Committee Summary for Senate Judiciary (02/11/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB552 00:04:53.759 - 12:05:49 PM	Public Hearing	permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances.	Avard, Kevin(R)[B]2025
SB551 03:17:12.720 - 3:18:08 PM	Public Hearing	relative to legal protections for legal reproductive health care services.	Altschiller, Debra(D)[CT]2025

SB552: Senator Kevin Avard, District 12 Support00:04:53.759 - 12:05:49 PM; Senator Avard introduces SB552 as a measure to protect privacy and safety in bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic settings by clarifying that entities like schools, businesses, and religious organizations can make decisions based on biological sex without legal liability. He emphasizes it does not mandate policies but provides clarity, preserves anti-discrimination protections, and addresses concerns from parents, businesses, and religious leaders about fairness in sports and privacy. He shares anecdotes from a gym conversation highlighting women's fears and a trip to Israel illustrating religious sensitivities, stressing the bill protects religious liberty without authorizing discrimination.
SB552: Representative Alice Simmons, Straford 15 and Dover W 2 Oppose00:26:59.360 - 12:27:55 PM; Representative Simmons, a trans woman, opposes SB552, questioning which restroom she should use and highlighting the increased risk of assault in men's facilities. She argues enforcement is impractical and leads to harassment, citing incidents where cisgender women were mistakenly accused. She references past vetoes by governors, criticizes the bill for enabling discrimination based on religious views, and notes that trans women are the victims, not perpetrators, urging focus on real issues like handwashing instead of demonizing trans people.
SB552: Brunwin Sims, Keene NH, Independent Women's Network Support00:31:35.760 - 12:32:31 PM; Brunwin Sims supports SB552, arguing it protects women's privacy, safety, and security in single-sex spaces like restrooms and locker rooms, which have been compromised by policies ignoring biological differences. She shares a personal experience of discomfort in a locker room with a trans person at the Keene YMCA, leading her to quit, and expresses concerns for young girls she coaches. She advocates for common sense policies and suggests a third bathroom option while maintaining sex-segregated spaces.
SB552: Sarah Terrell, lifelong NH resident Oppose00:38:31.760 - 12:39:27 PM; Sarah Terrell opposes SB552, sharing her experience as the mother of a 17-year-old transgender daughter who faced threats of rape at school. She argues the bill endangers trans youth by forcing them into unsafe men's spaces and assumes they are predators. As a cisgender woman, she has never felt unsafe sharing restrooms and suggests strengthening harassment laws instead. She begs the committee to protect her daughter's safety, noting many families are leaving the state due to such legislation.
SB552: Beth Scare, Nashua NH Support00:41:26.400 - 12:42:22 PM; Beth Scare supports SB552, wearing a suffragette sash to emphasize women's rights to privacy and safety. She argues that opening women's spaces to trans-identified males endangers females, citing statistics on sexual assault perpetrators and claims of autogynephilia. She criticizes opponents for denying incidents of men in women's spaces and supports choice in facilities like gyms, while advocating for trans-identified males to remain in men's prisons to protect incarcerated women.
SB552: Nancy Beerman, mother and educator Support00:43:31.920 - 12:44:27 PM; Nancy Beerman supports SB552 to protect minor children, referencing federal Title IX provisions that allow sex-based separation in restrooms and locker rooms. As a mother of two daughters and an educator with a master's in elementary education, she emphasizes keeping children safe in these spaces.
SB552: Anonymous Speaker Support00:44:51.839 - 12:45:47 PM; The speaker describes a situation in New Boston where a 9-year-old girl identifying as a boy used the boys' bathroom, causing discomfort and disruption to other boys who refused to use it. She criticizes the school for not supporting the boys and allowing one child's needs to override the others. She argues that schools should differentiate based on biological sex to protect privacy and prevent discrimination, citing court cases like Adams, Etsy, and Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services that support sex-based separation. She emphasizes that allowing opposite-sex access leads to sexual harassment, especially for minor children, and references New Hampshire laws prohibiting sex-based discrimination. She urges protection for women in private spaces similar to sports, highlighting biological differences for safety, comfort, and fairness.
