Committee Summary for Senate Health and Human Services (03/11/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB504 0862 00:02:14.760 - 8:01:00 AM	Public Hearing	relative to the practice of pharmacy and the dispensing of certain medications by pharmacists.	Rochefort, David(R)[B-]2025
SB647 00:58:10.683 - 8:56:56 AM	Public Hearing	authorizing the department of insurance to participate in a cooperative procurement group via an intergovernmental agreement for a prescription drug discount program.	Rochefort, David(R)[B-]2025
SB607 2024-2608s 01:28:00.000 - 9:26:46 AM	Public Hearing	relative to short-term, limited duration health insurance policies	Innis, Daniel(R)[B]2025
SB(COMMISSIONONCHILDREN'SHEALTH) 01:38:50.629 - 9:37:36 AM	Public Hearing	relative to establishing a commission on children's health and mental well-being	Likely Text to Speech Error on Bill #
SB520 01:53:50.629 - 9:52:36 AM	Public Hearing	relative to breast surgeries for minors.	Reardon, Tara(D)[F]2025
SB607 0890s 02:12:00.000 - 10:10:46 AM	Executive Session	relative to short-term, limited duration health insurance policies	Innis, Daniel(R)[B]2025
SB456 02:15:00.000 - 10:13:46 AM	Executive Session	establishing the commission for children's futures.	Sullivan, Victoria(R)[A-]2025
SB520 02:18:00.000 - 10:16:46 AM	Executive Session	relative to breast surgeries for minors.	Reardon, Tara(D)[F]2025
SB613 1161s 02:26:00.000 - 10:24:46 AM	Executive Session	relative to licensing requirements for health care facilities established within a 15 mile radius of a critical access hospital.	Prentiss, Suzanne(D)[F]2025

SB504 0862: David Roche, Senator District 1 Support00:02:14.760 - 8:01:00 AM; Senator Roche introduces SB 504 as a comprehensive bill primarily addressing technical corrections in pharmacy laws. He explains provisions allowing 30-day supplies of non-controlled oral cancer medications by licensed professionals to avoid delays in therapy; changing pharmacist license display to readily retrievable due to modern multi-location work; authorizing remote processing for licensed advanced pharmacy technicians; aligning labeling requirements for non-controlled substances; revising collaborative practice agreements to remove additional board requirements, emphasizing physician-pharmacist trust; proposing an amendment to eliminate the jurisprudence exam requirement while maintaining compliance obligations and continuing clinical education; and adding 'prescribing' to the definition of pharmacy practice to align with over 20 states and enable better utilization of pharmacists' training without intending independent practices.
SB504 0862: Patricia Tilley, Associate Commissioner, DHHS; David Chorney, Director, GoNorth Support00:25:00.000 - 8:23:46 AM; Patricia Tilley supports SB 504, noting alignment with rural health transformation goals and CMS priorities for access to care. She highlights benefits for dispensing cancer medications in rural areas, clarifications on licensing and remote processing, technical cleanups, and collaborative practice changes enabling services like immunizations and chronic disease management. She suggests adding 'voluntary' to collaborative practices and emphasizes team contributions in provider-short areas. David Chorney explains the bill's role in securing CMS Rural Health Transformation Grant funds by committing to expanded pharmaceutical scope including independent prescribing.
SB504 0862: Unnamed speaker, NH Medical Society Information Only00:32:45.012 - 8:31:31 AM; The speaker expresses concerns about the bill as written, particularly blurring lines between pharmacy and medicine in sections on practice definitions and collaborative agreements. They seek clarification on prescribing, ordering, administering, and interpreting tests under item F, and worry about removing credentialing and training requirements for collaborative practices, stressing the need for continuing education. They acknowledge pharmacists' roles but want to work with stakeholders to tighten language while preserving physician exam, diagnosis, and treatment roles.
SB504 0862: Maureen Brady, Pharmacist, Wentworth-Douglas Hospital Support00:35:00.000 - 8:33:46 AM; Maureen Brady, with 20 years experience, a PharmD from Northeastern, PGY1 residency, and academic background, supports SB 504 to allow practice based on education and training. She describes managing chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension under collaborative agreements in an internal medicine practice, seeing patients faster than providers, adjusting medications, and serving as a gatekeeper for specialists like endocrinologists to improve access and reduce burnout.
