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A leading and respected voice on mental illness, NAMI NH advocates for improved access to services and social supports; early intervention; and science-based practices that promote recovery and build skills and resilience.
We train people to advocate, effectively communicating and working collaboratively with others to promote sustainable change in our mental health system and government policies while dispelling the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and suicide.
We engage with local, state, and national leaders and service providers, bringing both concerns and solutions to them, and helping them to understand the need for community-based systems of care that includes individuals and families in treatment, planning, delivery, and evaluation of services.
Your #Vote4MentalHealth Matters
Across the country, one issue is on every ballot: mental health. During this election, your vote can send a message that mental health matters. Click here to take the pledge to #Vote4MentalHealth!
For legislators and local decision-makers to make meaningful policy change, they need to hear from YOU – their constituents. It’s Your Move, a free advocacy training from NAMI NH, provides participants with the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to engage their state and local decision-makers and influence policy change within their community. Participants learn about the New Hampshire political structure, the most effective ways to communicate their story, how to respond to opposition, and more!
The next It’s Your Move training will be held in late 2024. Sign up to be notified when the next training is scheduled.
This free training is open to anyone interested in advocating for themselves or their community. Through lectures, role-playing activities, and storytelling workshops, participants are able to gain confidence in their ability to tell their stories and influence the legislative process.
As a participant, you will learn:
- What an advocate is and how you can become an effective one
- Everything you need to know about the NH legislature and legislative process
- How to use your story as a foundation for change
- Opportunities and methods for making your “ask”
- Strategies to respond to opposition
- How one person can make a difference for all people affected by mental illness
To learn more please contact us at advocacy@naminh.org or 603-225-5359.
Your story is crucial in making change in the Granite State. Through state-level policy efforts, NAMI NH works on issues that improve the lives of those affected by mental illness and suicide. Personal stories help policymakers craft rules and laws to effect change. Sharing your story, or your loved one’s story, can help ensure you, your loved ones, and thousands more Granite Staters’ lives are improved by increasing access to services and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness. Thank you for your advocacy.
NAMI NH will never use your story without your permission. We may contact you to let you know about advocacy opportunities when we think your story will make an impact.
2024 NH Legislative Session Recap
May 1, 2024
April 30, 2024
- HB 1020 – establishing a committee to study restoration of competency.
- SB 555 – relative to receipt of pharmaceutical rebates by insurers and pharmacy benefits managers.
- HB 1205 – relative to women’s school sports.
April 25, 2024
- HB 396 – permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances.
- HB 619 – to require a person to attain the age of majority for genital gender reassignment surgery.
- HB 1633 – relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations therefor.
April 24, 2024
April 23, 2024
- HB 1573 – making an appropriation to the department of health and human services to enhance oversight of children in residential placements.
- SB 417 – relative to out-of-home placements for children.
- SB 561 – relative to prior authorizations for health care.
April 22, 2024
April 18, 2024
April 17, 2024
April 16, 2024
April 10, 2024
- SB387 – relative to a state parks pass pilot program for recovery centers and community mental health centers
- SB367 – reestablishing the commission to study the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders
- SB403 – relative to the health care workforce
- HB1190 – relative to adopting the interstate social work licensure compact
April 2, 2024
March 26, 2024
February 20, 2024
February 8, 2024
February 7, 2024
- HB1020 – Relative to establishing a commission to study the legal implications of insanity and restoration of competency
- HB1663 – Relative to the confidentiality of medical records and patient information
- SB401 – Relative to removing the prospective repeal of the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program and trust fund
February 6, 2024
- HB1162 – Relative to teaching discrimination in public schools and discrimination in public workplaces
- HB1356 – Relative to the use of children’s names and pronouns by public school employees
- HB1573 – Relative to oversight of and criteria for residential placement of children
- SB524 – Relative to women’s sports
February 5, 2024
- HB1473 – Relative to social-emotional learning in public schools
- HB1185 – Relative to sexual education instruction
February 2, 2024
- HB1711 – authorizing the state to report mental health data for firearms background check purposes and providing for processes for confiscation of firearms following certain mental health-related court proceedings and for relief from mental health-related firearms disabilities.
