Kaos Borne

Key reasons for opposition include: - Discrimination and Civil Rights Concerns: The bill restricts access to essential services and public accommodations for transgender individuals, violating principles of equality. - Impact on Transgender Youth: This legislation is hostile to the mental health and well-being of transgender youth, potentially increasing social stigma and isolation. - Exclusion from Activities: By allowing sex-based distinctions in athletic and sporting competitions, critics argue the bill aims to exclude transgender people from participating in activities aligned with their gender identity. - Legal Challenges: The legislation mirrors other anti-trans bills that face scrutiny for potentially violating equality rights. Based on the text of the bill and its aim to codify sex-based restrictions in facilities and services, fiscal reasons to oppose New Hampshire House Bill 1299 for the 2026 session center on potential litigation costs, compliance burdens for state-funded entities, and potential loss of federal funding for non-compliance with anti-discrimination laws. - Litigation Costs: The bill, which defines sex-based classifications in multi-user facilities and sports, may trigger costly legal challenges, forcing the state to spend taxpayer money defending potential violations of federal Title IX or constitutional equal protection clauses. - Compliance and Infrastructure Costs: State agencies, public schools, and local, state-funded institutions might be forced to reconfigure existing facilities to meet the new, strict binary separation requirements, creating an unexpected fiscal burden on local governments. - Federal Funding Risk: By establishing that these forms of separation do not qualify as discrimination under state law, the bill may conflict with federal guidelines, risking federal funding for public education and other services. - Economic Impact of Discrimination: Policies that are perceived as discriminatory, such as restricting access to facilities or services, can hinder efforts to attract and retain a diverse workforce, which is essential for economic growth in New Hampshire. These concerns suggest that the implementation of HB 1299 could lead to higher, rather than lower, costs for taxpayers, contrary to the typical goals of reducing state spending. To help conceptualize: Civil rights discrimination litigation costs in New Hampshire vary widely, with formal litigation costs typically ranging between $5,000 and $10,000 per case, excluding attorney fees. While initial filing with the NH Commission for Human Rights is free, private lawsuits often involve high hourly rates ($200–$400+) or contingency fees (30%–40% of winnings). This is per suit. And while specific, localized data on the precise revenue generated solely by transgender community members in New Hampshire is not explicitly separated in state economic reports, but studies on the broader LGBTQ+ population and the impact of non-discrimination policies provide a significant economic picture. Key Economic Data for New Hampshire - Broad LGBTQ+ Economic Impact: The LGBTQ+ community in New Hampshire (which includes transgender individuals) has a personal income estimated at $3.9 billion, representing a significant market for the state. - Economic Growth from Equality: A 2018 non-discrimination law that protects transgender people (among others) is estimated to have helped grow the state's economy by 3%, or $2.5 billion. - Cost of Turnover: Retaining LGBTQ+ employees is crucial, as replacing an employee in New Hampshire costs companies an average of $10,208. Economic Contribution Summary - Nationwide Context: LGBTQ+-owned businesses, which include trans-owned enterprises, contribute over $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy. - Sector Impact: Transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people in the U.S. are part of a workforce that drives demand in sectors such as retail, health services, and technology, contributing to the overall $917 billion+ in annual spending by the broader LGBTQ+ community. Alienating this community will only further harm the struggling state economy.