The New Hampshire House convened on June 11, with the intention of continuing the business of the 2020 legislative session. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, House deadlines must be reset for most legislation to move forward.
Thirty-six House bills were killed and 200 Senate bills awaiting debate will not transfer to the House because the House was unable to garner the necessary two-thirds vote to move this legislation into debate.
Those that failed included increased protections for children, assistance for renters impacted by COVID-19, an examination of racial profiling and unconscious bias in policing, net metering policies and a highway plan update critical to our state’s long-term planning.
Altogether, 36 bills were effectively killed and 200 Senate bills will not transfer over to the House for deliberation.
Significant bills not moving forward:
The 10-year Highway Plan is critical to the long-term planning of New Hampshire’s roadways and transportation infrastructure. This plan contains items that benefit communities across New Hampshire, including funding to remove the tollbooth in Merrimack.
Net metering policies similar to HB1218 have had a history of strong bipartisan support in the New Hampshire House. This bill represents a significant amount of work by two House Policy committees, municipalities, and businesses to create compromise legislation to expand net metering in New Hampshire. This was an opportunity to have debate that is so important to towns, municipalities, businesses, and citizens across the state.
The request to introduce legislation addressing racial profiling, disproportionate representation of people of color in arrests and incarceration, and unconscious bias in our policing, corrections and criminal justice system and judicial systems is both timely and long overdue.
The health protocols for the historic session were simple and reasonable - all members were allowed entry to the arena, but those who refused to wear facial protection were seated in an area separate from those in compliance. The New Hampshire House has hundreds of at-risk members which underscores the need to take health precautions seriously. Most members followed the guidelines without issue.