- HB1050 – Relative to establishing a voluntary waiver of the right to purchase a firearm
January 31, 2024
- HB1702 – Relative to oversight of liquor commission funding and repealing the liquor commission fund
January 30, 2024
January 29, 2024
January 25, 2024
- SB573 – Relative to parental consent for medical care
- SB360 – Relative to extreme risk protection orders
- SB417 – Relative to out-of-home placements for children
January 18, 2024
- SB508 – Relative to the duties of the superintendent of the county department of corrections concerning mental health and substance use disorder screening of inmates and coordination for services upon reentry into the community
- HB1011 – Relative to prohibiting male genital mutilation
January 17, 2024
January 16, 2024
- SB562 – Relative to state recognition of biological sex
- SB387 – Relative to a state parks pass pilot program for recovery centers and community health centers
January 10, 2024
- SB457 – Relative to inpatient psychiatric services authorization and utilization review
- SB410 – Establishing a mental health community and transitional housing fund
- SB403 – Relative to health care workforce investments
January 9, 2024
- HB1199 – Relative to services of the office of the child advocate for youth experiencing homelessness and making an appropriation therefor
- SB577 – Relative to imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm
January 3, 2024
October 31, 2023
May 10, 2023
May 2, 2023
- HB 1&2 – NH State Budget and Budget Trailer Bill.
- HB 114 – Relative to the age at which a minor may receive mental health treatment without parental consent.
April 25, 2023
- SB 253 – Relative to parental access to a minor child’s medical records.
- HB 491 – Relative to prohibiting the use of the prone restraint for minors.
April 19, 2023
- SB 235 – Relative to services provided through a primary care behavioral health model.
- SB 238 – Relative to the use of telemedicine to treat mental health conditions.
April 18, 2023
- SB 272 –Establishing a parents’ bill of rights in education.
- HB 315 – Prohibiting provocation based on the defendant’s religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, political beliefs or affiliation, sex, or gender identity.
- SB 58 – Relative to arrests without a warrant while in the care of a medical professional on the premises of a residential care or health care facility.
April 12, 2023
April 4, 2023
- SB 263 –Extending the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program and reestablishing the commission to evaluate the effectiveness and future of the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program.
- HB 49 – Relative to postponing the closure of the Sununu Youth Services Center.
March 29, 2023
March 28, 2023
March 21, 2023
March 15, 2023
March 13, 2023
- HB 1&2 – NH State Budget and Budget Trailer Bill
- SB 116 – Relative to discharge from the secure psychiatric unit of the state prison.
March 7, 2023
- HB 619 –Prohibiting gender transition procedures for minors, relative to sex and gender in public schools, and relative to the definition of conversion therapy.
- HB 368 –Relative to protections related to receiving gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care.
- HB 10 –Establishing the parental bill of rights.
- HB 417 – Relative to the definition of child abuse.
- SB 272 –Establishing a parents’ bill of rights in education.
February 24, 2023
February 22, 2023
February 21, 2023
February 16, 2023
- HB 114 – Relative to the age at which a minor may receive mental health treatment without parental consent.
- HB 406 – Relative to parental access to children’s medical records.
- SB 265 – Making an appropriation for the multi-tiered system of support for children’s mental health.
February 15, 2023
- SB 235 – Relative to services provided through a primary care behavioral health model.
- SB 238 – Relative to the use of telemedicine to treat mental health conditions.
February 9, 2023
February 8, 2023
- HB 106 – Relative to extreme risk protection orders.
- SB 175 – Relative to Medicaid coverage for mothers.
February 7, 2023
- HB 505 – Relative to comprehensive mental health education in schools.
- HB 104 – Relative to multi-stall bathrooms and locker rooms in schools.
- HB 352 – Relative to excused absences due to a student’s mental or behavioral health.
- HB 491 – Relative to prohibiting the use of the prone restraint for minors.
- SB 179 – Relative to eliminating the use of seclusion as a form of punishment or discipline on children in schools and treatment facilities.
- SB 184 – Relative to the age at which a minor may receive mental health treatment without parental consent.
February 1, 2023
- SB 86 – Relative to health care workforce development and making appropriations therefor.
- HB 565 – Relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services.
- HB 315 – Prohibiting provocations based on a victims actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation from being used as a defense in a criminal case.
- HB 264 –Relative to amendments and corrections to birth records.
January 31, 2023
January 26, 2023
January 25, 2023
January 19, 2023
January 12, 2023
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
- HB 131 – Establishing a commission on mental health education programs.
- HB 240 – Establishing a commission to study the causes of high suicide rates of emergency and first responders.
- HCR 4 – Encouraging media outlets not to broadcast the name or image of a suspected perpetrator of a mass shooting.
