HB10

The language of this bill is vague and may well serve to intimidate teachers and insert teachers into the relationships between parents and children. Teachers are in schools to teach, not to serve as spies for parents who can't communicate effectively with their children. This move could also deepen our shortage of teachers by driving good and committed educators out of the field and discouraging new teachers from choosing to teach in New Hampshire. Oppose.

This will drastically impede access to safe medical care and therapy for children and make our providers’ jobs immensely more difficult while causing harm to the children and families seeking care.

As a former member of this committee for 3 terms, I strongly oppose this bill. We all learned the hazards of unintended consequences and this bill is full of them. They do no service to the rights and protections of the child and do irreparable harm to families from a misguided minority. Please vote ITL, NH citizens will be watching

Here we go again. When are we going to rely on present systems of parental input and complaint to ensure parental involvement in schooling? These so-called "parental bills of rights" empower one group of citizens, often a minority, the will of the entire community as expressed through school board elections and other input channels. Threatening educators and insisting on teacher involvement in parent-child relationships is inappropriate, debilitating to communication, and harmful to the communal functioning of school/community relations.

We do not need another sneaky bill that criminalized healthcare professionals and teachers. Children need a safe space, and parents do not always do what is best for their children. Child abuse is rampant, who will children be able to turn to when they are afraid of their home life circumstances?

Unfortunately, some people are not good parents, let people dedicated to children, protect the children. They are vetted and well educated.

For a state that decrees “live free or die” Republicans, who have proposed this, seem to be obsessed with being in the private lives of people that they don’t know. The hypocrisy of “get the government out of my life” and then mandating absurd laws to the most private places of children. This further burdens educators and others that are already being forced to do much more than they should and constantly enduring derision and demeaning comments about pay and funding. Leave the kids alone, they are just trying to figure out who they are. They don’t care about gender, sexual orientation and other similar social constructs as much as those presenting this bill, stop obsessing over gender and pronouns! You are the on the side of people trying to rename other countries and bodies of water, stop making more bureaucracy when you claim to be against it. You are purposefully harming children and those who help guide them to become successful young adults. How about focusing on making the daily lives of your constituents better? Isn’t that what you are supposed to be doing?

I sincerely hope every single person that supports this bill gets ousted from office.

As a pediatrician and mother of two teens, this bill is a terrible idea. Not only is it impractical, it undermines the building of growing independence and resilience. As a parent and in conversation with parents in my office, we all agree that we want our teens to grow to independent adults and to build safe and strong relationships with adults trusted by their parents. Relationship building with one’s own doctor is a critical piece of this. The bill undermines normal development and appropriate health care, particularly with the physicians parents have chosen for their kids. “If my teen can’t talk to me, I want them to talk to you and not a friend/online resource/etc”. This is what families want and teens deserve.

Where to even start with all the items shoved into this bill? -If parents have to give express written permission each time they treat minors or write a prescription, it will delay emergency treatment, wasting time and potentially endangering minors' lives. Parents (like myself) rely on being able to call their child's provider and give permission over the phone to have a prescription refilled. Requiring a more lengthy and intensive process will make it harder for parents (and busy medical staff) to take care of their children's medical need. Additionally, criminal penalties will cause fear and confusion among medical staff, leading to less timely treatment and medical provisions for minors, again, endangering their lives. -While parents can choose for their own children which reading materials they find appropriate for them, in no way should the be choosing what other people's children can read. How is this parental rights? How does this adhere to the idea that a parent knows their child best? This is infringement upon parental rights and quite plainly book banning.

There are so many things wrong with this. I'm a pediatric Adolescent Psych nurse. My dear friend is 70 when they said mommy I want to be a girl she was beaten. She never wavered she had her surgery at 65. My child was 2-1/2 they never wavered. When my 11 yr asked why do people care what I wear or don't want me playing sports with the boys I didn't have a good answers. Why do you care? I told them to say mind your own business. I still say it, you have no right to interfere in parenting another persons child because you're scared. Mind your own business you are not in my shoes. Also if your child has something to say to a therapist it stays between Dr and client not a politician. If your child is in an emergency department needing a medication that can't be given until you get there what if you are too late. The Doctor treats your child and pays a price they wait you pay the price. By the way in my personal and professional experience those who groom are white men who are not transgendered.

