Last week marked the halfway point of the 2019 legislative session. After "crossover," the House will hear all the legislation passed by the Senate, while the Senate votes on bills the House has sent us.
While the fight is far from over, Senate Democrats have made great progress in the last 3 months, and I'm excited to share some legislative updates.
Legislative Update:
SB 4 - Pre-existing conditions shouldn't be treated as a black mark that makes it harder for Granite Staters to find access to quality healthcare. Senate Bill 4 will create protections for those with pre-existing conditions and protect access to healthcare. SB 4 passed the Senate last week and will go to the House for consideration.
SB 290 - As the Trump administration continues to try and strip healthcare from working families, we need to stand up for New Hampshire families and protect healthcare. Senate Bill 290 will improve our state's Medicaid Expansion program - improving its financial stability and focusing the work and community engagement requirement where it can be most successfully applied. SB 290 passed the Senate 14-10 last week and will go to the House for consideration.
SB 5 - Last month, we passed SB 5, a bill I sponsored to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. SB 5 passed the Senate and will be voted on by the House Finance Committee.
I believe the Governor's budget severely underfunds Kindergarten-12th-grade education. With many schools around the state struggling to keep their doors open, we can't afford to flat-fund public education. I was happy to stand with my Senate colleague Melanie Levesque in Nashua recently as we hosted a press conference on what the Governor's budget means for Nashua schools.
Last week, I was proud to receive the Legislator of the Year Award from the National Association of Social Workers - NH. Social workers are at the forefront of social justice in New Hampshire, and I'm inspired event day by the work they do in our state.