SB552: Unnamed Law Student Oppose00:49:00.559 - 12:49:56 PM; The speaker opposes SB552, arguing that it conflates trans women with cisgender men and ignores the effects of transitioning, such as testosterone blockers that reduce libido and aggression. She challenges the notion of autogynophilia and points out that the bill forces trans women into men's spaces, potentially due to a fetish among cisgender men, supported by pornography search data and high sexual assault rates for trans women in male prisons (59% assault rate, 9 times more likely than others). As a law student writing a review article, she notes that in over 400 prison cases from 1986-2014, trans women were always victims, not perpetrators, and that inmate victimization is higher in women's prisons. She argues the bill facilitates assault on trans women, is anti-feminist, and recommends marking it inexpedient to legislate.
SB552: Michael Haley, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders Oppose00:54:17.839 - 12:55:13 PM; Michael Haley, a staff attorney from Derry, New Hampshire, urges voting inexpedient to legislate on SB552, noting repeated vetoes. He addresses concerns about religious organizations, citing RSA 354-A:18, 15:5, and 2:7 exemptions. He recounts the Liberty Hotel incident where a cisgender woman with a short haircut was harassed and ejected from the women's restroom, leading to a $10,000 settlement and ongoing lawsuit, illustrating risks of policing bathrooms. He argues existing criminal laws suffice and such policies invite litigation for businesses. During questioning, he discusses federal cases, including a New Hampshire injunction on sports law violating Title IX, enforcement nuances, safety concerns driven by misinformation, compelling state interests requiring narrow tailoring, lack of evidence for threats from trans women, biological sex complexities, and policy issues like parents with young children in restrooms, advocating nuanced, non-legislative solutions and education to reduce fear.
SB552: Amy Terraveia, 603 Equality Oppose01:10:09.679 - 1:11:05 PM; Amy Terraveia from 603 Equality opposes SB552 as discriminatory against the trans community, echoing enforcement issues like the veto of SB268. As a cisgender woman, she shares personal experiences of being misgendered due to her height (5'10"), broad shoulders, and varying hairstyles/dress, noting that such a policy would invite strangers to question her gender and biology, raising privacy and safety concerns in restrooms and locker rooms.
SB552: Sarah Smith Oppose01:12:11.840 - 1:13:07 PM; Sarah Smith, a retired special education teacher with a master's, opposes the bill for discriminating against people rather than actions, emphasizing that illegal behaviors like harassment should be addressed, not restroom use. She recounts an uncomfortable incident where a suspected trans person prompted a creepy maintenance man to check the women's restroom. She expresses concern about forcing transitioned trans people into prisons matching their biological sex, increasing assault risks. She views New Hampshire's pursuit of such laws as an anomaly in New England, potentially deterring visitors and harming the state's image, citing a 30% drop in Canadian participation.
SB552: Pasha Roberts, 603 Equality Oppose01:16:42.880 - 1:17:38 PM; Pasha Roberts from Wilmot, New Hampshire, and on the board of 603 Equality, opposes SB552, highlighting the lack of a clear definition of biological sex and the existence of intersex individuals like herself, questioning bathroom access. She notes the pain it causes trans and intersex people, repeated vetoes by governors for being unenforceable, and how it fuels moral panic leading to harassment, invasive inspections, and lawsuits. She references the Liberty Hotel incident with a short-haired cis woman settled for $10,000, arguing the bill targets non-trans women too, violates liberty and personal responsibility, and should be declared ITL to avoid another veto.
SB552: Nancy Brennan Oppose01:19:00.000 - 1:19:56 PM; Nancy Brennan from an unspecified town calls the 'trans threat' a straw man unsupported by statistics, noting trans people are four times more likely to be harassed and prone to depression and self-harm from hate. She argues amplified stories create unfounded fear despite trans people being only 1% of the population, making encounters rare. As a retired math teacher, she emphasizes ignorance fuels fear, countering claims of only two sexes by noting endorsements from major medical and psychological associations affirming trans reality, and historical presence across cultures.