This bill is unnecessary, as parents already have extensive “parental rights” under existing law.

I am strongly opposed to this bill. I do not believe any parent should be able to determine or recommend what is appropriate for all the kids in the school. I also believe there are unrealistic demands of physicians to get a written permission from parents for treatment of every minor. This bill is a good way to drive physicians or potential physicians out of this state, knowing there could be criminal penalties for treating minor patients. Also, allowing parents to access mental health records directly conflicts with law and precedent regarding confidentiality of treatment.

I oppose HB 10 because it creates unnecessary ambiguity around parental rights in schools and adds criminal penalties for doctors who treat minors, which will interfere with treating minors in emergency situations. The bill also overrides existing state law giving parents rights to access their children's mental health records removing therapist- client confidentiality, which also is in conflict with federal law.

Parents have the right to make choices for their own children not the children of others. The wording of this bill creates the potential for parents within marginalized groups to be silenced and places the views and beliefs of some above others.

I prefer medical personnel have the FULL authority to save my child’s life in the event I cannot be reached or am unable to give consent. Killing minors should never be on the table and the little tid bit added to this bill will do just that.

Oppose this please!

STOP WRITING BILLS FOR A COUPLE PARENTS THROWING A HISSY FIT OVER LIBRARY BOOKS!! STOP LIMITING DOCTORS FROM SAVING PATIENTS (WHICH INCLUDE CHILDREN)!!

This puts control of all students and teachers into the hands of extreme parents. This can damage relationships between doctors and patients and will have unintended consequences to children's health.

Stop demonizing and weaponizing those who provide care (That is upheld the AAP has spent research and years studying)

There is a lot of questionable language in this bill that hurts children. This includes language that makes it difficult to treat children medically in an emergency matter. Making this more difficult for medical professionals is dangerous for kids. Further more no parent should have the right to object books or learning materials for other children. Education professionals are qualified to make decisions regarding reading material for students. And one parents objections should not derail learning for other students. This bill overreaches on many levels and once again is the wrong direction for New Hampshire. I firmly oppose this bill. Katherine Carey

Dear Members of the House Children and Family Law Committee, I am writing to express my strong opposition to House Bill 10, which seeks to establish a “Parental Bill of Rights” in New Hampshire. While I firmly believe in the importance of parental involvement in children’s education and well-being, this bill presents several concerns that could have unintended negative consequences for our students, educators, and school communities. 1. Redundancy and Vagueness: Many of the rights outlined in HB 10 are already protected under existing laws and school policies. For instance, parents currently have the right to access their children’s educational records and participate in school activities. The introduction of this bill may lead to confusion due to its vague language, making it challenging for schools to interpret and implement its provisions effectively. This ambiguity could result in inconsistent applications across districts, undermining the collaborative relationships between parents and educators. 2. Potential for Unintended Consequences: The bill includes provisions that could inadvertently infringe upon the rights of other students and parents. For example, granting one parent the authority to dictate certain aspects of school curricula or activities might conflict with the educational interests and rights of other families. This could create a divisive environment, detracting from the inclusive and supportive atmosphere that our schools strive to maintain. 3. Threat to Educators and School Staff: HB 10 proposes misdemeanor penalties and the possibility of license suspension for educators and health care providers who are found in violation of its terms. This punitive approach could foster a climate of fear among school personnel, discouraging them from engaging in open communication with students and parents. Such an environment is counterproductive to the trust and collaboration essential for effective education. 4. Existing Collaborative Frameworks: New Hampshire schools have a longstanding tradition of fostering strong partnerships between parents and educators. Current frameworks already encourage parental involvement and provide avenues for addressing concerns. Instead of introducing potentially disruptive legislation, efforts should focus on enhancing these existing channels to support student success collaboratively. In conclusion, while the intent of HB 10 may be to reinforce parental rights, its implementation could lead to confusion, division, and unintended harm within our school communities. I respectfully urge the committee to consider these concerns and recommend against the passage of this bill. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Sincerely, Katie DeAngelis

Having worked in NH schools for 24 years, i am strongly opposed to some of the language in this bill. In my experience, no educator is trying to permanently hide information from a parent, however some issues that students are experiencing require time and consideration to figure out the best way to support the student.

I do not agree with other parents making decisions for my child.