H: Reia Oral, Director of Child Advocacy and Protection Program at Dartmouth Support00:36:16.359 - 9:36:32 AM; Reia Oral, from Dartmouth's Child Advocacy and Protection Program, supported HB493. She detailed her experience in New Hampshire and Iowa, noting a significant issue where many healthcare providers fail to recognize signs of child abuse and neglect until it is too late. Oral mentioned the development of various training resources, ranging from in-person to online courses, all accredited for continuing education. She specifically mentioned a two-hour online self-paced training course aimed at addressing this gap in knowledge and action among medical professionals.
HB493 1321H: Unknown Speaker 1 Support00:38:36.960 - 9:38:52 AM; The speaker discussed the efforts to promote a continuing medical education (CME) course on child abuse and neglect, which was taken by less than 60 people on a volunteer basis despite extensive marketing efforts. They also mentioned working with the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) to create rules that would connect this training with licensing requirements for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners. However, the Boards of Medicine and Nursing were unable to create these rules, leading to the need for legislative action to ensure that healthcare providers can obtain necessary CME and continuing nursing education (CNE) credits without additional burden.
HB493 1321H: Unknown Speaker 2 Support00:40:10.119 - 9:40:26 AM; The speaker emphasized the necessity of the proposed training to be part of the mandatory licensing requirements for healthcare providers in New Hampshire. They highlighted the issue of missed cases of child abuse and neglect due to lack of recognition by healthcare providers, which can lead to severe consequences for children. They stressed that the current hospital-based training is inadequate, consisting of only a brief reminder about mandatory reporting, and does not provide sufficient education on recognizing signs of abuse and neglect.
HB493 1321H: Unknown Speaker 3 Support00:42:24.040 - 9:42:40 AM; The speaker responded to a question about the reluctance of the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing to create rules for the training. They suggested that the boards were concerned about the potential backlash from healthcare providers regarding the additional burden of the training. The speaker also argued that those who oppose the training are the ones who most need it and emphasized the importance of all healthcare providers, especially in rural areas, being trained to recognize child abuse and neglect.
HB493 1321H: Representative Bailey Information Only00:44:39.280 - 9:44:55 AM; Representative Bailey clarified that the training duration mentioned in the bill is set to start at one hour, with the possibility of increasing to two hours based on need. This was in response to a question about a discrepancy between mentioned training times.
HB493 1321H: Representative Schmieder Information Only00:45:27.599 - 9:45:43 AM; Representative Schmieder, not a member of the policy committee but a long-time house member, discussed his past attendance at ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) courses offered to the legislature. He inquired about the current situation regarding ACEs in New Hampshire. The response highlighted the severity of the issue, noting that a significant portion of the adult population has experienced at least one ACE, with a smaller but notable percentage experiencing four or more, leading to various negative outcomes in adulthood.
HB493 1321H: Resmiye Oral Information Only00:47:14.480 - 9:47:30 AM; Resmiye Oral provided her name and briefly touched on the issue of child abuse in situations where one parent may be unaware of the abuse by the other parent. She confirmed that such situations are common in New Hampshire.
HB493 1321H: Teresa Rosenberger, New Hampshire Naturopathic Doctors Support00:50:04.240 - 9:50:20 AM; Teresa Rosenberger, representing the New Hampshire Naturopathic Doctors, supported the bill and requested that naturopathic doctors be included in the amendment. She noted that naturopathic doctors have been licensed in the state since the mid-90s and practice both primary care and alternative treatments.
HB538: Representative C from Bristol Information Only01:00:14.160 - 10:00:30 AM; Representative C from Bristol introduced House Bill 538, which involves reallocating positions within The Liquor Commission. They mentioned that the bill proposes adding new positions, changing existing ones, and removing others. Due to the absence of additional testifiers, the hearing was recessed pending further discussion or the arrival of more speakers.
HB493 1321H: Representative BR Information Only01:02:02.279 - 10:02:18 AM; Representative BR commented on the similarity of the amendments and expressed a preference for adopting the committee amendment for simplicity. They raised concerns about the condition for licensure, particularly the requirement for new licensees to complete child abuse training, suggesting that it should be clearer in the licensing requirements and continuing education.
HB493 1321H: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:04:34.680 - 10:04:50 AM; The speaker expressed concerns about the potential for over-capture in medical judgments related to child abuse, highlighting the issue of differing medical viewpoints and the implications of deferring to specialists in child abuse cases. They suggested that this could lead to biased judgments in court.