SB504 0862: Bob Terrio and Tanya Carlton, New Hampshire Society of Health-System Pharmacists Support00:40:00.000 - 8:38:46 AM; Representing NHSHP with 65 years combined experience, they strongly support sections on pharmacy practice definition and collaborative practice revisions. They note pharmacists' evolution to direct patient care, managing chronic conditions, but highlight overly prescriptive regulations hindering full practice. SB 504 modernizes to a standards-of-care model like other professions, enabling evidence-based services without rigid rules, such as for smoking cessation.
SB504 0862: Christopher Lopez, Clinical Pharmacist, Elliot Health System Support00:47:45.012 - 8:46:31 AM; Christopher Lopez, an ambulatory care pharmacist, supports the bill. He oversees embedded pharmacists in various clinics, seeing 120-150 patients monthly via physician referrals for chronic condition management. He offers to answer questions on this patient-facing role to familiarize the committee with pharmacists' integral contributions.
SB504 0862: Amanda Morrill, President, New Hampshire Pharmacists Association Support00:50:00.000 - 8:48:46 AM; Amanda Morrill, a 15-year pharmacist, educator, and board-certified specialist, urges support for SB 504 on behalf of NHPA. She clarifies it enables care consistent with training, aligns with other states and professions' governance, maintains continuing education (15 hours/year), and assesses knowledge via NAPLEX including laws. With 37 states allowing prescribing, it reduces administrative burdens. Pharmacists' education includes diagnosis and prescribing per accreditation standards. She offers to collaborate on scope definitions and notes laws lag behind evolving education amid pharmacy access declines.
SB647: David Rochefort, Senate District 1 Support00:58:10.683 - 8:56:56 AM; Senator Rochefort, the prime sponsor, introduces SB 647, explaining it focuses on prescription drug pricing and addresses issues with existing discount cards that capture and sell personal data. He highlights new discount programs that offer better savings without selling data, such as the one implemented in Vermont. He notes challenges in assigning the program to a state department, mentioning discussions with DHHS and Insurance, and suggests the Insurance Department as a placeholder. He emphasizes the pro-consumer benefits in price and privacy, urges adoption, and invites questions.
SB647: Michelle Heaton, Director of Legislative Health, New Hampshire Insurance Department Information Only01:02:00.000 - 9:00:46 AM; Michelle Heaton expresses concerns about the bill as drafted, noting it restricts cooperative procurement via intergovernmental agreements and lacks clarity on directives. She clarifies the Insurance Department's role in regulating discount medical plans and sees opportunities to regulate these programs for consumer protections. She is open to working on amendments or new statutes but notes a week is ambitious. She offers to collaborate for later implementation.
SB647: Sam Burgess, Healthcare Policy Director, New Futures Support01:08:00.000 - 9:06:46 AM; Sam Burgess testifies in strong support of SB 647, joined by Stephanie Krieg from Connecticut. He defers to her for details on the ArrayRX program and adds comments on its benefits. After her testimony, he emphasizes promotion strategies through trusted messengers like social services. He responds to questions on setup, noting the importance of stakeholder relationships. He commits to connecting with the Insurance Department to refine placement and language, highlighting revenue generation, no cost to state, privacy protections, immediate savings up to 80%, and statewide pharmacy access.
SB647: Stephanie Krieg, Senior Advisor for Health Policy Initiatives, Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller Support01:10:00.000 - 9:08:46 AM; Stephanie Krieg describes the ArrayRX multi-state collaborative prescription drug discount card program, which improves medication access and affordability. Eligible to all regardless of insurance or status, it allows free enrollment, price lookups, and comparisons. It operates outside insurance, providing discounts on prescriptions and supplies with transparent reimbursements for pharmacies, including a small administrative fee. She notes its success in Connecticut and answers questions on program stability, emphasizing stakeholder strategy over operational changes.
SB647: Anne LaForce, Retired Nurse and AARP Volunteer Support01:23:50.629 - 9:22:36 AM; Anne LaForce testifies on behalf of herself and AARP NH in support of SB 647. Drawing from her nursing experience, she highlights the struggles of New Hampshire residents affording medications, leading to dangerous behaviors like skipping doses. She praises the bill for creating a free discount card program offering significant savings to all residents, protecting privacy by not selling data, and urges support as a practical step.
