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Recent Testimony:
April 14, 2022
- HB1526 – Relative to income eligibility for in and out medical assistance.
- HB1622 – Relative to mental health parity.
April 12, 2022
- SB407 – Relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor.
- SB444 – Relative to childhood adverse experiences treatment and prevention.
April 7, 2022
April 6, 2022
- HB1345 – Relative to the release of a teenager’s medical records to a parent or guardian.
- SB234 – Requiring student identification cards to include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
- SB392 – Establishing a commission to study insanity and restoration of competency.
April 5, 2022
- SB227 – Relative to death benefits for first responders who die from suicide.
- SB422 – Establishing an adult dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.
March 30, 2022
March 16, 2022
February 22, 2022
February 15, 2022
- HB1077 – Repealing the prohibition on conversion therapy for minors.
- HB1651 – Adding sexual reassignment to the definition of child abuse.
February 3, 2022
- HB1198 – Relative to rules of the department of education concerning culture and climate in schools.
February 2, 2022
- HB1028 – Relative to the form of individual health insurance policies.
- SB373 – Relative to coverage for certain mental illnesses.
- SB391 – Relative to the operation of a state forensic psychiatric hospital.
- SB422 – Establishing an adult dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.
February 1, 2022
January 25, 2022
January 20, 2022
- SB407 – Relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor.
- SB444 – Relative to childhood adverse experiences treatment and prevention.
January 19, 2022
- HB1622 – Relative to mental health parity.
- HB1639 – Relative to the youth risk behavior survey in schools.
January 11, 2022
October 27, 2021
October 14, 2021
September 22, 2021
June 7, 2021
May 5, 2021
April 14, 2021
- HB 220 – Establishing medical freedom in immunizations.
- HB 540 – Relative to supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship.
March 29, 2021
March 16, 2021
February 25, 2021
February 23, 2021
- HB 578 – Relative to standards for mental health courts.
- NAMI NH Testimony on Concord Hospital – LRGH Merger
February 17, 2021
February 16, 2021
February 8, 2021
January 29, 2021
- HB 103 – Establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.
- HB 602 – Relative to reimbursements for telemedicine.
January 28, 2021
- HB 254 – Relative to the placement of minors in secure settings.
- HB 427 – Prohibiting corporal punishment of children in state agency programs.
- SB 59 – Relative to the collaborative care model service delivery method.
January 27, 2021
October 26, 2020
June 24, 2020
February 11, 2020
February 5, 2020
January 29, 2020
- HB 1163 – Requiring schools to update documents and software to include the option of identifying a student as non-binary.
- SB 412 – Establishing a commission to study issues relating to corrections officers.
- SB 634 – Relative to establishing a peer support program in the department of health and human services.
January 28, 2020
January 23, 2020
- HB 1174 – Requiring screening for all law enforcement officers for psychological stability and substance use disorders prior to assuming their duties as certified officers.
- HB 1521 – Adding a peer support specialist to the board of mental health practice.
January 22, 2020
January 21, 2020
- HB 1122 – Relative to death benefits of first responders who die from suicide.
- HB 1346 – Requiring the insurance department to make a report regarding the impact of insurance coverage for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders.
January 16, 2020
January 13, 2020
May 8, 2019
April 30, 2019
- HB 514 – Imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.
- SB 131 – Reestablishing a commission to study grandfamilies in New Hampshire.
April 23, 2019
- HB 652 – Relative to suicide prevention.
- SB 224 – Relative to insurance coverage for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders.
April 3, 2019
- SB 51 – Establishing a commission to study expanding mental health courts statewide.
- SB 282 -Relative to suicide prevention education in schools.
- SB 292 – Relative to implementation of the new mental health 10-year plan.
March 26, 2019
March 19, 2019
March 5, 2019
- HB 687 – Relative to extreme risk protection orders.
- SB 177 – Relative to the use of physical restraints on persons who are involuntarily committed.
February 13, 2019
February 12, 2019
- HB 726 – Relative to the secure psychiatric unit and making an appropriation therefor.
- SB 14 – Relative to child welfare.
January 30, 2019
- HB 610 –Relative to treatment alternatives to opioids.
- HB 652 – Relative to suicide prevention.
- HB 677 – Relative to discipline of students, addressing students’ behavioral needs, and making an appropriation therefor.
January 29, 2019
- SB 59 – Adding post traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder to the definition of “injury” for purposes of workers’ compensation and reestablishing the commission to study the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders.
- SB 224 – Relative to insurance coverage for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders.
January 24, 2019
January 22, 2019
- HB 113 – Relative to qualifications for and exceptions from licensure for mental health practice.
- SB 5 – Making an appropriation relative to Medicaid provider rates for mental health and substance misuse.
- SB 11 – Relative to mental health services and making appropriations therefor.
- SB 51 – Establishing a commission to study expanding mental health courts statewide.
