Sen. Becky Whitley

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the definition of disability and special needs for the Child Care Scholarship Program to include children who are at risk of or experiencing delays in social or emotional development. Under the new rules, eligibility would be determined through standardized developmental screening tools rather than requiring a formal medical diagnosis or special education code. Licensed child care providers and treating clinicians would be authorized to verify a child's eligibility based on these screening results. The legislation also appropriates $375,000 to fund the implementation of these changes and allows for the use of certain federal funds if available.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new program to offer financial retention grants to teachers working in rural or underserved schools in New Hampshire. To qualify, educators must be full-time staff at schools located in low-density areas or those facing economic challenges, and they must sign a contract to stay at the same school for up to four years. The program provides increasing payments of $1,500 through $4,500 as teachers complete each year of their contract, with the Department of Education responsible for identifying eligible schools and managing the application process. The legislation also authorizes an initial appropriation of $1 for the 2025 fiscal year to fund these grants, with the governor permitted to access these funds from the state treasury.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a committee to study how the housing crisis since 2008 has specifically impacted people with disabilities in New Hampshire. The committee would be made up of five legislators and is tasked with investigating issues such as the lack of accessible and affordable housing options that often force adults with disabilities to live with their parents. Members of the committee would meet within 45 days of the bill's passage and submit their findings and any legislative recommendations to state officials by November 1, 2024. Although the bill outlines these steps for investigation, it was ultimately deemed inexpedient to legislate by the relevant committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require doctors who perform abortions to send written reports to their medical facility detailing the date, location, patient's age and residence, method used, gestational age, and any related prescriptions. The medical facilities would then be responsible for compiling this data and submitting an annual report to the state Department of Health and Human Services. The collected information would be used to create statistical tables on maternal health and abortion procedures, which the department would present to the state legislature each year.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new committee to study foster care families and the foster care system in New Hampshire. The committee will be made up of members from the state Senate and House of Representatives who will meet to gather information from foster parents and government officials. Their main task is to identify challenges within the current system and offer recommendations to improve how foster care is managed. The group must submit their findings and any suggested laws to state leaders by November 1, 2024.