Committee Summary for Senate Education (03/18/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB996 00:04:06.239 - 8:01:32 AM	Executive Session	relative to mandatory Disclosure by school districts employees to parents	Likely Text to Speech Error on Bill #
SB210 00:08:35.679 - 8:06:01 AM	Executive Session	establishing a study committee to study the issue of school bullying.	Fenton, Donovan(D)[F]2024
SB211 00:11:27.279 - 8:08:53 AM	Executive Session	relative to biological sex in student athletics.	Avard, Kevin(R)[C+]2024
HB76 01:33:35.520 - 9:31:01 AM	Public Hearing	relative to tracking special education complaints.	Kuttab, Katelyn(R)[A-]2024
HB208 01:56:15.119 - 9:53:41 AM	Public Hearing	relative to certification requirements for school nurses.	Edwards, Jess(R)[B+]2024

SB996: Senator Al Chill Information Only00:04:06.239 - 8:01:32 AM; Senator Al Chill mentioned that Senator Apprentice would not be attending the session. He also noted the overwhelming opposition to the bill, with 121 people signing in opposition and only 138 in support. Eight people testified in person against the bill, with only one person supporting it. The senator highlighted the potential harm of the bill to LGBTQ students, emphasizing the lack of specificity in what school staff are required to disclose to parents, which could include conversations, observations, rumors, or other information about students.
SB996: Unnamed Senator Information Only00:05:19.919 - 8:02:45 AM; An unnamed senator moved to pass Senate Bill 996 and received a second. The senator discussed the bill's implications, noting the lack of interest from even its sponsors and the potential harm it could cause to students by mandating vague disclosures from school staff to parents.
SB996: Unnamed Senator Vote00:05:19.919 - 8:02:45 AM; The senator voted 'nay' on the motion regarding SB996, indicating a vote against the motion.
SB210: Unnamed Senator Information Only00:08:35.679 - 8:06:01 AM; The senator mentioned a previous study committee on bullying initiated by former representative Donna Schockman around 2008 or 2009. They emphasized the ongoing issue of bullying and the need for a new study committee to address current challenges, including the impact of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, which were not prevalent during the earlier study.
SB210: Unnamed Senator Vote00:09:51.079 - 8:07:17 AM; The senator moved to pass SB210 and received a second. The vote was unanimous in favor, with a 3-0 decision to pass the bill.
SB211: Unnamed Senator Oppose00:11:27.279 - 8:08:53 AM; The senator opposed SB211, citing significant public opposition with 834 people against and only 27 in support. They referenced testimony from Pasha Roberts, who explained how the bill would not accommodate his biological experience, arguing that the legislation seeks to discriminate against a very small group of people. The senator warned against setting a precedent for further discrimination and emphasized the importance of recognizing everyone's humanity.
SB211: Senator Al Schiller Support00:13:04.279 - 8:10:30 AM; Senator Al Schiller supported SB211, arguing that allowing biological males in women's sports disadvantages female athletes due to physical differences. They mentioned concerns about Title IX violations and instances where women were injured in sports involving transgender women, advocating for the bill to protect women's sports.
SB211: Senator Birell Oppose00:14:26.680 - 8:11:52 AM; Senator Birell opposed SB211, noting that the issues raised by Senator Schiller were not reflected in the hearing report. They pointed out that only five transgender children are affected and that the bill is already under legal challenge. They argued that transgender women and girls should be recognized as such and that the bill promotes hatred, which was contested by another senator.
SB211: Unnamed Senator Vote00:18:12.200 - 8:15:38 AM; The senator called for a vote on SB211, which resulted in a 2-1 decision in favor of keeping biological males out of women's sports.
SB211: Unnamed Senator Information Only00:18:12.200 - 8:15:38 AM; The unnamed senator was finishing speaking about the ongoing discussion related to bill SB211.
HB76: Representative Caitlyn Cab Support01:33:35.520 - 9:31:01 AM; Representative Caitlyn Cab introduced House Bill 76, which aims to establish a tracking system for special education complaints. The system would provide summaries of complaints on a website, with redactions to protect privacy in accordance with state and federal laws. The bill seeks more transparency to identify patterns and areas of concern in different school districts, particularly regarding the involvement of law firms.
HB76: Senator Iller Information Only01:34:40.960 - 9:32:06 AM; Senator Iller asked about the formulation of summaries of allegations without compromising student privacy. Representative Cab explained that the level of redaction depends on the size of the school district and the visibility of the incident, emphasizing that the approach would be situational to comply with privacy laws.
HB76: Senator Iller Information Only01:36:57.880 - 9:34:23 AM; Senator Iller raised concerns about the privacy of students in small rural schools, questioning how parents could protect their child's privacy if they did not want the complaint information shared. Representative Cab responded that in such cases, even the name of the school district might need to be redacted to protect student identity, and she would be open to a friendly amendment to clarify this policy.