SB647: Mary Roberg, AARP Volunteer, Manchester, NH Support01:25:00.000 - 9:23:46 AM; Mary Roberg supports SB 647, sharing personal experience as her mother's caregiver facing high medication costs equaling half her Social Security. As a social service worker ensuring client coverage, she sees similar issues and emphasizes the program's cost-saving potential without repeating prior testimony. She stresses its importance for elderly and clients' quality of life.
SB607 2024-2608s: Grant Bossy, Deputy Chief of Staff, New Hampshire Senate (on behalf of Senator Dan Innes) Support01:28:00.000 - 9:26:46 AM; Grant Bossy introduces SB 607 and Amendment 2024-2608s, noting 64,000 uninsured in NH and rising premiums. Current regulations limit short-term plans to six months without renewal, outdated since 1995. The amendment allows initial up to 12 months and renewals to 24 months total, aligning with 29 states. These plans serve as safety nets for gaps, with lower premiums but limited coverage, plus enhanced disclosures for transparency.
SB607 2024-2608s: Nancy Vaughn, Government Relations Director, American Heart Association Information Only01:32:00.000 - 9:30:46 AM; Nancy Vaughn provides perspective on short-term plans, not opposing the bill but concerned with its tethering to federal law. She recommends state-set limits: initial three months with one-month renewal, total four months in 12. She acknowledges plans' limited benefits and gap-filling role, offers to work on amendments, and suggests reading her written testimony.
SB607 2024-2608s: John Reynolds, State Director, National Federation of Independent Business Support01:35:00.000 - 9:33:46 AM; John Reynolds supports the amended SB 607, representing 1,700 small businesses. He notes healthcare costs concerns, especially for uninsured in late 40s-60s risking major bills. With 64,000 uninsured likely increasing, short-term plans provide a bridge, but current limits hinder utility post-ACA. Amendment allows continuity, reduces burdens, and adds disclosure transparency on differences from comprehensive coverage.
SB(COMMISSIONONCHILDREN'SHEALTH): Public Witness from Manchester Support01:38:50.629 - 9:37:36 AM; The witness supports the bill to establish a commission monitoring youth health trends, including IEPs, 504 plans, pharmaceutical use, mental health diagnoses, childhood diseases, autism, mental health services, gang prevalence, school violence (citing 1,100 incidents in Manchester), truancy, adverse experiences, opioid impacts, pornography exposure, and youth homelessness. She advocates overlaying data to identify overdiagnosis, overprescription, environmental factors, or neurophysiological changes, aiming for positive interventions. She addresses questions on data access, confident via invitations to departments and existing reports.
SB(COMMISSIONONCHILDREN'SHEALTH): Jenny O'Higgins and Abby Rogers, Legislative Liaisons, DHHS (Behavioral Health and Public Health) Information Only01:48:00.000 - 9:46:46 AM; The DHHS liaisons share goals for children's health and safety, informing on existing commissions and advisory bodies for potential collaboration on issues related to the bill.
SB520: Tara Reardon, Senator District 15 Support01:53:50.629 - 9:52:36 AM; Senator Reardon introduces SB 520 to address breast reduction surgeries for minors, prompted by a constituent's story of transformative elective reduction in high school for physical and social issues. She notes HB 712's limits may deter such surgeries unrelated to gender dysphoria. She proposes amendments clarifying allowances for musculoskeletal pain, postural changes, or discomfort restricting activity, ensuring access without strict diagnoses. Her constituent fears existing language would prevent her surgery.
SB520: Beth Scheer, Nashua Oppose01:57:00.000 - 9:55:46 AM; Beth Scheer opposes SB 520 as written, arguing it repeals HB 712's ban on breast surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria. She shares regret stories from six young women post-mastectomy, including complications, loss of breastfeeding ability, and coercion. She warns of 'breast reductions' being used for near-total removal and notes HB 712's allowed conditions, urging protection for vulnerable youth.
