I am a member of the Dover School Board and our board regularly reviews the results of our local YRBS every two years. This amendment would eliminate the opportunity for communities like Dover (and everywhere else in our state) to use the meaningful data the YRBS provides, as the participation rate would drop significantly if students must be opted in (rather than opted out, as it is currently). The legislators who advanced this amendment likely haven't been in schools, or talked to students, in a very long time. I can assure you students are hurting and the more we can understand, quantify, track and identify the things they are most worried about, the better we as a society can be about taking measurable steps to address those needs in the proper ways and with the proper people. I OPPOSE this amendment. Leave the YRBS alone.
HB446
House · 2025 sessionRepublicanVeto sustainedParental notice for school surveys
AIRequires school districts to email parents copies of non-academic surveys at least 10 days before distribution and removes the automatic exception allowing the youth risk behavior survey without prior written parental consent.
relative to parental notice for non-academic surveys in public schools.
Status
Vetoed; the override vote failed, so the veto stands · December 17, 2025- ✓Introduced
- ✓House
- ✓Senate
- ✕Governor
- Law
Division of testimony
473 submissionsArgument digest · AI-generated
from 139 of 139 written submissionsHB446 would require schools to notify parents in advance of non-academic surveys given to students, and a proposed amendment would additionally move the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from an "opt-out" model, in which the survey is administered unless a parent objects, to an "opt-in" model requiring affirmative parental consent. A smaller but vocal group of supporters argue parents have a right to know about and consent to surveys that probe sensitive topics, and many specifically ask that the YRBS exception to parental consent be eliminated. A much larger number of opponents, including public health, prevention, and school professionals, argue that requiring opt-in consent would sharply reduce survey participation and undermine the reliability of anonymous, voluntary data they consider essential to youth mental health, substance-use prevention, and funding decisions.
- Close the YRBS exception to parental consentSupport25 of 139 reviewed
Many supporters specifically ask the committee to amend HB446 to strike the current exception that allows the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey to be given without parental consent, so it is treated like other non-academic surveys.
“I urge the committee to consider striking the current exception for parental consent with regard to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).”
— ROBERT JOHNSON, Seabrook · #346367 — read full submission →
“I'm asking that you please strike the exception to parental consent for the CDC's youth risk behavior survey. Parents should have to consent to ALL non-academic survey's their children receive.”
— Bambi DeFilippis, Newport · #343507 — read full submission →
“We respectfully request that the committee strike the exception to parental consent for the CDC's youth risk behavior survey”
— Jim and Nina Kelly, Auburn · #345183 — read full submission →
- Parents have a right to know about school surveysSupport19 of 139 reviewed
Supporters argue parents should be directly notified of, and involved in decisions about, any non-academic survey administered to their children, and that posting surveys on a website is not sufficient notice.
“I urge you to support this bill as it will enable New Hampshire parents to see the types of surveys their schools are asking their children to participate in, as traditionally this information has been kept from parents (one would wonder why?)”
— James Gardner, Keene · #501959 — read full submission →
“All parents should receive direct advance notification of non academic surveys and their consent is mandatory to protect our children’s privacy. A website notice is not sufficient.”
— Joanna Brown, Manchester · #344256 — read full submission →
“Parents must ALWAYS be in the know as to what is happening with theit children in school.”
— Megan Schmitt, CONCORD · #358621 — read full submission →
- Surveys probe sensitive topics inappropriate without consentSupport7 of 139 reviewed
Supporters argue non-academic surveys, including the YRBS, ask deeply personal questions about topics such as sexual activity, family life, and mental health that should not be collected from children without explicit parental consent.
“However, it is absolutely atrocious that there is an exception for parental notification for the CDC’s youth risk behavior survey. The questions asked on this survey are deeply personal, almost profane.”
— Cathy Baker, Portsmouth · #344149 — read full submission →
“The information asked in these surveys is data mining and most of the time then information should be no one’s business.”
— Shanun Carey, Goffstown · #343996 — read full submission →
“These surveys have been invasive in characterizing family behaviors, possessions, habits, and social associations which government has no business keeping book on.”
— Daniel Richardson, Nashua · #346540 — read full submission →
- Notice should use robust methods, not just a website postingSupport5 of 139 reviewed
Some supporters ask that HB446 be amended to specify stronger notice methods, such as emailing both parents and the student and mailing paper notice to families without email, rather than leaving the method up to each school.
- YRBS data is critical to public health, funding, and policyOppose56 of 139 reviewed
Opponents describe the Youth Risk Behavior Survey as an essential source of data used to guide public health policy, secure grant funding, and design prevention and intervention programs for youth, and argue the bill would jeopardize that data.
“The Youth Risk Behavior Survey provides critical data that drives millions of dollars in data=informed investments in substance misuse prevention, youth behavioral health and other related funding resources”
— Timothy Rourke, Bedford · #501662 — read full submission →
“This bill would cause the state to lose extremely valuable YRBS data that they use to apply for funding and direct that funding to organizations that can help high school age kids.”
