New Hampshire lawmakers hold double sessions for bill deadlines

The New Hampshire House of Representatives will hold its first "double sessions" of 2025 this week. These sessions are crucial as lawmakers work to meet deadlines for passing bills. They will address important issues like banning mandatory mask policies in schools, regulating breast surgeries for minors, and restricting access to puberty blockers and abortion for young people. The state Senate will have a single busy session on Thursday. Its agenda includes expanding education freedom accounts and legalizing slot machine gambling. The Senate is also considering moving the date of the state primary election. House Speaker Sherman Packard noted that if the House gets through its agenda on Wednesday and Thursday, they can take a break next week to focus on a two-year spending plan due by April 3. On Tuesday, Governor Kelly Ayotte will sign a significant rewrite of the 2018 bail reform law, which she previously called a "failed social experiment." Both the House and Senate have wrapped up public hearings on nearly 1,000 bills. The Senate is moving quickly to address several pro-marijuana bills that have already passed the House. Additionally, the Senate Commerce Committee will hear testimony about expanding the definition of an accessory dwelling unit on single-family house lots. Both chambers are also addressing education freedom accounts with proposed bills to allow more families to receive them while limiting annual enrollment. Lawmakers are also considering tougher absentee ballot access requirements. The House is working on proof of U.S. citizenship for absentee ballots, while the Senate wants photo ID requirements. House Democrats aim to revive a bill that would roll back a prior reform to voter ID laws. Furthermore, the House will revisit last year's vetoed bill to ban mandatory mask policies in schools. It also plans to discuss separate bills on the segregation of restrooms and facilities based on biological sex. Lastly, both the House and Senate are expected to support moving the primary election from September to June.