SB520: Aubrey Friedman, Bridgewater Support02:08:50.629 - 10:07:36 AM; Aubrey Friedman initially opposed SB 520 for reasons similar to previous testimony but changed her mind after hearing the sponsor's explanation, recognizing it addresses medical conditions unrelated to gender issues. She supports the bill if the language is clarified to focus on physical, mental, and medical conditions, excluding psychological and emotional aspects related to gender. She suggests incorporating language from 329.53 for clarity and emphasizes the need for parental consent, assuming it is covered elsewhere in the law.
SB607 0890s: Chair Rocheford Vote02:12:00.000 - 10:10:46 AM; Moves to pass SB 607 without opposition.
SB607 0890s: Senator Prentice Information Only02:12:30.000 - 10:11:16 AM; Raises concerns from Nancy Bond of New York Heart Association about time frames in the amendment, clarifying that the amendment covers contracts less than 12 months, addressing issues like three-month periods.
SB607 0890s: Committee Vote02:13:00.000 - 10:11:46 AM; Adopts amendment 0890s by voice vote (aye). Moves to pass as amended by voice vote (aye). Consent calendar by voice vote (aye).
SB456: Senator Prentice Information Only02:15:00.000 - 10:13:46 AM; Not in opposition but suggests ensuring the commission includes a special education professional experienced with IEPs among the teachers certified by the Department of Education.
SB456: Committee Vote02:16:00.000 - 10:14:46 AM; Discusses potential committee amendment to add special education certification and remove redundant state legislator appointment. John from HHS suggests consolidating under existing entity like the oversight commission on children's services as a permanent subcommittee. Decides to hold off for a week to discuss with sponsor Senator Sullivan.
SB456: John, HHS Information Only02:17:00.000 - 10:15:46 AM; Acknowledges the bill's intent to address important areas like housing, gang violence, and behavioral health but recommends using an existing entity for a permanent subcommittee to avoid additional reporting burdens, citing examples like the Alzheimer's subcommittee.
SB520: Chair Rocheford Information Only02:18:00.000 - 10:16:46 AM; Explains the bill addresses an oversight from last year's legislation (HB 712) for medical needs like breast reductions in minors, unrelated to transgender surgery. Shares personal family experience.
SB520: Senator Riordan (Sponsor) Information Only02:23:50.629 - 10:22:36 AM; Reiterates constituent's story of a high school girl who benefited life-changingly from breast reduction surgery, becoming successful in the Air Force. Quotes email triggered by HB 712, emphasizing medical complications addressed by the bill.
SB520: Senator Prentice Support02:24:00.000 - 10:22:46 AM; Supports providing clarity to protect minors and families, ensuring physicians have a clear path for medically necessary procedures.
SB520: Committee Vote02:25:00.000 - 10:23:46 AM; Prefers the longer definition language. Moves committee amendment to line F: 'at the election of the minor in consultation with the primary care physician deemed medically necessary, unrelated to gender dysphoria.' Adopts by voice vote (aye). Moves to pass as amended by voice vote (aye). Consent calendar by voice vote (aye).
SB613 1161s: Senator (Unspecified) Vote02:26:00.000 - 10:24:46 AM; Moves to pass SB 613.
SB613 1161s: Senator (Unspecified) Information Only02:26:30.000 - 10:25:16 AM; Offers amendment 1161s to ensure transfers from freestanding emergency facilities are based on clinical appropriateness, patient's needs, and regional access, making facilities agnostic to insurance status to prevent selective transfers.
SB613 1161s: Senator Long Information Only02:27:00.000 - 10:25:46 AM; Notes the amendment was drafted as replace all by mistake; suggests amending to add to the bill without replacing. Explains it aligns with EMS statutes allowing patient choice unless medically contraindicated, preventing shipping patients preferentially.
SB613 1161s: Chair Rocheford Information Only02:27:30.000 - 10:26:16 AM; Confirms understanding with example of preventing automatic transfers to distant hospitals like Maine Med when local options exist.
SB613 1161s: Senator (Unspecified) Vote02:28:00.000 - 10:26:46 AM; Withdraws and remakes motion for committee amendment without 'replace all' language, combining with underlying bill. Adopts by voice vote (aye). Moves to pass as amended by voice vote (aye). Consent calendar by voice vote (aye).

Rochefort, David(Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Avard, Kevin(V Chairman)(R)[B]2025	Birdsell, Regina(R)[B-]2025
Prentiss, Suzanne(D)[F]2025	Long, Pat(D)[F]2025