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CONCORD, NH - On February 16, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on three bills that further infringe on reproductive rights and the delivery of reproductive health care in New Hampshire: HB 346, HB 562, and HB 591. An executive session on these bills has not been scheduled yet. 

In advance of the hearing, Granite Staters signed in overwhelmingly to oppose these reproductive rights initiatives:

  • HB 346 - would harm grieving families and severely criminalize providers offering compassionate care
    • 232 in support; 948 opposed
  • HB 562 - mandating a 24-hour waiting period for all abortion care
    • 218 in support; 1,178 opposed
  • HB 591 - a near total ban on abortion, prohibiting abortion at 6 weeks with virtually no exceptions
    • 215 in support; 1,311 opposed

After the hearings, Kayla Montgomery, Vice President for Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund, released the following statement:

“Anti-abortion extremists aren’t stopping at the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Across the country and here in New Hampshire we’re seeing a steady rise in attempts to further erode reproductive rights, including the waiting period mandate before all abortion care and a near total abortion ban considered today, even though these initiatives are wildly out of step with New Hampshire and American values. 

We urge the House Judiciary Committee - and all state lawmakers - to protect Granite Staters’ rights and uphold our state’s values of privacy and freedom by rejecting HB 346, HB 562, and HB 591.”

BACKGROUND:

Polling:

  • August 2022 polling by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center shows that support for abortion rights in New Hampshire is at a historic high and nearly 6 in 10 voters disapproved of the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022.
  • Polling released in July, 2021 from the UNH Survey Center shows that New Hampshire’s newly-enacted abortion ban is deeply unpopular, with only one-third of Granite Staters in support of it. Nearly half of independent Granite Staters oppose this ban, as do 27 percent of Republicans.
  • The truth is, most Granite Staters and most Americans support access to safe, legal abortion. If someone has decided to have an abortion, more than 8 in 10 respondents want the experience to be supportive and nonjudgmental, without added burdens or protesters, affordable and safe. 

The New Hampshire Landscape:

  • Without Roe, abortion is still safe and legal in New Hampshire until 24 weeks - for now. A bill to ban abortion would have to pass to further dismantle access to abortion. 
  • The restrictions on abortion in New Hampshire are clear: access to abortion at or after 24 weeks is banned, with no exceptions for rape or incest and doctors face criminalization. 
  • NH RSA 329:49 says “Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion.
  • New Hampshire is the only state in New England without proactive protections for abortion rights in state statutes or our state constitution.

HB 346: Criminalization of Compassionate Care

  • This bill is NOT about abortion. Instead, this bill threatens health care providers who need the ability to provide the most appropriate and compassionate end of life neonatal care care for families in the most devastating moments of their lives: knowing their newborn will not survive, no matter what futile treatments a provider may perform. 
  • Infants born alive are already protected under New Hampshire’s criminal statutes. 
  • This bill could have a dark, chilling effect on how doctors do their jobs and provide compassionate, evidence-based care to their patients during end of life neonatal decisions. 
  • PPNNE/PPNHAF HB 346 Memo
  • Testimony in opposition of HB 346:

HB 562: 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion Mandate

  • This bill requires a 24-hour waiting period for all patients seeking an abortion and is full of misinformation regarding medication abortion. 
  • Waiting period mandates create unnecessary obstacles to care and potentially dangerous risks for patients.
  • Geographic access to safe, legal in-health center abortion care is already limited where abortion providers are located in only 4 of 10 New Hampshire counties. For patients in the North Country or in rural and underserved areas, potentially needing to make  an additional trip to the provider’s location may be logistically or financially prohibitive and will disproportionately impact lower-income people, those in abusive relationships, and those without access to transportation.
  • Medication abortion is safe and effective for most people who want to end an early pregnancy, with a safety record of over 99%. 
  • Testimony in opposition of HB 562:

HB 591: Six-week Abortion Ban

  • This extreme bill is a near total ban on abortion; it bans abortion around six weeks, with virtually no exceptions.
  • For those with regular menstruation cycles, this bill would stop access to safe, legal abortion only two weeks after a missed period. Most people have very few signs of pregnancy - if any - at six weeks. This bill would take away a person’s ability to make their own medical decisions before they even know they have a decision to make.
  • Testimony in opposition of HB 591:

Proactive Bills:

On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, the NH House Judiciary Committee held hearings on the following proactive bills that would protect reproductive rights:

  • CACR 2 - amending New Hampshire’s state constitution to add reproductive rights
  • HB 271 - a full repeal of the current New Hampshire abortion ban
  • HB 88 - the House version of the Access to Abortion-care Act
  • HB 224 - to remove the criminal and civil penalties from New Hampshire’s abortion ban

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Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) is the largest provider of reproductive and sexual health care across the State of New Hampshire. We serve New Hampshire residents through 5 health centers in Derry, Exeter, Keene, Manchester and White River Junction, VT. Last year we saw more than 10,000 patients at these sites. PPNNE was named a 2021 and 2022 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey, the national leader in health care consumer and workforce engagement. Press Ganey recognizes PPNNE as a top-performing health care organization, achieving the 95th percentile or above for performance in patient experience, out of more than 20,000 medical practices.

Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund (PPNHAF) is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in New Hampshire. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy. 

 

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