Kim Lawrence

To the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee and Members of the New Hampshire House, My name is Kim Lawrence, and I am a New Hampshire resident. I am writing to urge you to VOTE NO on HB 1584, an act directing DHHS to provide notice of medical and religious exemptions from immunization requirements and changing the form of such exemptions. HB 1584 is not a neutral transparency bill. It compels the state public health agency to advertise exemptions whenever it promotes vaccination, weakens the consistency of exemption documentation, and creates penalties that will discourage DHHS staff from communicating with the public. HB 1584 undermines public health messaging This bill requires that any communication where DHHS promotes vaccination - including websites, social media posts, printed materials, and advertisements - must prominently display the message: “MEDICAL AND RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE UNDER NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW” The notice must be bold, starred, and at least as prominent as the main headline. This forces DHHS to promote opt-outs at the same time it is trying to protect the public from preventable disease. That is not responsible public health policy, especially during outbreaks or rising disease trends. It makes religious exemptions easier to submit and harder to verify consistently HB 1584 changes New Hampshire law so that parents are not required to use any DHHS form and may submit any written signed statement as a religious exemption. That may sound simple, but it reduces consistency and invites abuse. Schools and districts will be left with a patchwork of exemption statements and increased administrative burden. It punishes public employees and will chill communication HB 1584 establishes civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation against DHHS officers, employees, or agents who authorize or distribute vaccine promotional material without the required notice. Each separate communication is treated as a separate violation. This creates a predictable chilling effect where DHHS staff will avoid communicating, delay posting materials, or pull vaccine outreach altogether rather than risk penalties. The public loses when public health professionals are pressured into silence. Fiscal impact: taxpayer cost with no funding provided The fiscal note states the bill does not provide funding and does not authorize new positions, yet it creates new General Fund spending. Estimated state expenditures: FY 2027: $43,000 FY 2028: $45,500 FY 2029: $47,500 DHHS anticipates needing a part-time medical health services specialist to communicate the changes to providers and produce the annual compliance report required by the bill. DHHS also notes it is unclear what entity would assess the civil penalties created by HB 1584. Conclusion HB 1584 weakens public health communication, increases administrative confusion around exemptions, and creates unnecessary taxpayer costs while penalizing public employees for messaging compliance. New Hampshire should focus on protecting children, families, and community health - not undermining vaccination outreach and threatening public health staff with penalties. Please VOTE NO on HB 1584. Sincerely, Kim Lawrence New Hampshire