— Erica Tenney, Northfield · #505930 — read full submission →
“the Kearsarge HS YRBS survey showed that roughly 1 in 10 youth have attempted suicide in the last year. With that information, the KRHS students got trained in NAMI's Youth Connect Suicide Prevention training”
— Deryn Smith, LEBANON · #503263 — read full submission →
- Opt-in would sharply reduce participation and skew dataOppose43 of 139 reviewed
Opponents argue that requiring affirmative parental consent would drastically lower response rates, making survey results smaller, less representative, and less reliable for understanding youth behavior and needs.
“Switching the YRBS to an opt-in model could significantly reduce participation rates, even as a result of parental oversight and lead to a smaller and less representative sample.”
— Charlotte Scott, Kingston · #506047 — read full submission →
“An opt-in model will significantly reduce the number of participants, which will significantly minimize the value of the data. It will paint an incomplete picture of youth behavior”
— Lisa Speropolous, Lee · #503762 — read full submission →
“Adding a parental permission requirement would likely compromise the representativeness of the Survey sample, in that it would predominantly be completed by certain youth groups”
— Janelle LaPlante, Manchester · #502588 — read full submission →
- Survey is already anonymous and voluntaryOppose27 of 139 reviewed
Opponents point out that the YRBS is anonymous and that students may already decline to participate or skip questions, arguing that a parental consent requirement addresses a privacy concern that does not exist.
“First, in case you were unaware, the YRBS is completely anonymous and entirely voluntary.”
— John Wade, Gilford · #502548 — read full submission →
“The Behavioral Health Survey is anonymous and all the information is aggregated so there is no way to identify an individual student's responses.”
— Claudia Istel, Acworth · #503021 — read full submission →
“The YRBS is an optional and anonymous survey so there is no need to change the preference to opt-in!”
— Jennifer Bagan, Portsmouth · #502350 — read full submission →
- Opt-in would exclude the most vulnerable youthOppose13 of 139 reviewed
Opponents argue that requiring parental permission would disproportionately exclude at-risk students, including those from unstable or unsafe homes, from a survey that may be their only confidential channel to disclose problems like abuse.
“Research shows that opt-in surveys disproportionately exclude students from historically underrepresented groups, including those most at risk for mental health challenges and substance misuse.”
— Charlotte Scott, Kingston · #506047 — read full submission →
“I think it's important that students take that so that they can honestly answer if they are experiencing any form of abuse at home. Obviously an abusive parent who gets that email is going to opt their child out of the survey.”
— Heather Fritchy, DERRY · #501067 — read full submission →
“Not all children feel safe in their homes and with their parents or legal guardians. Keep schools as safe harbors for children and teens, oppose this bill.”
— Hannah Smith-Catanese, Concord · #505290 — read full submission →
- Current opt-out system already gives parents noticeOppose9 of 139 reviewed
Opponents argue the existing opt-out process already lets parents preview the survey and remove their child if they choose, making the added opt-in requirement unnecessary.
“Parents already have the ability to opt out. We are not advocating to take away this right. We are simply asking that all students whose parents do not opt out are automatically eligible”
— Emily Russell, Bethlehem · #500991 — read full submission →
“Parents are informed of the administration date and can actively opt out. In addition, students are told that the survey is VOLUNTARY and they can choose not to respond at all”
— Barbara Slayton, Canterbury · #502337 — read full submission →
- Consent process adds burden on already-stretched schoolsOppose7 of 139 reviewed
Opponents argue tracking parental consent for surveys would add administrative work for teachers and school staff who are already overextended.
“It also places an additional burden on the already overwhorked teachers who will have to keep track of who can and can't take the survey.”
— Sara Lang, grantham · #502118 — read full submission →
“Amending this bill adds unnecessary work and burden on school administrations which are already stretch to the maximum.”
— Jeanie Holt, CONCORD · #503147 — read full submission →
Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.
Parents should not be permitted to pull out of immunizations in the public education setting without notice! It is imperative to have accurate health records to protect the wellbeing of the students in our public settings! Our children deserve to be protected from illness!
Help protect the young people of our state! From a teacher and a parent in The Granite State
As a coalition dedicated to the well-being of youth, the SoRock Coalition for Healthy Youth strongly supports keeping the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) an opt-out data collection tool. The data collected through this survey is essential in guiding our efforts to prevent substance misuse, promote mental health, and understand the overall needs and well being of the children in the communities we serve. Switching the YRBS to an opt-in model could significantly reduce participation rates, even as a result of parental oversight and lead to a smaller and less representative sample. Research shows that opt-in surveys disproportionately exclude students from historically underrepresented groups, including those most at risk for mental health challenges and substance misuse. A decline in sample size weakens the reliability of the data, making it difficult for schools, coalitions, and policymakers to identify trends, secure funding, and develop effective interventions. By maintaining the YRBS as an opt-out tool, we ensure that we continue to capture a full and accurate picture of youth experiences. This data directly informs prevention efforts, supports grant applications, and helps shape school policies that protect and empower young people. Without valid and representative data, our ability to serve youth effectively would be severely compromised especially in schools with a smaller population. We urge decision-makers to prioritize data integrity and public health by keeping the YRBS as an opt-out survey. Our youth deserve policies based on strong, comprehensive data—not data from an incomplete or skewed sample. Thank you for your time and consideration. Charlotte Scott Program Director SoRock Coalition for Healthy Youth
The data from the Youth Behavior Survey is important for public health planning, which allows Health and Human Services to plan and implement prevention programs.
