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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Parental rights bills get over finish line
A push to give parents affirmative rights to information about their children — a legislative priority for Gov. Kelly Ayotte — cleared both House and Senate Thursday in two identical bills. In a key concession, however, Republican leaders in both chambers agreed to remove a section requiring that parents give consent for all health care services provided to their children. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and other advocates of legal abortion argued that section would have been in conflict with federal law that permits teens to gain access to birth control without parental permission. The Senate-passed bill (SB 72) won approval in the House largely on a party line vote of 214-167. The vote to support changes the Senate made to the House bill (HB 10) was 210-160. State Rep. Peter Petrigno, D-Milford, charged that the measure's high legal standard of 'clear and convincing evidence' for educators to be able to withhold information from parents could put children at risk of harm. 'We will be giving cover to child abusers; I am sure that is not the intent but that is exactly what that provision does,' Petrigno said. Rep. Heather Raymond, D-Nashua who formerly worked for the Division of Children, Youth and Families, said the current standard for DCYF to investigate abuse is if the teacher has a 'reasonable cause to suspect' that it happened. DCYF can then bring an abuse allegation to law enforcement if it meets the 'preponderance of the evidence.' House Speaker Pro Tem Jim Kofalt, R-Wilton, said the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a Manchester parent seeking information about their child showed that the Legislature needed to act. 'They did not have clear and unequivocal guidance from this Legislature and governor that parental rights are fundamental and should be viewed through that lens; that changes the game,' Kofalt said. House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, had been working for the past four years on a parental rights policy and made it one of the top 10 issues contained in the House GOP's 'Contract with New Hampshire' during the 2024 campaign. 'Today, with the passage of HB 10, the Legislature has taken a decisive step to uphold parental rights. This legislation reaffirms a fundamental principle: that parents have the right to be informed and involved in decisions affecting their children's lives,' Packard said in a statement after the vote. Kayla Montgomery, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, praised a coalition of groups who had pushed to remove the section requiring parental consent for health care. 'Confidentiality plays a key role in supporting young people to make healthy, responsible decisions as they grow into adulthood,' Montgomery said. 'When confidentiality is assured, teens and young adults are more likely to obtain health services, disclose necessary information to their providers, and seek out needed services in the future. When young people perceive a lack of confidentiality, they often delay or forgo seeking critical care, including sexual and reproductive health care.' Devon Chaffee, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, said removing that section was the right move. 'Granite Staters have continued to make it crystal clear that legislative attacks on our reproductive rights and health care are deeply unpopular,' Chaffee said. Senate Majority Leader Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead, said this reform came about because lawmakers worked to come up with the best proposal. 'This language is a compromise between both bodies and is a win for the parents and children of New Hampshire,' Birdsell said. The Senate approved its measure on a voice vote after Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth had warned that it would not do enough to 'protect our kids' from potential abuse. klandrigan@
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH House approves bill imposing punishments for false reports of child abuse or neglect
House Bill 243 will forbid people in New Hampshire from making false reports 'maliciously or with the intent of harm' and allow them to face criminal charges or civil lawsuits for doing so. (Getty Images) The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a proposal through a voice vote on Thursday to punish people who file false reports of child abuse or neglect. If also approved by the Senate and governor, House Bill 243 will forbid people in New Hampshire from making false reports 'maliciously or with the intent of harm' and allow them to face criminal charges or civil lawsuits for doing so. It also specifies that reports 'may' include the name, address, or phone number of whoever was making the report. Thursday's vote goes against the wishes of the majority in the House Children and Family Law Committee. That committee previously voted, 10-6, to recommend the full House reject the bill over concerns it would be ineffective and have a chilling effect. Lawmakers opposed to the bill pointed out that by simply allowing the name and information of the reporter to be included and not requiring it, this bill still allows people intentionally filing false reports to remain anonymous, making it ineffective. They also said a provision in the bill that informs reporters they may be subject to criminal or civil penalties for malicious reports would have a chilling effect, possibly discouraging good-faith reporters and preventing real abuse from being addressed. 'If one child is put at risk, that is one child too many,' Rep. Peter Petrigno, a Milford Democrat, said Thursday on the House floor in opposition to the bill. 'While the bill has good intentions, it's impractical and potentially harmful.' Deerfield Republican Rep. James Spillane, who sponsored the bill, previously told the Bulletin, 'we've got a problem with people weaponizing the system.' He said he'd heard from constituents stories of aggrieved ex-spouses or squabbling grandparents making false reports vindictively. Another bill related to false reports of abuse and neglect, also sponsored by Spillane, is still being considered by the House. House Bill 430, if passed, would shorten the length of time the Department of Health and Human Services holds onto records regarding 'unfounded' reports of child abuse or neglect. The department currently maintains records of unfounded abuse or neglect for 10 years from when it was deemed unfounded, unless it determines there is 'reasonable concern' about the case, at which point the records are kept indefinitely. This legislation would shorten that period from 10 to three years. After that, the department destroys all electronic or paper records in the case. The Children and Family Law Committee will discuss that bill in closed session on March 4.
