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HB1596 Relative to the collection of certain health care program premiums; funding for the university system of New Hampshire; and raising the tobacco tax.

Education Dead Auto-scored

Relative to the collection of certain health care program premiums; funding for the university system of New Hampshire; and raising the tobacco tax.

Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?

6

Overall Impact Score

Mixed

Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)

6
💰

Your Wallet

Would have raised tobacco taxes but directed revenue to university funding and healthcare, potentially reducing tuition costs and improving healthcare access.

7
🏘️

Your Community

Would have provided significant new funding for NH's university system and healthcare programs, addressing two major needs.

4
⚖️

Your Freedom

Tax increases reduce economic freedom for tobacco users, though the revenue would fund public goods like education and healthcare.

Status

Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Regular Calendar 200-157 02/12/2026 House Journal 4 P. 33

Voted Yes

0 R

Voted No

0 R

R Yes D Yes R No D No

Sponsor

Jerry Stringham (D)

The Short Version

An omnibus bill that would have raised the tobacco tax to fund university system improvements and healthcare program premium collections. Killed on a party-line vote (200-157). Combined multiple policy goals into one bill.

Who's Behind This Bill?

Who Benefits

  • ▲ University students through increased funding
  • ▲ Healthcare program recipients
  • ▲ Public health through tobacco tax discouraging smoking

Who Pays the Price

  • ▼ Tobacco users who would pay higher prices
  • ▼ Tobacco retailers and distributors

Roll Call Detail (1 vote)

Every recorded floor vote on this bill, with each legislator's individual vote. Click a name to see that rep's full record.

Who actually supports this bill?

Across the 1 recorded vote on this bill — counting each legislator's net direction and treating kill motions as opposing the bill — Republicans opposed it ( 3 for , 195 against ) , and Democrats supported it ( 154 for , 5 against ) .

"Supporting" means voting for passage OR voting against a kill motion. "Opposing" is the inverse. Concurs and amendment-only votes don't count.

Inexpedient to Legislate (kill motion) 2026-02-12
Passed

YES = Kill the bill. NO = Keep the bill alive.

195R + 5D
Voted to Kill the Bill (200)
3R + 154D
Voted to Keep It Alive (157)
21
Absent
16
Not voting
Show all 394 individual votes

Voted Yea (200)

Republicans (195)
Democrats (5)

Voted Nay (157)

Republicans (3)
Democrats (154)
Absent (21)

Beth Richards (D) , Catherine Sofikitis (D) , Charles Foote (R) , David Meuse (D) , Dillon Dumont (R) , Gaby Grossman (D) , Harry Bean (R) , Jeffrey Tenczar (R) , John MacDonald (R) , Julie Gilman (D) , Mark MacKenzie (D) , Mary Murphy (R) , Michael Murphy (R) , Myles England (D) , Peter Varney (R) , Richard Brown (R) , Sean Durkin (R) , Terry Roy (R) , Thomas Buco (D) , Tim Mannion (R) , William Dolan (D)

Read the Actual Bill → See All Bills

Bill statuses as of May 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.

This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.