New Hampshire Lawmakers Approve Controversial Bills Ahead of Session's End

Strategic Insights -

As the final day of the 2025 legislative session drew to a close, New Hampshire lawmakers approved several contentious bills, including measures that restrict access to gender-affirming care for minors, limit access to librarians' records, and increase voter verification requirements. The bills now head to Governor Kelly Ayotte's desk, where she will have the option to sign them into law, veto them, or allow them to become law without her signature.

The House and Senate voted to pass bills that would ban gender transition surgery and medication treatment for minors, citing concerns about the safety and efficacy of such treatments. Democrats opposed the bills, arguing that they would deny adolescents with gender dysphoria access to life-saving care. The laws, if signed, would come on the heels of a 2024 law that banned gender transition genital surgeries. The U.S. Supreme Court had recently upheld the constitutionality of such state laws in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

Key Takeaways:

  • New Hampshire lawmakers passed two bills that would ban all gender transition surgery and medication treatment for minors, citing concerns about the safety and efficacy of such treatments.
  • The bills, if signed, would come on the heels of a 2024 law that banned gender transition genital surgeries, and would align with the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision upholding the constitutionality of such state laws in U.S. v. Skrmetti.
  • Democrats opposed the bills, arguing that they would deny adolescents with gender dysphoria access to life-saving care.
  • The House and Senate also passed a bill that requires public libraries to make children's borrowing histories available to their parents or legal guardians upon request.
  • The bill, if signed, would carve out an exception to the current law that makes all library records confidential.
  • Lawmakers passed further bills that increase voter verification requirements, including a proposal to require documentary proof of citizenship, age, domicile, and identity with absentee ballot registration forms.
  • The Senate Bill 218 would require a witness to sign an affidavit stating that they observed the registrant sign the application form and that the registrant "satisfied" the witness regarding their identity.
  • The bill to allow landlords to terminate a tenancy at the end of the lease period with no "good cause" needed passed in the House and Senate despite tenants' rights advocates criticizing it for being harsh on tenants.
  • The final version of the bill exempts any "no cause" termination of tenancy from appearing as an eviction on the tenant's record.

Statistics:

  • The 2024 law that banned gender transition genital surgeries has already been enacted.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of such state laws in U.S. v. Skrmetti.
  • The bill to require public libraries to make children's borrowing histories available to their parents or legal guardians upon request passed in the House and Senate.
  • The proposal to increase voter verification requirements would require documentary proof of citizenship, age, domicile, and identity with absentee ballot registration forms.
  • The Senate Bill 218 would require a witness to sign an affidavit stating that they observed the registrant sign the application form and that the registrant "satisfied" the witness regarding their identity.
  • The bill to allow landlords to terminate a tenancy at the end of the lease period with no "good cause" needed passed in the House and Senate.

Sources:

  • New Hampshire Bulletin: "New Hampshire Republicans eke out turbulent budget victory; Democrats denounce cuts"
  • New Hampshire Legislative Branch: "House Bill 712"
  • New Hampshire Legislative Branch: "House Bill 377"
  • New Hampshire Legislative Branch: "Senate Bill 218"
  • New Hampshire Legislative Branch: "Senate Bill 287"
  • New Hampshire Legislative Branch: "House Bill 60"
  • New Hampshire Legislative Branch: "Senate Bill 14"