SB552: Anonymous Speaker Oppose01:21:43.600 - 1:22:39 PM; The speaker argues that accusations against transgender women for attacking females miss the point, emphasizing that the vast majority of violence against women is perpetrated by cisgender men, not transgender women. She highlights statistics on rape, sexual harassment, and the failure to protect women from predatory men, citing examples like the president, Epstein files, coaches, clergy, and fake ICE agents. She urges focusing efforts on holding predatory men accountable rather than blaming transgender people, who are vulnerable and seeking dignity.
SB552: Anonymous Speaker (continued) Oppose01:22:43.440 - 1:23:39 PM; In response to a question about privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms, the speaker asserts that everyone is entitled to privacy but criticizes singling out transgender people. She advocates for education to dispel fears and misunderstandings, sharing personal anecdotes about not noticing transgender individuals in facilities and dealing with obnoxious cisgender women. She argues that the term 'privacy' is sometimes used to target transgender people, which is harmful.
SB552: Anonymous Speaker (continued) Oppose01:27:31.760 - 1:28:27 PM; Addressing concerns on sports and prisons, the speaker notes she focused on bathrooms but references a recent study showing transitioned transgender women do not have advantages in sports. She discusses testosterone testing in professional sports and shares an example of an athlete with XY chromosomes. On prisons, she acknowledges abuse in all facilities and opposes placing fully transitioned women in men's prisons.
SB552: Allison Turkant Oppose01:31:14.560 - 1:32:10 PM; The speaker shares her personal experience transitioning, noting significant physical changes from hormone therapy, including loss of muscle mass and weight redistribution to fat, similar to women's bodies. She describes struggling with tasks she once found easy, like lifting bags of pellets, to illustrate that transitioning eliminates physical advantages.
SB552: Jay Hawkins, Concord Oppose01:32:23.760 - 1:33:19 PM; A non-binary person who appears female but gets misgendered and removed from women's bathrooms repeatedly, the speaker describes experiences in multiple states, including being escorted out during a COVID vaccine visit and jury duty. She emphasizes she uses facilities only for their intended purpose and feels hurt and embarrassed by the discrimination, urging the committee to see that such policies harm people like her who are not threats.
SB552: Zoe Hill, Lebanon Oppose01:35:54.800 - 1:36:50 PM; The speaker opposes the bill, agreeing with others in opposition, and calls it unnecessary and a distraction from real issues like property taxes that Granite Staters care about. She argues people in New Hampshire are not concerned about bathroom usage.
SB552: Claire Abernathy Support01:37:39.280 - 1:38:35 PM; Formerly transgender from ages 12-17, the speaker recounts being assaulted in men's restrooms and locker rooms, including having her face smashed into a mirror and being groped with threats. She argues a bill like this would have protected her and cites research showing no safety benefits for trans people in opposite-sex spaces, but increased risks for women from trans-identified men in female spaces. She references assaults in prisons and a Planet Fitness incident, urging passage to protect constituents from harm.
SB552: Representative Katherine Prudome O'Brien, Derry Support01:40:54.719 - 1:41:50 PM; The representative expresses concerns about bathrooms, sports, and prisons based on personal experiences. In bathrooms, she shared a facility with a trans-identified man later convicted of encouraging child exploitation and now avoids the State House bathroom, preferring transgender individuals use men's rooms or private spaces. In sports and work, she highlights physical differences between men and women, refusing to blur lines. In prisons and foster care, she shares stories of vulnerability to sexual abuse and cites a UK study showing high rates of sex offenders among men identifying as women (58.9%) compared to general populations.
SB552: Unnamed Speaker Oppose01:48:11.119 - 1:49:07 PM; The speaker expresses concern about societal pressures to ignore biological differences in bathrooms for safety reasons. She shares personal experiences of being able to identify transgender individuals by voice, gait, jaw, and shoulders, emphasizing the importance for women to distinguish men to avoid sexual assault. She feels gaslit by claims that one cannot tell and asserts her sensitivity to these cues developed for self-protection.
