Adam Thompson

At its core, this bill is about stability, clarity, and continuity of civil rights protections for Granite Staters with disabilities. For decades, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act has served as a foundational protection against disability discrimination in programs receiving public funding. It ensures that individuals are not excluded, denied benefits, or treated differently solely because of disability. HB 1593 brings those principles directly into New Hampshire statute, and that matters. Federal law can change. Administrative priorities can shift. Court interpretations can evolve. But the people of New Hampshire deserve consistent protections that do not depend on federal uncertainty. This bill ensures that if federal standards are weakened or altered, disabled Granite Staters are not left without recourse. It creates a clear state level cause of action. It provides legal clarity. It reinforces that disability nondiscrimination is not conditional; it is a principle we uphold here at home. This is not about expanding government. It is about codifying expectations that many institutions already follow. It is about ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the same opportunity to participate in education, healthcare, employment programs, and publicly funded services as anyone else. Disability touches every community. It cuts across party lines, geography, and income. Any one of us could need these protections at some point in our lives. HB 1593 affirms a simple but powerful idea: In New Hampshire, disability discrimination is not acceptable, and protections should not disappear because of shifting federal policy. I respectfully urge the committee to recommend HB 1593 Ought to Pass.