News + Updates
Updates on our work
The 603 Equality Civic Education Initiative creates a multi-pronged approach to engaging, informing, and empowering voters who care about LGBTQIA issues. An important part of that is by Tracking legislation that touches the LGBTQIA+ community and providing updates and information on how NH residents can effectively engage with proposed legislation at every stage.
SB430: Bill Hearings & Public Record
SB430- Forced Outing in Schools
Official Title: relative to mandatory disclosure by school district employees to parents and legal guardians.
Bill Sponsors:(Prime) Lang (R), Avard (R), Birdsell (R), McGough (R), Ruth Ward (R), Innis (R), Gray (R), Gannon (R), Abbas (R), Victoria Sullivan (R), Keith Murphy (R), Carson (R), Pearl (R), Rochefort (R), Berry (R), Moffett (R)
Bill Hearings & Public Record (this record is a work-in-progress)
Summary: This bill expands upon the "forced outing" or mandatory disclosure of any information about public school students to their parents. Last year's HB10, the "parental bill of rights," created a situation where teachers would be forced to out LGBTQIA students. This bill strengthens that dynamic and inflicts strict penalties against educators who don’t comply. It does provide a very weak provision if educators feel the student is at risk - but risk is incredibly difficult to gauge on matters of identity and home life. This bill would jeopardize the safety of LGBTQIA+ students who do not live in an affirming home, and remove the likelihood that students would be able to build foundational trust with safe adults in their lives in all areas by turning educators into a tool of surveillance. The original bill text can be read by clicking the bill number. The committee hearings & public record of the bill can be watched and reviews at the “Bill Hearings & Public Record” linked above.
HB1788: Bill Hearings & Public Record
HB1788- Eliminating State Contracts with DEI
Official Title: holding state contracts with DEI provisions to be void as a matter of law and establishing a right of action for citizens where public entities or state agencies engage with contracts with DEI provisions.
Bill Sponsors: (Prime) Nalevanko (R), DeRoy (R), Wherry (R), Sweeney (R), Cambrils (R), Berry (R), Ruth Ward (R)
Bill Hearings & Public Record
Summary: HB 1788 is a bill that seeks to immediately terminate all contracts held by state agencies, municipalities, and schools with any organization that references in any of their services. This bill would be in contradiction with federal regulations surrounding Medicare and Medicaid (nursing homes and healthcare providers often are required to have staff take trainings to understand religious differences in care) and school professional development (many PD trainings required by educators must include elements that empower teachers to meet diverse student populations).
🪦HB1165: Bill Hearings & Public Record
HB1165 Anti-Trans Legislation targeting state IDs
Official Title: relative to gender designation on state-issued identification.
Bill Sponsors: (Prime) King (R), Berry (R), Cambrils (R), Granger (R), Perez (R), Sellers (R), Panek (R)
This bill removes the "X" designation on NH Drivers Licenses and identification cards. It’s a targeted attack on gender diverse individuals in New Hampshire, forcing folks to align their state-issued IDs with the sex assigned at birth and designated on their birth certificates. There are many reasons why individuals may choose an “X” designation on state ID - including because they are genderfluid, non-binary, or intersex. This bill would cause legal chaos if signed into law, forcing some individuals to have their state ID be misaligned with their federal ID, and/or have it completely mischaracterize their identity, biology, and presentation.