Committee Summary for Senate Health and Human Services (03/26/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB63 00:02:22.480 - 8:46:13 AM	Public Hearing	relative to the use of nasal spray to treat anaphylaxis.	Layon, Erica(R)[A]2024
HB72 00:17:35.960 - 9:01:26 AM	Public Hearing	extending the commission to study telehealth services.	Edwards, Jess(R)[B+]2024
HB73 00:31:50.000 - 9:15:41 AM	Public Hearing	relative to harm reduction, substance misuse, and the governor's commission on alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery.	Nagel, David(R)[B-]2024
HB126 01:00:42.880 - 9:44:33 AM	Public Hearing	relative to prescriptions for certain controlled drugs.	Popovici-Muller, Daniel(R)[A+]2024
HB370 01:12:48.040 - 9:56:39 AM	Public Hearing	reestablishing the commission to study the delivery of behavioral crisis services to individuals with mental illness with an impairment primarily due to intellectual disability.	Bernardy, JD(R)[A-]2024
HB370 01:16:24.679 - 10:00:15 AM	Executive Session	reestablishing the commission to study the delivery of behavioral crisis services to individuals with mental illness with an impairment primarily due to intellectual disability.	Bernardy, JD(R)[A-]2024
HB73 01:19:20.679 - 10:03:11 AM	Executive Session	relative to harm reduction, substance misuse, and the governor's commission on alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery.	Nagel, David(R)[B-]2024

HB63: Representative Erica Leon, Prime Sponsor Support00:02:22.480 - 8:46:13 AM; Representative Erica Leon introduced House Bill 63, which aims to update statutes to allow the use of a newly approved nasal spray form of epinephrine in the same settings as epinephrine auto-injectors, such as camps and schools. The bill includes a section to clarify that pharmacists can dispense epinephrine nasal spray to schools, addressing confusion from a previous bill. Leon emphasized the bill's simplicity and urgency for it to take effect before summer camp season, as the nasal spray performs better in hot environments. She also mentioned another related bill, HB66677, and requested consistency in language between the two bills. Leon expressed openness to a friendly amendment to generalize the language from specific delivery systems to 'epinephrine' to accommodate future innovations.
HB63: Jonathan Ballard, Chief Medical Officer, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Information Only00:06:15.280 - 8:50:06 AM; Jonathan Ballard provided information on the use of nasal spray epinephrine, noting its approval and coverage under Medicaid with a strict prior authorization process due to its high cost compared to auto-injectors. He highlighted its use for needle-phobic children in life-or-death anaphylactic situations. Ballard supported the idea of generalizing the language in the bill to 'epinephrine' to accommodate future delivery systems. He also discussed the potential for schools to use a child's prescribed medication in emergencies to save costs, though this is not currently standard practice.
HB72: Senator Kevin Avard, representing Representative Jess Edwards Support00:17:35.960 - 9:01:26 AM; Senator Avard introduced House Bill 72, which extends the commission to study telehealth services until June 30, 2026, and provides for its repeal on that date. He emphasized the importance of the commission's work and thanked the committee for their attention.
HB72: Holly Stevens, Director of Public Policy, NAMI New Hampshire Support00:18:26.520 - 9:02:17 AM; Holly Stevens testified in support of House Bill 72, highlighting the significance of telehealth services, particularly for mental health and substance use counseling. She noted that a significant portion of telehealth visits in New Hampshire are for behavioral health, especially in areas with provider shortages like the North Country and the western part of the state. Stevens emphasized the commission's findings on the value of telehealth for both mental and physical health services and supported the extension of the commission for further study and improvement.
HB72: Jonathan Ballard, Chief Medical Officer, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Support00:21:30.120 - 9:05:21 AM; Jonathan Ballard supported the extension of the telehealth commission, discussing the potential of telehealth to improve home health services and reduce costs. He mentioned innovative technologies and models like the hospital-to-home model, which could allow patients to receive hospital-level care at home. Ballard also highlighted the use of telehealth in correctional settings to improve healthcare delivery and reduce risks and costs. He stressed the need for New Hampshire to stay at the forefront of telehealth technology and supported the bill to continue the commission's work.
HB72: David Nagel, Physician and Representative, BAP District 6 Support00:27:12.919 - 9:11:03 AM; David Nagel spoke in favor of House Bill 72, emphasizing the positive impact of telehealth on his statewide practice. He noted that telehealth has significantly improved patient care, especially for those in remote areas. Nagel also mentioned concerns about potential changes in federal policy that could affect telehealth services and stressed the need for continued study and coordination to ensure the best care for patients.