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
2024 NH Legislative Session Recap
Across the state, the rallying call of mental health for all can be heard among advocates and policymakers alike. Though difficult, much was accomplished in the 2024 New Hampshire Legislative Session. Thanks to the work of advocates statewide, several policies passed that directly benefit Granite Staters affected by mental illness and suicide. We celebrate these successes and the tireless work of advocates working to strengthen mental health and suicide prevention here in New Hampshire. However, much work remains to be done. As we reflect on the challenges of the 2024 New Hampshire Legislative Session, we are struck by the lost opportunities—opportunities for New Hampshire to strengthen its resources, protect its citizens, and improve conditions for all. With these setbacks in mind, NAMI NH remains committed to building a New Hampshire where all people affected by mental illness have hope, help, and health.
Access to Services
We are heartened by the NH Legislature’s commitment to take a hard look at our mental health system and find new ways to increase access to services. In the 2024 session, several bills passed requiring the legislature to study the state’s mental health services. This includes the creation of committees to study competency restoration services and coverage for emergency mental health services for individuals under the age of 21, and the continuation of the commission studying post-traumatic stress disorder among first responders. Further, a bill was passed adopting the interstate social work licensure compact, which will greatly improve continuity of care for patients and increase professional mobility for mental health providers. While these are small steps, they are crucial ones, through which our state may further understand and address the specific needs of Granite Staters.
Suicide Prevention
One of the most striking lost opportunities this session was the failure of several bills seeking to prevent suicide through lethal means safety. Among these legislative efforts was the implementation of waiting periods before firearm purchases, the establishment of extreme risk protection orders, and the creation of a voluntary waiver of the right to purchase a firearm. With these losses in mind, there is a clear need to educate our legislators on the prevalence and lethality of firearms suicide and explore further opportunities to promote lethal means safety.
LGBTQ+ Rights
New Hampshire experienced a wave of legislation aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those who are transgender and nonbinary. Through the hard work of advocates across the Granite State, the vast majority of these bills were defeated. We are grateful for the many LGBTQ+ advocates who shared their voices and deeply personal stories as part of this powerful advocacy. While there were many wins, multiple harmful bills passed the NH legislature. Together, these bills dictate the sports transgender youth can play and the healthcare they can receive. Through the passage of this legislation that decreases affirming environments and restricts access to healthcare, the mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals in NH will be negatively impacted. We are gravely concerned by the mental health effects of these policies and the damaging stigma and discrimination they promote. Our policies must promote mental wellness and increase access to social support and necessary care, rather than limiting it. NAMI NH, along with advocates in every corner of our state, will continue our collective work to nurture and grow supportive communities, to help people access the care they need, and to eliminate stigma and discrimination
Children and Youth
Thanks to the efforts of child and youth advocates, significant progress was made in expanding and improving the services available to Granite State youth. This includes legislation strengthening the oversight of out-of-home placements, ensuring the safety of youth, and improving mental health outcomes. The passage of a bill adding an eating disorders helpline to student ID cards will expand awareness of, and access to, mental health resources for young people. Further, a bill was passed addressing childhood hunger, a key determinant of health, through the implementation of a summer EBT program. Finally, advocates were successful in defeating a bill that would have prohibited social-emotional learning in schools. While we regret the failure of an additional bill that would’ve enabled greater oversight and coordination of resources available to youth experiencing homelessness, we are ultimately encouraged by the many steps taken this session to care for Granite State youth.
Housing and Workforce Investments
To address the shortages exacerbating our mental health crisis, there is a continued need to invest in New Hampshire’s workforce and the availability of housing. We are disappointed by the failure of legislation that would have increased funding for transitional and supported housing through Community Mental Health Centers. We are, however, grateful for the passage of legislation that creates voluntary certification for Community Health Workers, as well as a bill creating a committee to study the impact of the housing crisis on people with disabilities. As we look forward to future sessions, we continue to emphasize the need for significant investment in these two crucial elements of our state’s wellness.
Justice Involvement
Throughout the session, NAMI NH worked closely with the sponsors of legislation aimed at complying with a federal requirement to report individuals who have been involuntarily committed to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, rendering them unable to purchase a firearm. In this partnership, we sought to ensure that individuals with a mental illness were treated fairly, were not exposed to stigma, discrimination, or dangerous encounters, and that the legislation provided for the restoration of rights when the person becomes well. Although the bill did not pass, we greatly appreciated the care and commitment of the sponsors in protecting the freedoms and wellbeing of individuals who have been involuntarily committed. The legislature took significant steps in expanding the resources available to justice-involved individuals. These efforts included the creation of veterans treatment courts, with a focus on mental health services, as well as policies requiring the usage of validated screening tools and allowing for greater coordination of services in county corrections.
