Another month into the legislative session and a number of things are moving. Up this week is Senate Bill 137 relative to licensure by endorsement granted by the Board of Nursing. I proposed this bill based on the Governors Commission on Healthcare report that recommends among other things accelerated licensure of out-of-state nurses wishing to work in NH. The bill adds 4 states for reciprocal licensure, CT, MA, NY, and VT. The bill is recommended for passage. Good testimony was provided by Amy Mathews from Cheshire Medical Center and Chris Gillisen, from Langdon Place.
Also up for final Senate consideration is the authority of towns to issue bonds for the expansion of broadband infrastructure. Testimony from Brad Roscoe, Chesterfield, Phil Suter, Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca Landry, City of Keene, and Jeanne Dietsch, Peterborough and written testimony generated from a number of others locally shed light on the broad support for this legislation. The Senate hearing also helped define ways to limit financial exposure of towns to the initial bonding for infrastructure by requiring bids from commercial vendors for operations. I’m still looking for support to help this pass.
I’m please that a number bills I sponsored having passed the Senate. Most important is the addition to the relative to liquor revenues deposited into the alcohol abuse prevention and treatment fund. While not at the 5% level I proposed, the Senate has recommended allocation of a 3.4% of liquor revenues in both FY2018 and FY2019. Gov. Sununu recommended this amount and potentially more in FY2019 in his budget address.
Also passed by the Senate is SB 147, establishing a joint legislative committee to study mental health and social service information system interoperability. This bill aims to accelerate delivery of services and create efficiencies among providers. A couple that I co-sponsored and that have passed include funding the New Hampshire Internet crimes against children task force, SB 99, and SB 224 relative to prohibiting conversion therapy by licensed professionals who seek to change a person's orientation
The passage of another couple bills I sponsored or co-sponsored have been passed by the Senate but still require fiscal review: SB 191, relative to the definition of average daily membership in attendance to include full-day kindergarten and SB 241 to determining the location of a visitor center in Cheshire County.
Of course, not every bill sponsored passes. School building matching funds didn’t pass from the Senates. More info to follow. Thank you for keeping in touch.