By Jordan Hale, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD - On Thursday, the New Hampshire House voted to send a key bill to interim study, a measure that would compel insurance providers to offer expanded mental health services for children.

House Bill 498 targets coverage for Fast Forward, a component of the state's Medicaid initiative designed for kids experiencing initial signs of mental health crises.

A private contractor manages the program, delivering interventions to halt escalation and avoid costly extended hospital stays or out-of-state residential care.

Each child's participation runs about $50,000.

Advocates, including Governor Kelly Ayotte, argue the proposal meets the rising demand for youth mental health support before situations worsen significantly.

Proponents also highlight potential state savings by reducing reliance on expensive out-of-state placements and prolonged hospitalizations, which fall under state obligations.

Those backing the committee's interim study push noted that negotiations with insurers are nearing agreement, and extra time to navigate the intricacies would benefit vulnerable children, their families, and state finances.

House Commerce Chair John Hunt, R-Rindge, stated, "We share Gov. Ayotte's view that children's mental health coverage presents a critical challenge. Yet solving it demands more than a rushed, eleventh-hour effort."

He emphasized that Republicans, Democrats, and the governor's office can collaborate for a practical resolution benefiting New Hampshire residents.

Just last week, Ayotte criticized the committee for favoring study over advancing the Senate-passed bill, which included funding in its prior budget proposal.

The House stripped the funding from its budget version, and the final bipartisan compromise budget omitted it entirely.

Post-vote, Ayotte issued a statement voicing frustration.

"It's regrettable that lawmakers prioritize insurer subsidies over children's mental health needs. Anthem and other providers must face accountability for rejecting coverage of these vital services," she declared. "This fight continues - I remain committed to securing the care and support our kids and families deserve."

The House Commerce Committee will examine the matter, with likely integration into next year's budget talks under a fresh legislature.

Transgender Restrictions

The House approved its sixth bill this session permitting businesses, groups, and organizations to separate individuals by biological sex without facing discrimination claims.

House Bill 552 mirrors prior measures vetoed by Governors Kelly Ayotte and Chris Sununu, including one this session by Ayotte. It bars transgender people from using locker rooms, bathrooms, prisons, or sports aligned with anything other than their birth sex.

Rep. Marjorie Smith, D-Durham, a 30-year House veteran delivering her final floor speech before retiring, decried the repeated introduction of nearly identical bills and the erosion of decorum, citing some of the most vitriolic discriminatory rhetoric she has witnessed.

"This version tries a new angle," Smith remarked. "When will it be enough?"

She highlighted attacks on transgender House members, broad-brush condemnations, and general disrespect.

"The transgender community seeks only the dignity we all merit. Endless bills like this undermine legislative gravity and hinder personal freedoms," she added.

Smith recalled a Wisconsin senator's divisive tactics and another lawmaker's retort: "Have you no sense of decency?" - a question she deemed timeless.

Bill backers countered that it safeguards women's and girls' privacy and security in specified facilities, with one lawmaker calling failure to enact it inhumane.

The measure advanced 179-159 and heads to the governor.

Tolls

The House rejected its Ways and Means Committee's call to study a proposal doubling turnpike tolls for non-residents while holding steady for in-state E-ZPass users.

Senate Bill 627 cleared the Senate unanimously, but the House panel sought further review of impacts on tourism, trucking, and cash-paying locals facing hikes.

Rep. Thomas Schamberg, D-Wilmot, pressed colleagues to override and approve it, noting revenue to bridge the $300 million to $400 million shortfall in the 10-year highway plan.

The Senate had tacked on 13 projects, like the overdue I-93 widening from Bow to Concord and statewide initiatives.

"Interim study kills project momentum," Schamberg warned, as delays inflate costs amid ongoing decay.

"We have all necessary data at hand," he asserted.

Rep. Jordan Ulery, R-Hudson, accused Schamberg of special-interest sway, ignoring tourism hits and rising costs for out-of-state imports.

Such figures suit lobbyists, Ulery said, but transponder-less drivers see doubles.

More analysis is needed, he urged, with six months' delay posing minimal harm.

Yet the House defeated study 157-151, passed the bill by voice vote, and forwarded it to the governor, who opposes toll hikes but has not specified her plans.

Jordan Hale can be reached at jordan.hale@indepthnh.org.