HB493 1321H: Former Medical Device Analyst Information Only01:05:24.079 - 10:05:40 AM; The former medical device analyst shared their experience with the Oculus stenotic reflex, where medical professionals might see and treat blockages based on their specialization. They expressed concern about pushing all medical judgments under one set of providers, especially given the complexities of family court operations.
HB493 1321H: Representative Sellers Information Only01:06:24.640 - 10:06:40 AM; Representative Sellers questioned the necessity of legislating training requirements when the board of doctors does not see a need for it. They emphasized that the board should regulate the profession, not the legislature.
HB493 1321H: Representative Pearson Information Only01:07:40.319 - 10:07:56 AM; Representative Pearson agreed with Representative Sellers, stressing the importance of boards regulating their professions. They highlighted the challenge of the legislature interfering without clear evidence of failure by the board, and expressed uncertainty about whether the necessary threshold for such interference had been met.
HB493 1321H: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:08:51.880 - 10:09:07 AM; The speaker pointed out the significant amount of continuing medical education required by the Board of Medicine and suggested that the board could mandate specific courses like child abuse training. They also noted that the board's current requirements are available online and should be considered in the context of the proposed legislation.
HB493 1321H: Representative Lamb Information Only01:09:44.679 - 10:10:00 AM; Representative Lamb noted that the advocates for the training were the ones who developed it, suggesting a potential bias. They mentioned the low uptake of the training initially but saw it as a starting point rather than a failure. They argued against legislating medical practice and favored allowing the boards to handle it.
HB493 1321H: Representative Vera Information Only01:10:41.679 - 10:10:57 AM; Representative Vera expressed caution about legislating without input from the board and mentioned the absence of board members at the hearing. They suggested contacting the board for their perspective and noted the committee's history of directing boards. They would vote in support of the amendment but preferred to hear from the board first.
HB493 1321H: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:11:56.600 - 10:12:12 AM; The speaker mentioned Ben Bradley's opposition to the bill and the hospital association's preference for the Board of Medicine to decide on continuing education requirements. They also discussed the widespread nature of abuse and neglect, questioning the scale and the board's expertise in handling such issues.
HB493 1321H: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:13:07.360 - 10:13:23 AM; The speaker raised questions about the focus of the bill on physical harm versus capturing more adverse childhood events. They suggested that not all traumatic events are abuse and questioned the necessity of involving DCYF in all cases of adverse childhood events.
HB493 1321H: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:14:15.520 - 10:14:31 AM; The speaker clarified that not all traumatic events, such as a car accident resulting in a parent's death, constitute abuse. They emphasized the distinction between traumatic events and deliberate abuse, suggesting that the bill should focus on the latter.
HB538: Mark Armaganian, Chief of Enforcement and Director, Liquor Commission Information Only01:14:57.280 - 10:15:13 AM; Mark Armaganian testified about House Bill 538, which involves restructuring within the Liquor Commission. He mentioned that the proposed changes stem from an LBA audit requesting the transformation of the current CFO position into a Director of Finance position. He confirmed that funding for this new position is already included in the current budget, and it would involve moving 21 positions under this new role. Armaganian noted that this request aligns with the launch of their new NextGen computer software platform. He apologized for the limited information he could provide due to a scheduling conflict that prevented the commissioner from attending.
HB538: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:18:27.880 - 10:18:43 AM; An unidentified speaker asked questions about the restructuring detailed in House Bill 538, specifically regarding the deletion of the Chief Operating Officer and Commissioner positions and the addition of a Director of Finance and Audit, and a Director of Administration. They expressed concern about the lack of information and the absence of bill sponsors or representatives from the Commerce committee who passed it. The discussion clarified that the changes might involve moving positions rather than creating new ones, and there was uncertainty about the status of the Commissioner position, suggesting it might be a vacant holdover from a previous structure.
HB493 1321H: Unidentified Speaker Information Only01:14:15.520 - 10:14:31 AM; The speaker concluded their testimony on House Bill 493 with amendment 1321H, related to healthcare, but the content of their testimony was not captured in this snippet.

McGuire, Carol(Chairman)(R)[A+]2024	Sytek, John(Clerk)(R)[B]2024	Layon, Erica(V Chairman)(R)[A]2024
Schmidt, Peter(D)[CT]2024	Thibault, James(R)	Howard, Heath(D)[F]2024
Sellers, John(R)[A-]2024	Sheehan, Vanessa(R)[A]2024	de Vries, Erica(D)
Dargie, Paul(D)	Davis, Fred(D)[F]2024	Bailey, Glenn(R)[A+]2024
Pearson, Stephen(R)[B]2024	Grote, Jaci(D)[CT]2024	Long, Patrick(D)
Slottje, Jeremy(R)