Looking Ahead
The need to invest in our communities remains urgent. With the events of the 2024 Legislative Session in mind, we must rally behind our successes and look to the work ahead to improve the conditions within which we all live. More than anything, the 2024 session exhibited the spirit of Granite State advocates and emphasized the importance of community: to organize, to act, to heal. As advocates, we must continue to stand in solidarity: for our families, for our friends, for ourselves, for mental health—for all. Remember, you are not alone.
We are already looking at priorities for the 2025 legislative session! Get involved with mental health advocacy by subscribing to Public Policy Alerts.
Suicide Prevention
- Ensure that policies advance suicide prevention principles through expanding access to healthcare, reducing stigma and discrimination, and promoting awareness of mental illness and suicide.
- Limit access to lethal means through the creation of a voluntary do-not-sell firearms list, waiting periods before firearm purchases, and extreme risk protective orders.
Youth and Young Adults
- Require proper oversight of all out-of-state residential placements for youth and ensure that youth are placed as close to their community as clinically appropriate and possible.
- Require mental health education in school curriculum.
- Reduce barriers to access to mental and physical health care.
- Expand awareness of available mental health resources.
- Enable the Office of the Child Advocate to identify and develop programs to support youth experiencing homelessness.
Individual rights
- Ensure freedom from discrimination impacting the mental health of traditionally underserved communities.
- Ensure that efforts to comply with federal gun reporting laws are narrowly tailored, protect the patient-provider relationship, limit confrontation with law enforcement, and provide for the restoration of rights.
Justice Involvement
- Establish a commission to study competency restoration programs and services within the state.
Workforce
- Establish workforce pipeline development programs, particularly targeting rural and underserved areas of the state.
- Expand the state loan repayment program to include certain bachelor’s level non-clinical staff.
- Ensure equitable compensation across providers.
- Reduce barriers to licensure, especially for professionals from states with similar licensure requirements.
Housing
- Increase supply of affordable housing to address workforce needs.
- Expand access to transitional and supportive housing.
Cannabis
- Ensure that any cannabis legalization policy includes a broad array of safeguards to protect children, youth, and young adults, including:
- Significant funding for mental health services
- Potency limits on cannabis products to avoid negative mental health outcomes
- Extensive educational campaigns and other prevention initiatives
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:
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 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:
Addressing the Critical Mental Health Needs of NH Citizens – A ten year plan
You Can Influence Public Policy
So much was accomplished by NAMI NH’s founders, back in the 1980s, by creating personal contacts with their state and federal legislators. This work continues today, and it is a powerful action that you can take yourself. We’d like to help you with this process. Read on for information about who your state and federal legislators are and how, why, when and where to contact them.
We have two sets of government legislators:
- one set of legislators for the New Hampshire state government (find yours here).
- one set of legislators for the United States federal government (find yours here).
The term “legislator” refers to someone who makes laws. The term “legislature” refers to a group of people who make laws— the lawmaking body.
The New Hampshire state legislature is called the General Court. Alongside New Hampshire, Massachusetts is the only other state that uses this colonial term, originating from when the legislature included some work of the courts (other states use the term Legislature or Legislative Assembly).
The New Hampshire General Court’s website can be found here.
New Hampshire’s legislature has two parts, called houses, bodies, or chambers. This type of two-house legislature is called ‘bicameral’, with one house called the Upper House and one house called the Lower House.
The Upper House of all state governments (and the federal government) is always called the Senate. Its legislators are called Senators (US Senators if elected to the United States Senate, and State Senators if elected to the New Hampshire Senate).
The Lower House of New Hampshire’s state government (and the federal government) is called the House of Representatives, or the House for short. Legislators in the House of Representatives are called Representatives (US Representatives if elected to the United States House of Representatives, or State Representatives if elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives).
You are represented in state government by one State Senator and up to eleven State Representatives, depending upon where you live.
Remember, your legislators represent you.
State legislators meet in New Hampshire’s capitol city of Concord at the gold-domed capitol building called the State House and directly across the street at the Legislative Office Building (LOB).
Each state has a different amount of state legislators. New Hampshire is famous for having, by far, the largest group of state legislators, with a total of 424 (24 State Senators and 400 State Representatives).
The New Hampshire Legislature is essentially volunteer. NH legislators earn $100 annually ($200 total for their two-year term). Our legislature is also part-time. Each state is different, and some states do have full-time state legislators who are paid much higher annual salaries.