January 16, 2019
January 9, 2019
April 10, 2018
- HB 587 – Relative to conversion therapy seeking to change a person’s sexual orientation.
- SB 508 – Establishing a committee to study the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other related disorders among first responders.
April 2, 2018
March 27, 2018
February 20, 2018
February 13, 2018
- HB 1319 – Prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.
- SB 480 – Limiting the use of electroconvulsive therapy.
January 24, 2018
January 23, 2018
- HB 1560 – Prohibiting Medicaid from paying for sex reassignment drug or hormone therapy or surgery
- SB 553 – Relative to mental health parity for workers’ compensation
January 17, 2018
January 16, 2018
- HB 1565 – Relative to requiring the secure psychiatric unit to be accredited as a psychiatric hospital
- HB 1751 – Relative to insurance coverage for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders
- HB 1811 – Relative to the New Hampshire health protection program
- SB 502 -Relative to transparency and standards for acquisition transactions in health care
View the 2018 State of the State address. You can click here to skip to the section addressing mental health.
2022 NH Legislative Session Recap
The 2022 session proved challenging, however NAMI NH had a vast majority of successes among its legislative priorities:
Improving Access to Mental Health/Physical Health Care
Our advocacy resulted in the passage of Medicaid dental benefits, new oversight of the state forensic hospital, and raising the income limits for the Medicaid In and Out Program. We saw the passage of a bill adopting interstate licensing standards and greater oversight ensuring that insurance companies comply with federal parity requirements. Our advocacy also defeated a bill that would have allowed short term (skinny) health plans that do not require mental health and substance use disorder services to be covered to be extended and renewed.
Unfortunately, a bill that would have extended postpartum coverage from 60 days to 1 year was not successful this session.
First Responders
This session there were a few bills concerning first responders. We successfully advocated for a death benefit for all first responders who die by suicide. Further, our advocacy assisted in passing a bill that will create a committee to study establishing a review board to look at all officer involved shootings to better address these incidents with the hope of having more positive outcomes. NAMI NH will monitor the committee’s activities and will provide testimony in front of the committee as outlined in the bill. Additionally, advocacy secured funds for Crisis Intervention Training for officers in small, rural departments with the goal of having a minimum of one officer in every state, county, and municipal department trained in CIT.
Children
Advocacy for children was a primary focus for NAMI NH this legislative session. With the assistance of partners and advocates, we secured funds to establish a pilot program to mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences for children birth to six years old (there is an existing program for children over 6). We were successful in advocating for middle and high school student identification cards to include the national suicide hotline on the back of the card.
In addition to items we were advocating for, there were a number of bills that NAMI NH opposed due to their potential harm for NH’s children. Of these, we were successful in maintaining the existing process of administering the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and we were successful in defeating a bill that would have limited rules on climate and culture in schools; one that would have repealed the ban on conversion therapy; one that would have added allowing a child to have gender affirming medical care to the definition of child abuse; and one that would have allowed schools to prohibit trans adolescent girls from competing in sports with their peers. The efforts of mental health advocates also helped us defeat a bill that would have forced teachers and other school personnel to disclose to a parent any information about a child who identifies as transgender and to disclose if kids joined clubs like the Gay/ Straight Alliance.
Unfortunately, despite a couple of bills coming forward that would have repealed the restrictions limiting school teaching discussions regarding racism, homophobia, sexism, and other such issues that impact children’s mental health, we were not able to make changes in the law this year.
This session there were no bills focused on workforce or housing that NAMI NH was involved in. For the next session we may explore areas in the budget that can support these two issues.
NAMI New Hampshire Identifies 2022 Legislative Priorities
In addition to advocating for mental health priorities at the national level, NAMI NH’s 2022 legislative priorities here in the Granite State include:
Improve Access to Mental Health/Physical Health Care
- Support dental benefits under Medicaid
- Increase oversight and enforcement by NH Insurance Department regarding parity
- Adopt interstate licensing standards (compact) for mental health professionals
- Support legislation which moves forward plans for a new forensic hospital
- Expand availability of physical health/mental health services for pregnant and postpartum women
- Oppose offering health insurance plans that don’t require Essential Health Benefits (mental health and substance misuse treatment)
- Limit negative impacts of Medicaid in and out requirements
First Responders
- Death benefits for families of first responders who die by suicide
- Establish a study committee to make recommendations on creation of an officer-involved shooting fatality review committee
- Expand Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training
Children
- Direct the Department of Health and Human Services establish a pilot program to support children who have experienced trauma and adverse events
- Require schools to put the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on school identification cards
- Maintain the existing process for administering Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
- Oppose limiting rules and policies concerning culture and climate in schools
- Repeal restrictions limiting school teaching/discussions regarding racism, homophobia, sexism and other issues which negatively impact children’s mental health
- Oppose adding sexual reassignment to definition of child abuse
- Oppose repeal of conversion therapy ban
- Oppose state recognition of biological sex for the purposes of discrimination in athletic competitions, criminal incarceration, or places of intimate privacy
Workforce Shortages
- Support measures to expand student loan repayment and other strategies to address workforce shortages
Affordable Housing
- Support efforts to increase availability of affordable housing in NH
NAMI New Hampshire Identifies 2020 Legislative Priorities
In addition to advocating for mental health priorities at the national level, NAMI NH’s 2020 legislative priorities here in the Granite State include:
Pharmaceuticals & Pricing
- Addressing rising prescription prices in NH, to ensure pharmaceutical treatment options are available to all.