SB552: Simon Amaya Price Support01:50:30.719 - 1:51:26 PM; Simon, a former trans individual, argues that SB552 permits but does not mandate sex-based classifications in bathrooms, locker rooms, athletics, and prisons, maximizing freedom for businesses and organizations. He cites polls showing majority support, including among Democrats, and notes fear among supporters due to threats. He refutes suicide prevention claims, sharing his own experience as a teen influenced by activists. He highlights higher sexual assault rates by trans-identified men, citing statistics and examples like a convicted assaulter and boxer Fallon Fox. He criticizes comparisons to Jim Crow and emphasizes consent.
SB552: Shannon McInley, Cornerstone Action Support01:53:50.960 - 1:54:46 PM; As executive director of Cornerstone Action, Shannon notes previous bills on biological sex issues vetoed by governors, gaining public attention and polling support for sex-based distinctions. She argues that repeated vetoes force integration of intimate spaces by gender identity, which is out of step with public opinion. SB552 is praised as legally sound, moderate, and an allowance rather than mandate, bringing the issue into the democratic process through repetition.
SB552: Amanda Aad, ACLU of New Hampshire Oppose01:56:32.719 - 1:57:28 PM; Amanda, policy director for the ACLU, criticizes the excessive number of similar anti-trans bills targeting transgender and gender non-conforming people in public spaces, including recent vetoes and upcoming hearings. She describes them as discriminatory, harmful, and extreme, fueling inspection of bodies and hateful acts, damaging New Hampshire's reputation. She urges the committee to find them inexpedient to legislate (ITL).
SB552: David Trumbull, town of I Oppose01:58:47.119 - 1:59:43 PM; David opposes the bill, arguing that society must educate to respect trans people and reduce fear. He discusses mental health, noting that acceptance is key and that treating trans women as men contradicts RSA 135C protections against discrimination based on gender identity. He calls for removing the mental health section of the bill as it would constitute mistreatment. On bathrooms, he argues the bill interferes with First Amendment rights, discriminates against children in schools (citing a Fourth Circuit case), and fails the compelling state interest test without less restrictive alternatives like all-gender restrooms. He defers comments on sports and prisons to another bill.
SB552: David Trumbull (continued) Oppose01:59:43.040 - 2:00:39 PM; Continuation of testimony on mental health facilities, bathroom issues, and legal concerns.
SB552: April Landry, Auburn resident Oppose02:02:30.320 - 2:03:26 PM; April, a recent New Hampshire resident, opposes the bill. She distinguishes feeling unsafe from being unsafe, noting trans people feel unsafe daily in bathrooms. She critiques a prior testimony about a gym incident, pointing out the management chose not to act, so the bill wouldn't help. She highlights the disregard for trans men in discussions focused on women's safety. As a trans woman, she uses women's bathrooms without issues and supports non-gendered options she's encountered.
SB552: Senator Bill Ganon, wine district Support02:05:22.400 - 2:06:18 PM; Senator Ganon introduces SB459, focusing on sports, locker rooms, and prisons, excluding bathrooms due to enforcement issues and past vetoes. He views it as a feminist bill promoting women's equality and opportunities. He shares personal anecdotes about his daughters in sports, emphasizing fairness, physical safety, and leadership benefits. He argues against trans women in women's sports due to physical advantages, citing an example from his daughter's team. For locker rooms, he stresses privacy and public safety, knowing team members' biological sex. For prisons, he defers to wardens for safety decisions.
SB552: Senator Aliller (questioning) Information Only02:10:30.000 - 2:11:26 PM; Questions Senator Ganon on whether transgender girls are girls, privacy interests, the bill's language on biological sex at birth, and the amendment defining biological sex. Follows up on fairness in sports based on physical ability rather than biology.
SB552: Senator Ganon (responses) Support02:11:24.159 - 2:12:20 PM; Responds to questions, emphasizing privacy over personal beliefs, the amendment's wording for legal robustness, and addressing 99% of cases for fairness in sports. Argues against ability-based testing as it would disadvantage cis females and undermine Title IX opportunities.