Usually, the New Hampshire Legislature is in session from January through June, although the Governor can request that they meet at other times to address special or time-sensitive issues, such as when they met in November 2015 to address the opioid crisis. When the legislature meets outside of its normal session, at the request of the Governor, it is called a special session.
The state is divided into 24 State Senate districts that are approximately equal in population size. Each district has one State Senator to represent its residents. Taking New Hampshire’s population size into account, each State Senator represents approximately 57,462 people.
For more information about the New Hampshire Senate, you can visit their web page here.
To find your State Senator, select your town from the drop-down menu here.
The state is divided into 103 State House districts that are approximately equal in population size. Four districts have one State Representative to represent its residents, while the other 99 districts have multiple State Representatives (ranging from two to eleven State Representatives, in what are known as multi-member districts). Therefore, depending on which district you live in, you will have from one to eleven State Representatives.
Taking New Hampshire’s population size into account, each State Representative represents an average of 3,448 people. Out of all 50 states, this is the smallest amount of people represented per State Representative. At the other end of the spectrum is California, where each State Representative represents approximately 494,709 people. New Hampshire residents have an amazing opportunity to get to know their State Representatives!
For more information about the New Hampshire House of Representatives, visit their website here.
To find your State Representative(s), select your town or district in the drop-down menu here. Note that several districts are also divided into wards.
The legislature of the United States is called Congress. Its website can be found here.
Each state has two US Senators. They serve 6-year terms that are staggered, so that we do not elect two Senators at the same time. Whichever Senator has been there longer is called the Senior Senator, and the newer Senator is called the Junior Senator. US Senators do not represent parts, or districts, within a state—they represent the whole state. Therefore, both Senators are your Senators. With 50 states each having two US Senators, the United States therefore has 100 US Senators.
Our two New Hampshire US Senators are Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D). Click the links to be connected to their web pages.
The legislature of the United States is called Congress. Its website can be found here.
States have from one to 53 US Representatives—the number is determined by population size (with all states guaranteed at least one US Representative). In total, there are 435 US Representatives. They serve two-year terms, and their elections are held in even years. US Representatives are also called Congresswomen or Congressmen.
Based on its population size, New Hampshire has two US Representatives, and the state is divided into two Congressional districts. Representative Chris Pappas (D) represents District 1 and Representative Ann Kuster (D) represents District 2. Click the links to be connected to their web pages. To learn whether you live in District 1 or District 2, you can enter your zip code here.
How can I contact my legislators?
Because it is their job to listen to you and represent you, legislators work very hard to make themselves reachable. You can:
- Call
- Write a letter
- Schedule a meeting
- Attend a meet-and-greet opportunity
- Connect over social media
Contacting a legislator is going to be a different experience depending on whether you are contacting a US legislator or a state legislator.
US legislators work out of Washington, DC, when Congress is in session, or at one of several offices around the state when out of session. They are professional politicians and have a variety of resources, including multiple staff members and funding.
State legislators travel to the State House in Concord when the legislature is in session, but are ‘regular’ citizens who are essentially volunteering their time to serve a public role. Except for a handful of legislators, including State Senators and those who have leadership positions, most New Hampshire legislators do not have offices (they do get a locker at the State House!) or staff members. Some states have ‘professional’ legislators, but New Hampshire does not—our legislature is considered a “citizen’s legislature.”
In New Hampshire, our state legislators typically provide their home address and their own cell phone or home number and email address so that their constituents can reach them.
You can find contact information for your NH State Representative here (select your town or district from the drop-down menu, and then click your State Representative’s name to see her or his contact information.)
You can find contact information for your NH State Senator here (select your town or district from the drop-down menu, and then click your State Senator’s name to see her or his contact information.)
Action steps you can take
- Sign up for NAMI NH ENews and NAMI NH Public Policy Alerts. NAMI NH ENews is sent twice per month. NAMI NH Public Policy Alerts are sent regularly while the New Hampshire Legislature is in session and when immediate action is needed from advocates.
- Like and Follow NAMI NH on social media to catch the issues in real time. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
- Check out NAMI NH’s Take Action Page for more in-depth information, including links to testimony we’ve provided, bills we’re following, and tips for contacting your state and federal legislators.
- Attend our free advocacy training, It’s Your Move, to learn how the New Hampshire government functions and how your story can effect change.
- Contact us! Just let us know you’re interested in sharing your story, and we’ll work with you from there. Call (603) 225-5359 or email advocacy@naminh.org.