Committee Summary for Senate Executive Departments and Administration (01/22/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB56 00:04:06.439 - 8:33:08 AM	Public Hearing	relative to consolidating the New Hampshire health and education facilities authority within the business finance authority.	Innis, Daniel(R)[C+]2024
SB61 00:16:52.000 - 8:45:54 AM	Public Hearing	relative to prescriptions for state prisoners paid for by the department of corrections.	Gray, James(R)[C+]2024
SB61 00:20:49.320 - 8:49:51 AM	Executive Session	relative to prescriptions for state prisoners paid for by the department of corrections.	Gray, James(R)[C+]2024
SB68 00:31:30.399 - 9:00:32 AM	Public Hearing	adding a member to the governor's commission on disability.	Lang, Timothy(R)[C+]2024
SB68 00:35:49.599 - 9:04:51 AM	Executive Session	adding a member to the governor's commission on disability.	Lang, Timothy(R)[C+]2024

SB56: Grant Bossy, Deputy Chief of Staff of the New Hampshire Senate Support00:04:06.439 - 8:33:08 AM; Grant Bossy introduced Senate Bill 56 on behalf of Senator Dan Innis, explaining that the bill aims to consolidate the New Hampshire Health and Education Facilities Authority (HEA) with the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA). He detailed HEA's activities in the fiscal year 2024, including issuing bonds and notes and providing loans to various institutions. He highlighted that the consolidation would lower costs by combining the operations of HEA and BFA, and would not result in any cost to the state. He noted that both agencies support the change and mentioned the addition of members with specific expertise to the BFA board.
SB56: James Key Wallace, Executive Director of the BFA Support00:06:08.840 - 8:35:10 AM; James Key Wallace supported the consolidation proposed in Senate Bill 56, stating that both HEA and BFA have been discussing this move for some time. He emphasized that both entities are self-funded and do not use taxpayer money. He explained that the consolidation would reduce overhead costs and allow BFA to offer HEA's services to nonprofits at a lower or no cost. He mentioned that some technical amendments to the bill are forthcoming and requested to keep the hearing open for these changes.
SB56: Senator Al Chiller Information Only00:09:38.160 - 8:38:40 AM; Senator Al Chiller sought clarification on the employment implications of the proposed consolidation, confirming that no layoffs would occur and that it would be a merging of teams to create efficiencies.
SB61: James Gray, Senator from Senate District 6 Support00:16:52.000 - 8:45:54 AM; Senator James Gray introduced Senate Bill 61, explaining that the bill aims to address the cost of prescriptions for state prisoners. He noted that generic drugs are not always the cheapest option due to special coupons or promotional deals, and that allowing special buying privileges could make brand-name drugs cheaper. The bill was proposed at the request of the Department of Corrections.
SB61: Paul Manis, New Hampshire Department of Corrections Support00:18:25.400 - 8:47:27 AM; Paul Manis from the New Hampshire Department of Corrections testified in support of Senate Bill 61, but the transcript cuts off before the full testimony is provided.
SB61: Paula Mattis, New Hampshire Department of Corrections Support00:18:30.000 - 8:47:32 AM; Paula Mattis, Director of Medical and Forensic Services at the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, expressed support for SB61. She thanked Senator Gray for sponsoring the bill on their behalf and noted that they had distributed written testimony. She explained that the bill aims to remove restrictions on purchasing non-generic medications when they are less expensive, which would allow the Department to comply with the law while finding better pricing. She also mentioned that the bill addresses an antiquated part of the current statute related to electronic health records. Mattis emphasized the importance of the bill for cost savings and compliance with the law, and she was open to answering any questions from the committee.
SB61: Committee Support00:20:49.320 - 8:49:51 AM; In the executive session, the committee discussed and voted on SB61. They agreed that the bill makes sense and supports the Department's request to pursue cost savings without violating the law. The committee moved to pass the bill, with no opposition noted.
SB68: Senator Tim Lang, District 2 Lakes Region Support00:31:30.399 - 9:00:32 AM; Senator Tim Lang, representing District 2 Lakes Region, introduced SB68, which he described as a simple bill requested by the Department of Education. The bill aims to add a non-voting member to the Governor's Commission on Disability to represent the hearing impaired, similar to the existing representation for the visually impaired. He emphasized the importance of giving the hearing impaired community a seat at the table for discussions related to their issues.
SB68: Richard Salah, Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Support00:32:45.120 - 9:01:47 AM; Richard Salah, Director of Vocational Rehabilitation, testified in support of SB68. He explained that the bill would enhance representation for the deaf and hard of hearing community by adding the administrator of the program for the deaf and hard of hearing as an ex-officio member of the commission. He highlighted the unique needs of this population, which constitutes about 3% of New Hampshire's disabled population, and the importance of their inclusion in decision-making processes. Salah also discussed how the expertise of the program could improve policy outcomes and address barriers faced by the community, aligning with federal and state priorities. He noted that the commission already uses sign language interpreters and captioning to ensure effective communication.
SB68: Committee Support00:35:49.599 - 9:04:51 AM; In the executive session, the committee discussed and voted on SB68. They found the testimony compelling and agreed that adding a subject matter expert for the hearing impaired to the Governor's Commission on Disability would be beneficial. The committee moved to pass the bill, with no opposition noted.

Pearl, Howard (Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	McGough, Tim(V Chairman)(R)	Gannon, Bill(R)[C+]2024
Altschiller, Debra(D)[CT]2024	Reardon, Tara(D)