New Hampshire lawmakers tackled a long list of bills Thursday, as they approach the midpoint of the current legislative session. Here’s a summary of some of the major issues they addressed.
Youth Development Center abuse fund
People abused as minors at state detention facilities could be in line for more financial compensation under a bill passed by the state Senate Thursday.
The legislation comes as the state faces more than 1,000 lawsuits from people who say they were abused over the span of decades at the former Youth Development Center in Manchester and other facilities.
The state created a settlement fund to avoid lawsuits. Backers of the bill say raising the caps as high as $2.5 million per victim could help the state avoid even larger liabilities if the cases went to a jury.
Bail reform proposal
The Senate also gave preliminary approval to one of several proposed bail reform plans Thursday. The bill would deny people personal recognizance bail if they've missed court appearances three or more times during the prior three years.
It was a straight party-line vote, with Republicans unanimously supporting the measure and Democrats unanimously opposed.
Republican Sen. Sharon Carson of Londonderry said tougher consequences are needed for people who don't bother to show up for court dates.
"We know that these folks are getting arrested, are let out on PR bail and are not showing up,” Carson said. “What a joke that is."
Senate Democrats argued the bill doesn't address larger issues with the state's bail system, including staffing needs.
A bipartisan bail reform effort in 2018 expanded the use of personal recognizance bail. Subsequent efforts to revisit bail policy have failed, but Gov. Chris Sununu says he'll sign any bill to tighten bail standards that reaches his desk.
Raising marriage age
Senators voted to raise the minimum marriage age in New Hampshire to 18. It now heads to the House.
Until just a few years ago, the minimum age for marriage in the state was 13 for girls and 14 for boys. That changed in 2018 when lawmakers voted to raise the age to 16, regardless of gender. The change was championed by a Girl Scout who later became a state lawmaker. Under current law, minors seeking to wed need the permission of a parent and court approval.
Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgeries
A bill that would bar Medicaid from covering gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth passed the New Hampshire House Thursday.
The lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Jim Kofalt, argued taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for those procedures.
But Democrats and LGBTQ rights advocates called it part of a larger attack on the rights of trans youth. Major medical groups broadly support access to gender affirming care, which rarely involves surgery before age 18, though health providers say it may be medically necessary in some circumstances.
This is the second restriction on gender-affirming surgeries to pass the Republican-controlled House this year. Both bills need Senate approval to become law.