SB552: Representative (unnamed) Support02:19:16.960 - 2:20:12 PM; Supports the bill, arguing it's unfair and unsafe for females to compete with biological males in sports. Views feminism as enabling women to be treated fairly and self-sufficient, noting physical strength differences. Cites a shocking case of alleged sexual assault in a Washington wrestling match involving a transgender opponent to highlight vulnerability.
SB552: Amy Tervekia, 603 Equality Oppose02:23:06.479 - 2:24:02 PM; Amy opposes SB459, sharing her sports experience. She argues strength isn't the only factor in athletics; agility, flexibility, and physicality matter more. Notes few trans athletes participate, and sports build essential skills like teamwork. She opposes depriving trans youth of these benefits and responds to questions, unaware of trans scholarship winners in NH but emphasizing community gains over competition.
SB552: Pasha Roberts, Wilmet resident, 603 Equality board Oppose02:28:39.920 - 2:29:35 PM; Pasha opposes SB459, noting past vetoes of similar bills. As an intersex person, she challenges binary biological definitions, citing medical complexities and her own surgeries. Shares experience supporting a trans high school soccer player who wasn't dominant but lost opportunities due to prior legislation. Warns of enforcement issues like non-consensual inspections (citing a Utah case), punitive effects, and state overreach creating 'gender police.' Urges ITL to avoid veto.
SB552: Nancy Brennan (proxy for Rosie Emerick, Hooksit resident) Oppose02:34:01.840 - 2:34:57 PM; Nancy delivers testimony from Rosie Emerick, parent of a trans child in dance and soccer. Emphasizes youth sports should foster joy and growth, not competition. Argues the bill targets a tiny minority (1% trans youth) while ignoring real issues like coach-perpetrated sexual abuse (citing Child Help and Olympic survey stats: 14-29% abused, 93% unreported). Calls for ITL SB459 to address actual threats like unequal resources, not imaginary ones. Notes trans kids participate safely with support.
SB552: Amanda Zad, Policy Director, ACLU of New Hampshire Oppose02:38:56.880 - 2:39:52 PM; Amanda Zad testified against the bill, highlighting the ACLU's history of opposing similar anti-trans legislation that has been vetoed multiple times. She argued that all women, including transgender women, deserve protection from discrimination, harassment, and assault, and that such bills create uncomfortable and dangerous situations by requiring proof of gender like birth certificates. She emphasized the real impacts on transgender people, including gender dysphoria, and shared personal experiences interviewing incarcerated transgender women who faced abuse, injuries, and isolation. Zad urged the committee to trust the Department of Corrections experts and federal laws like the Prison Rape Elimination Act, rather than micromanaging and rolling back protections, which could lead to litigation and harm vulnerable individuals.
SB552: David Trumbull, town of Andover Oppose02:44:49.520 - 2:45:45 PM; David Trumbull opposed the bill for missing the opportunity to teach youth the truth about transgender identities, arguing it's based on outdated scientific fiction. On prisons, he cited high rates of sexual assault (over 50% for trans women vs. 3-4% general) leading to solitary confinement as double punishment, and suggested alternatives like non-binary wings. On sports, drawing from his coaching experience, he referenced IOC guidelines and studies showing no competitive advantage after 12-24 months of testosterone suppression, especially for those transitioning pre-puberty. He advocated for case-by-case approaches over blanket bans to ensure access, fairness, and safety, and noted the bill's potential to deter families and damage New Hampshire's reputation for tolerance.
SB552: Devin Quinn, New Hampshire Women's Foundation Oppose02:57:31.120 - 2:58:27 PM; Devin Quinn adamantly opposed the bill, stating trans girls are girls and the legislation harms them. She extended the harm to cis girls, arguing the bill's reliance on birth certificates for girls' sports adds unnecessary bureaucracy and barriers, such as forgetting documents leading to missed tryouts, lost certificates affecting voting, coach liabilities, or game forfeits—burdens not imposed on boys' sports. This creates inequality and disenfranchises girls overall.
