Thursday brought one of the busiest days of the session, with the House working through 47 separate legislative events. The headline results: long-term care eligibility legislation and an expansion of net metering for solar and battery storage were both killed on party-line votes, and the House tabled an open-enrollment school choice bill for the second time. On the other side of the ledger, identity fraud protections advanced and a constitutional amendment to remove the age cap for county sheriffs fell just short of the required supermajority.
Killed
- SB 545: Would have adjusted financial eligibility thresholds for the Medicare Savings Program, helping more low-income seniors afford Medicare premiums and cost-sharing. Killed 182-153 on a party-line vote.
- SB 543: Would have addressed eligibility for long-term care services and appropriated funding — significant given NH’s aging population and strained nursing home capacity. Killed 182-154 on a party-line vote.
- SB 449: Would have expanded net metering to include larger solar installations and battery storage systems, enabling more residents and businesses to participate in grid credit programs. Killed 181-158 on a party-line vote.
- SB 457: Would have created a licensing pathway for physicians who completed their medical training outside the U.S. or Canada, addressing NH’s physician shortage. Killed by ITL.
- SB 425: Would have joined NH to an interstate compact allowing physician associates licensed in other states to practice in NH — another workforce shortage measure. Sent to interim study, effectively ending it this session.
20 others killed today, mostly procedural.
On the Move
- SB 622: Updated identity fraud statute — cleared the House on a voice vote and heads to the governor.
- SB 591: Allows regulated utility companies to own or build electricity generation facilities, a significant reversal of NH’s 1990s deregulation policy. Passed the House 180-151 and moves toward the governor.
- SB 515: Adds judicial oversight requirements for children placed in residential treatment programs and ensures appointment of counsel in certain juvenile proceedings. Passed by voice vote.
- SB 456: Establishes a commission to study and recommend policies on child welfare, education, and health outcomes. Passed by voice vote.
- CACR 11: A constitutional amendment to remove the age cap for county sheriff — passed 199-157, but fell short of the three-fifths majority (216 votes) required to advance a constitutional amendment to the ballot. The bill remains technically alive.
- SB 101: A statewide open school enrollment bill was tabled 320-32, pausing it indefinitely.
Notable Votes
- CACR 11: Removing the age cap for county sheriff passed 199-157 — a majority, but not the required supermajority for a constitutional amendment. The vote split along party lines.
- SB 101: The statewide school open-enrollment bill was tabled on a division vote of 320-32 after a close amendment vote of 182-172 (party-line). The near-unanimous tabling suggests significant cross-party discomfort with the measure as written.
- SB 449: The net metering expansion was killed 181-158 on a party-line vote.
- SB 543: Long-term care eligibility legislation was killed 182-154 on a party-line vote.
- SB 545: Medicare Savings Program eligibility expansion was killed 182-153 on a party-line vote.
Full vote tallies on each bill page.
To see how your representatives voted, visit nhpolitics.org/find-your-rep.