Suicide Prevention Measures
- Extreme Risk protective orders (temporary removal of firearms for individuals who are dangerous – especially as a suicide prevention measure).
- Waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.
Children
- Medicaid to schools.
- Funding relative to multi-tiered systems of support.
- Coverage for children’s early intervention services.
- Provision of special education services for older students.
First Responders
- Death benefits in instances of suicide loss.
- Psychological exams.
- Public review of officer-involved shootings.
Medicaid Block Grant
- Opposing the Medicaid Block Grant proposal in favor of a more effective multi-tiered approach for the statewide mental health system.
Legislative Update - December 2019
NH State Budget Signed into Law
New Hampshire lawmakers and Governor Sununu arrived at a much-anticipated budget compromise right before the October 1, 2019 expiration of the continuing resolution funding state government. The new budget will provide funding and support for many of the priority recommendations in the 10-Year Mental Health Plan to move forward. Although not an all-inclusive list, among those initiatives are:
- A statewide mobile crisis response system for children experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Expansion of an additional mobile crisis response team, or crisis care unit (walk-in clinic for mental health emergencies) in the state.
- Increased Medicaid reimbursement rates to all providers of 3.1% in FY20 and 3.1% in FY21.
- Funding for an additional designated receiving facility (to accept involuntary emergency admissions).
- Funding for NH’s suicide prevention hotline.
- Transfer of the Philbrook Children’s Unit at New Hampshire Hospital to Hampstead Hospital.
- $250,000 in suicide prevention funding in FY20 and again in FY21.
- $8 million to begin building a new hospital/unit for forensic patients.
While some of these initiatives will be felt immediately, others will take months/years to operationalize. However, they represent significant progress at improving the mental health service delivery system.
Thank you to all who attended hearings, wrote letters or emails, called legislators, and otherwise advocated for mental health and suicide prevention in the Granite State. Your voices carried a lot of weight in making mental health a priority this legislative session.
Let’s do the same for the upcoming presidential primary and elevate the importance of improving the mental health service delivery system, suicide prevention, and research nationally by telling your stories and asking candidates key questions about mental health services.
Sample Questions to Ask 2020 Presidential Candidates
#Act4MentalHealth
NAMI NH Position on Secure Psychiatric Unit
NAMI New Hampshire has a long history of opposing the transfer of patients from New Hampshire Hospital to the care of the Department of Corrections (Secure Psychiatric Unit). Specifically, we are opposed to the commingling of individuals with mental illness who are committed under Involuntary Emergency Admission (IEA) with those who are criminally committed. We have provided written and oral testimony at numerous legislative hearings to this effect. NAMI NH continues to advocate for more resources to improve access to appropriate levels of care across the entire mental health system.
To learn more about our policy position on this issue, please see:
2016 Letter Co-authored by NAMI NH, American Civil Liberties Union of NH, Disability Rights Center, and NH Legal Assistance.
Excerpt: "We write to express our opposition to the continued transfer of civilly committed patients from New Hampshire Hospital to the Secure Psychiatric Unit in the New Hampshire State Prison..."
The 10 Year Mental Health Plan
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released a final version of the new 10-Year Mental Health Plan. Read the plan on the DHHS website.
NAMI NH has provided the following feedback to DHHS on the plan:
General Talking points when contacting Legislators; House or Senate
Use your own words, but share your passion, it is critical that the Representatives hear about Mental Health
- Mental Health is important to me, my family and our state and I am asking you to represent me and support increased funding
- Myself/my family has been affected by mental illness, I support funding for improved services
Specific Talking points
- Support the re-authorization of the NH Health Protection Program; also known as Medicaid Expansion; particularly the opportunity it offers for Substance misuse treatment and mental health treatment. Over 38,000 NH citizens are now insured and receive mental health services.
- The NH Health Protection Program:
- Provides insurance to NH’s working poor who cannot afford it.
- Covers mental health and substance misuse disorders.
- Saves money by lowering uncompensated hospital care.
- Be prepared to wait to testify and leave your printed testimony if time runs out.
- Fund the implementation of the “10 Year Plan”.
- Fund the Mental Health Settlement Agreement.
Tips for Providing Testimony:
- Arrive early to sign in to speak there will be a waiting list.
- Your comments must be brief; 1-2 minutes maximum
- If you prepare a testimony, bring printed copies to share with House members
Heading to the Hearing?
Let us know- Email advocacy@naminh.org
