Urgent Action Needed: NH Senate Committee to Hear 2 Critical Bills

We’re excited to let you know that two critical bills will be heard by the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 5, at 1:45 PM, Room 100 of the State House. We encourage you to contact the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of these bills, and to come testify in person if you are able.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear H.B. 1612, a bill that will begin to change New Hampshire’s child abuse and neglect reporting laws from anonymous to confidential. H.B. 1612 will also create penalties for someone who knowingly makes a false report of child abuse. H.B. 1612 previously passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives by a vote of 175-161.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will also hear H.B. 1431, the Parents’ Bill of Rights. This bill will enshrine into New Hampshire law that parental rights are a fundamental right, will strengthen New Hampshire’s curriculum transparency provisions for parents of children in New Hampshire public schools, and will provide additional protections for families in New Hampshire.

Home School Legal Defense Association attorney Michael Donnelly will be on hand on behalf of ParentalRights.org to testify in favor of both bills.

We encourage you to email all the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee by visiting the Committee page here and clicking “Email Entire Committee.” We also encourage you to consider coming to the State House in Concord on Tuesday, April 5, to testify in person in favor of these two bills. 

Here is a suggested email, but we encourage you to add in your own words, share personal anecdotes, and make changes so it comes from your heart:

Dear Members of the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee:

I ask that you support H.B. 1612 and H.B. 1431. Both of these bills have already passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and both of these bills will protect children and families in New Hampshire.  

H.B. 1612 will add in more accountability to the reporting of child abuse and neglect in New Hampshire. It will set in place safeguards to help protect innocent children and families from going through the trauma of an unnecessary governmental child abuse or neglect investigation by making it harder for bad actors to file false reports of abuse and neglect. Additionally, H.B. 1612 will create penalties for false reports of child abuse, further protecting innocent children and families. This bill will help to keep bad actors from weaponizing the system against innocent families.

H.B. 1431, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, will enshrine into New Hampshire law that parental rights are a fundamental right, as the U.S. Supreme Court has held for the past 100 years. Additionally, H.B. 1431 will protect parents and children in New Hampshire’s public schools by allowing parents to make critical decisions regarding their own children.  Passage of this bill into law will make New Hampshire the 15th state in the nation to protect parental rights as a fundamental right in the state code.

You can read our letter of support for H.B. 1431 here, and our letter of support for H.B. 1612 here.

Thank you for standing with us for freedom.

Sincerely,

Will Estrada

President

ParentalRights.org