Please understand how vitally important this survey tool is to NH and our youth. An opt in on this survey would render the data useless. Attached is a sheet highlighting the important, completely anonymous, data that is collected via this survey. Schools struggle to get forms for students to attend field trips, returning a form giving permission to complete a survey will not happen. The system as it stands now has parents notified well in advance with access to preview the survey if they so wish to do so. The system is not broken and works. There is complete anonymity and the option to not participate for those who choose not to. We just conducted this survey in our community and only had five opt outs combined in our middle and high school.
This bill would cause the state to lose extremely valuable YRBS data that they use to apply for funding and direct that funding to organizations that can help high school age kids. It is SO very important. Please do NOT pass this bill.
This bill would adversely affect the youth in our state. It is wrong to pass and it needs to be reconsidered.
Parents do not always know what their children are doing or feeling. We need this anonymous information to help all children.
This survey is anonymous. Allowing parents to opt-out their kids from it could dramatically reduce the vital information that guides public health policy for our state and supports the health and wellness of our kids.
If this bill passed, our schools would not be able to collect essential data around what our youth needs are. These results help to bring prevention initiatives into the schools and community. If it's opt-in/opt-out the state will not retrieve crucial information that drives youth services. If New Hampshire's leaders believe in protecting youth and keeping them safe, happy, and healthy, they'll oppose this bill. If New Hampshire's leaders believe in evidence-based and data-driven work, they should oppose this bill and protect this crucial data collection measure. Passing this bill will affect my community in tangible and terrible ways. It will have the greatest impact on the young people in my community. Send a clear message to our students and young people by opposing this bill. Show NH families and communities that you care.
Requiring active consent would likely exclude those most vulnerable youth from participating in this survey. It would skew the data and misrepresent the trends of attitudes and behaviors in NH students. I oppose this bill.
I strongly oppose this bill. The opt in requiring active consent would likely exclude those most vulnerable youth from participating in this survey, thus skewing our data and misrepresenting the trends of attitudes and behaviors in our students.
As a school social worker, I understand the importance of reliable and valid data when assessing strengths and areas of challenge in our student populations. Making this survey an opt-in is a barrier to gathering enough information to make sound decisions about how to best serve students and allocate funds responsibly. Please support the young people of our state by opposing this bill.
Not all children feel safe in their homes and with their parents or legal guardians. Keep schools as safe harbors for children and teens, oppose this bill.
This would "dramatically reduce the vital information that guides public health policy." - KSC
This would "dramatically reduce the vital information that guides public health policy." - KSC
This bill dramatically reduce the vital information that guides public health policy.
This survey data is so critical to policy and and future health, it is hard to imagine why anyone would want to prevent the young people, our present and future, from educating us all on the numbers, on what their lives are actually like- in a way they feel safe to be honest in- the survey. Unless of course, there are parents who do not want their kids to reveal what their lives are actually like, even anonymously and people who want to pretend things are as they imagine in our kids lives, not as they are. Our kids are anonymous surveyed for all kinds of marketing every day; this is not that. Lack of data makes for bad priorities in policy making. We have a duty to set policy based on reality, and our kids realities are revealed in these surveys. Let the kids be heard. Opt in is unwise when the thing helps kids ; silencing science and good policy making is unwise. It helps policy makers and budgeting science. Opt out should stand for these surveys.
The youth risk behavior survey provides valuable data to meet the needs of today’s years, understand high risk behaviors that they are engaging in and target prevention and supports that minimize harm to our children. This survey is anonymous and the data collected is vital to the safety of our communities. Requiring parental consent will significantly impact the data that is collected. I urge you to oppose this bill.
As part of my work and Behavioral Health over the last 18 years I worked many years as a prevention as I am currently a certified prevention specialist in the state of New Hampshire and I well know the importance of Youth Risk Behavior Survey results substance use prevention and intervention efforts for youth and families in the state of New Hampshire. Requiring parents to opt in to surveys will only pose barriers to access for them and their children in accessing much needed prevention education and intervention resources
Holding back information is not in our children's best interests. Ignorance is not bliss.
As a healthcare professional, I believe that the data from this survey is extremely important in helping us learn about the behaviors and risks within our youth so we can be prepared to better support them.
Gather data on student needs is essential for suicide prevention, substance use intervention, and abuse detection. Less data means less safety. Parents already have the option to opt out and access to the questions being asked. This is unnecessary legislation which could compromise student safety and support.
Without clear and comprehensive responses to surveys, the data collected will not be valid.