SB552: April Landry, Auburn resident Oppose03:01:37.920 - 3:02:33 PM; April Landry, a transgender woman who came out in her mid-30s, shared her childhood struggles with gender identity, bullying, and feeling out of place in men's sports, which led her to quit early. She argued the bill would make life harder for trans kids today by creating a punishing environment and lumping them with prison discussions, increasing fear and isolation. Landry highlighted the unspoken risk of suicide, citing Utah Governor Cox's 2022 veto statement on trans youth facing high suicide attempt rates (56%) and the need for kindness and compassion, especially since few trans kids participate in sports.
SB552: Deborah Uler, representing Senate District 24 (Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Rye, Stratham) Support03:06:55.439 - 3:07:51 PM; Deborah Uler supported Senate Bill 551, a shield law establishing protections for reproductive healthcare providers and patients in New Hampshire against out-of-state overreach post-Dobbs. She explained how it protects access to services like IVF, IUDs, and emergency contraception for out-of-state patients, prohibits cooperation with foreign investigations, extradition, or license revocation, and allows civil actions against abusive litigation. Grounded in federalism and state sovereignty, the bill aligns with New Hampshire's liberty traditions and evidence from 22 states showing successful shielding. Uler noted the shortage of OB/GYNs and the need to recruit providers by protecting them, urging support to ensure care meets medical standards.
SB551: Jason Hennessy, New Hampshire Right to Life Oppose03:17:12.720 - 3:18:08 PM; Jason Hennessy opposes SB551, arguing it creates a special exemption for one industry from state laws, which is bad policy. He cites a Texas case where a New York doctor mailed abortion pills, leading to charges for violating Texas law and practicing without a license, highlighting interstate commerce and full faith and credit challenges. He notes the bill creates a right to reproductive freedom, potentially obligating the state to fund various services like surrogacy and IVF, with indeterminable fiscal costs. Hennessy warns of jeopardizing interstate relationships and law enforcement cooperation, suggesting waiting for Supreme Court rulings on similar cases.
SB551: Dr. Carrie Wong, OBGYN resident at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Support03:24:45.760 - 3:25:41 PM; Dr. Carrie Wong strongly supports SB551, sharing her experience relocating from the South to New Hampshire for residency due to fears of criminalization for providing evidence-based reproductive care. She loves serving New Hampshire but worries about future practice here without a shield law, potentially leaving for states like Vermont or Massachusetts that protect providers. Wong highlights the competitive job market for OBGYNs and the shortage affecting 50% of constituents needing care, emphasizing how lack of protection distracts from patient care and forces questions about residency or travel. She refutes claims about abortion pill dangers, citing peer-reviewed science, and contrasts pregnancy risks with her experiences in emergency procedures, urging the committee to pass the bill to retain physicians.
SB551: Christina Warner Hamilton, New Hampshire state director for reproductive equity Support03:30:36.560 - 3:31:32 PM; Christina Warner Hamilton supports SB551, clarifying it is narrowly crafted to comply with the full faith and credit clause by not enforcing conflicting out-of-state laws that harm local public policy, without invalidating other states' final judgments. She notes the bill focuses on care provided within New Hampshire by local providers, affirming state jurisdiction over its healthcare and law enforcement. In response to questions, she states no known cases of New Hampshire providers charged out-of-state for lawful actions here, but cites examples from New York and California where doctors faced charges for similar interstate care.
SB551: Rachel Potter, policy associate at the ACLU of New Hampshire Support03:33:25.920 - 3:34:21 PM; Rachel Potter testifies in support of SB551, which protects patients and providers acting lawfully under New Hampshire law from out-of-state harassment or legal risks. The bill limits New Hampshire resources from assisting investigations or lawsuits targeting legal reproductive care here, addressing post-Dobbs attempts by other states to extend bans across borders. Without it, there's confusion and a chilling effect on providers and patients, undermining healthcare trust. Potter emphasizes the bill provides clarity, protects privacy and patient-provider relationships, and aligns with federalism by not interfering with other states' internal enforcement, urging support for stability and lawful medical care.

Gannon, Bill(Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Abbas, Daryl(V Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Carson, Sharon(R)[B]2025
Altschiller, Debra(D)[CT]2025	Reardon, Tara(D)[F]2025