HB73: David Nagel, Physician and Representative, BAP District 6 Support00:31:50.000 - 9:15:41 AM; David Nagel introduced House Bill 73, discussing his long involvement in pain care and addiction policy. He highlighted the importance of harm reduction in addressing addiction and the need for legislative oversight and common terminology to align with national standards for grant applications. Nagel explained the concept of harm reduction, its phases, and its application in preventing serious consequences of addiction. He also mentioned the bill's changes, including the definition of harm reduction and drug misuse, and the focus on balancing societal and individual harm.
HB73: Representative Jess Edwards, District 31, Rockingham Support00:41:48.280 - 9:25:39 AM; Representative Edwards supported House Bill 73, emphasizing the importance of balancing societal and individual harm. He noted that this balance is unique and crucial to prevent extreme policy positions seen in other states. Edwards highlighted the bill's significance, as evidenced by its inclusion in HB2, and thanked Senator Waters for his collaboration on the bill.
HB73: Senator David Waters, District 4 Support00:45:25.440 - 9:29:16 AM; Senator Waters spoke in favor of House Bill 73, detailing the changes made to the bill, including the inclusion of harm reduction in the governor's commission's strategic plan. He emphasized the importance of law enforcement involvement in syringe service programs and the need to put successful programs like the doorways program into statute. Waters also discussed the new definition of reduction of societal and individual harm and the clarifications on syringe service programs, stressing the balance between individual and societal harm.
HB73: Senator David Waters, District 4 Support00:49:36.680 - 9:33:27 AM; Senator Waters expressed support for the bill, mentioning his involvement with it a couple of years ago and his hope for its advancement. He discussed the establishment of substance use disorder access points by HHS, funded by the opioid and governor's commissions and federal sources. He emphasized the need for these programs to consult with local officials, which was previously missing but is now required. He also mentioned a meeting with the Mayor of Manchester, who supports the bill and has been appointed to the Governor's commission.
HB73: Chief David Suckling, Alexandria Police Department, New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association Support00:54:57.359 - 9:38:48 AM; Chief Suckling expressed strong support for the bill, representing both the Alexandria Police Department and the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association. He shared a personal story of an overdose incident that motivated him to focus on harm reduction and community change. He detailed the efforts in Alexandria, including distributing over 3,000 doses of Narcan, becoming a recovery-friendly community, and integrating recovery efforts into law enforcement. He highlighted the success in reducing overdoses and the importance of understanding substance use disorder, expressing enthusiasm for being part of the commission.
HB126: Representative Pavich Support01:00:42.880 - 9:44:33 AM; Representative Pavich introduced HB126, a bipartisan bill aimed at reducing the burden on patients needing injectable androgen prescriptions. The bill proposes allowing 92-day prescriptions after 12 monthly prescriptions from the same medical practice, to prevent misuse. He explained the compromise language in the bill, which places the burden on the medical provider to ensure the patient's legitimacy. He highlighted the cost and time savings for patients and mentioned the bill's support in the House.
HB126: Representative David Nagel, Physician Support01:08:12.079 - 9:52:03 AM; Representative Nagel supported HB126, emphasizing its alignment with efforts to improve access to controlled substances without unnecessary burdens. He appreciated the line of questioning that clarified the bill's intent and suggested that similar considerations could be applied to other drugs. He agreed with the idea of potentially reviewing the 34-day supply rule for controlled substances, suggesting a more holistic approach to drug prescription policies.
HB370: Representative JD Bernardi, Rockingham 36, Hampton, Kensington, South Hampton, Newton, and Plaistow Support01:12:48.040 - 9:56:39 AM; Representative Bernardi introduced HB370, which seeks to reestablish a commission to study the delivery of Behavioral crisis services for individuals with mental illness whose primary impairment is intellectual disability. He explained that the current statutory definition of mental illness excludes impairments primarily caused by intellectual disability, leading to inadequate treatment for about 10 cases annually where individuals are hospitalized without proper care for 3 to 4 weeks. The previous session's attempt to address this through changing the definition of mental illness failed in the Senate, leading to the establishment of a commission instead. However, delays in appointing commission members and scheduling meetings resulted in no progress, prompting the need to reestablish the commission to address these issues effectively.
HB370: Committee Vote01:16:24.679 - 10:00:15 AM; The committee moved to close the public hearing on HB370 and immediately proceeded to an executive session. A motion to pass HB370 was proposed and seconded, and the committee voted in favor with no opposition, moving the bill forward on consent.
HB73: Committee Vote01:19:20.679 - 10:03:11 AM; In the executive session, a discussion was held regarding a previous concern about the definition of harm reduction related to HB73. It was clarified that Representative Edwards had crafted a new definition over the summer that addressed these concerns, including a societal aspect to cover issues relevant to towns and cities. The committee moved to pass HB73, and the motion was seconded and passed with no opposition on consent. The session then moved to adjourn.

Rochefort, David(Chairman)(R)	Avard, Kevin(V Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Birdsell, Regina(R)[C+]2024
Prentiss, Suzanne(D)[F]2024	Long, Pat(D)