HB76: Senator Iller Information Only01:40:13.800 - 9:37:39 AM; Senator Iller further inquired about the frequency of updates required in the tracking system for special education complaints. Representative Cab clarified that the tracking system mentioned in the bill is internal and not public, and the frequency of updates would be left to the department's discretion based on their workload.
HB76: Senator Abus Information Only01:41:54.840 - 9:39:20 AM; Senator Abus suggested including the name of the legal counsel for both the school district and the family in the complaint summaries. Representative Cab agreed that this could be beneficial, although many parents represent themselves, and she would be open to including this information.
HB76: Chase Eagleson, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities Oppose01:43:21.560 - 9:40:47 AM; Chase Eagleson, representing the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, expressed concerns about HB76. He highlighted the issue of personal identifiable information (PII) in small school districts, where even complaints could lead to identifying students. He questioned the necessity of the bill, noting that the Department of Education already tracks complaints. Eagleson emphasized the potential for increased harassment of families of special education students due to budget constraints and the public nature of the complaints.
HB76: Diana Fenton, Department of Education Information Only01:45:55.040 - 9:43:21 AM; Diana Fenton, an attorney with the Department of Education, along with Caitlyn Gonat, the special education complaints coordinator, provided technical information regarding HB76. Fenton explained that the department already tracks complaints internally using an Excel spreadsheet. She noted that the bill would formalize this process but raised concerns about the requirement to summarize complaints, as the department currently posts redacted investigative findings on their website. She also discussed the 30-day timeframe for posting complaints, which might conflict with the 20-day window for requesting reconsideration. Fenton highlighted the issue of identifying students in small districts and the department's efforts to redact information to protect privacy.
HB208: Representative Edwards Support01:56:15.119 - 9:53:41 AM; Representative Edwards introduced HB208, which aims to simplify the certification requirements for school nurses. The bill proposes that school nurses only need to be registered by the Board of Nursing, rather than also being credentialed by the Board of Education. This change is intended to address the nursing shortage by reducing barriers to hiring.
HB208: Pam DeNapoli, New Hampshire School Nurses Association Oppose01:57:06.840 - 9:54:32 AM; Pam DeNapoli, a registered nurse and school nurse in the Manchester school district, spoke on behalf of the New Hampshire School Nurses Association against HB208. She provided a detailed history of school nurse certification in New Hampshire, emphasizing the importance of maintaining certification standards for the health, safety, and wellness of school-aged children. DeNapoli argued that the current certification process is necessary and not overly burdensome, and that the nursing shortage cited as a reason for the bill is not as severe as claimed, with only seven vacancies statewide. She highlighted the complexity of the school nurse role and the need for experienced, certified nurses to handle the increasing medical needs of students.
HB208: Pam DeNapoli, New Hampshire School Nurses Association Oppose01:57:06.840 - 9:54:32 AM; Pam DeNapoli expressed opposition to the bill, emphasizing the importance of maintaining certification standards for school nurses. She argued that lowering these standards, such as allowing nurses with only an associate degree to work in schools, does not address the core issues like the need for more school nurse substitutes and better salaries. She highlighted the complexity of the school nurse's role, which goes beyond basic medical care to include managing chronic conditions like diabetes and cystic fibrosis, as well as addressing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. DeNapoli stressed the importance of experienced nurses in schools to handle these multifaceted responsibilities effectively.
HB208: Lori Collins, Principal at Auburn Village School Information Only02:19:07.040 - 10:16:33 AM; Lori Collins, the principal at Auburn Village School, shared her experiences and challenges with hiring school nurses. She supported the concerns raised by Pam DeNapoli and discussed the difficulties in interpreting the current credentialing requirements. Collins provided examples of potential hires, such as an emergency room nurse and a retired doctor, who were not eligible under the existing rules due to a lack of pediatric experience. She suggested that the language in the bill needs clarification to facilitate hiring qualified nurses and stressed the importance of filling these critical positions in schools.
HB208: Sean Thomas, New Hampshire Nurses Association Information Only02:26:06.240 - 10:23:32 AM; Sean Thomas from the New Hampshire Nurses Association spoke to highlight concerns similar to those mentioned by Principal Collins. He noted that the amended version of the bill, as passed by the House, significantly deviates from the original intent of Representative Edwards. The amendment, which did not have a public hearing, introduces changes that move away from the original goals of increasing flexibility and easing the hiring process while maintaining quality of care. Thomas suggested that further work and time are needed on the bill and expressed the Nurses Association's willingness to collaborate on these issues.

Ward, Ruth(Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Sullivan, Victoria(V Chairman)(R)	Prentiss, Suzanne(D)[F]2024
Altschiller, Debra(D)[CT]2024	Abbas, Daryl(R)[C+]2024