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HB 50 · 2025 · House · Education Policy and Administration Committee

Suing over teaching discrimination violations

AI-generated

(New Title) relative to intentional or knowing violation of the prohibition on teaching discrimination.

Allows a person aggrieved by an intentional or knowing violation of the state's prohibition on teaching discrimination to bring civil action against the school, and deems such violations by an educator a code-of-conduct violation.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the Senate — Inexpedient to Legislate · May 15, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✕Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill: I. Allows a person aggrieved by the intentional or knowing violation of the prohibition on teaching discrimination to initiate civil action against the offending school or district. II. Deems the intentional or knowing violation of the prohibition by an educator a violation of the educator code of conduct.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as amended by the House. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit discussion by educators, or others as part of a larger course of academic instruction, of the historical existence of ideas and subjects identified in this section.”
Section 1
“Additionally, nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the objective discussion of scientifically supported information and concepts regarding differences among groups defined by age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, mental or physical disability, religion, or national origin.”
Section 1
“Intentional or knowing violation of this section by an educator shall be considered a violation of the educator code of conduct, which shall justify investigation and, potentially, disciplinary sanction by the state board of education.”
Section 1
“Any person claiming to be aggrieved by an intentional or knowing violation of this section, including the attorney general, may initiate a civil action against a school or school district in superior court for legal or equitable relief, or with the commission for human rights as provided in RSA 354-A:34.”
Section 1

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Peter PetrignoDPrimeRanking Member· Children and Family Law
  • Rep. Matthew WilhelmDDemocratic Caucus Chair
  • Rep. Daniel VeilleuxDDeputy Ranking Member· Transportation
  • Rep. Nicholas GermanaDDeputy Democratic Floor Leader
  • Rep. David PaigeDRanking Member· Housing
  • Rep. Christine SeibertDRanking Member· State, Federal, and Veterans Affairs

Also: Rep. Megan MurrayD, Rep. Nancy MurphyD

Public testimony

1,188 signed in online · 235 wrote testimony

62% support38% oppose0% neutral

ForStudents deserve a full, honest education about discrimination

AgainstReject the non-germane amendment as improper process

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“The NH Office of the Child Advocate supports any bill that gives free and fair access to information, especially that which supports our most vulnerable children.”
— Lissa Mascio, Concord · NH Office of the Child Advocatesupports
“It is critical the perspective of many peoples and cultures have a voice. I am thankful for those bill on behalf of those whose whose stories have not been thoroughly told.”
— Erin Soltys, Spoffordsupports
“As a dedicated educator and to ensure an adequate teaching and learning environment for all students and to ensure equal rights of all students, I support this bill.”
— Amy Randall, Spoffordsupports
“I am writing to voice the Disability Rights Center-NH's opposition to the Non-germane amendment to HB 50.”
— Karen Rosenberg, Concord · Disability Rights Center - NHopposes
“I oppose this bill. Why is our state wasting time on these ridiculous bills that only reason is to destroy public education”
— Elizabeth Schnackenberg, Spoffordopposes
“To repeal the state protections of discrimination will cause us as a state to take a huge step back in time, and we will see an increase in unemployment, wage gaps, and civil lawsuits between employees and employers.”
— Samantha Glance, Keeneopposes

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Mar 17, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-1029h (NT)10–8
    Overall
    56% yea
  • Mar 26, 2025HouseVoice voteAmendment 2025-1029hadopted
  • Mar 26, 2025HouseDivisionFloor amendment 2025-1315h (Rep. McFarlane)Adopted174–166
    Overall
    51% yea
  • Mar 26, 2025HouseRoll callOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-1029h 2025-1315hAdopted183–157How they voted
    Overall
    54% yea
    Party-line vote
    Republicans
    183–398% yea
    Democrats
    0–1540% yea
    Resulting text: Bill as amended by the House
  • May 15, 2025SenateCommittee report: Inexpedient to Legislate4–1
    Overall
    80% yea
  • May 15, 2025SenateVoice voteInexpedient to Legislateadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 19, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration6:40:31–6:44:193m 48slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Mar 5, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration3:32:23–3:39:447m 21slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing on non-germane Amendment # 2025-0595h
  • Mar 12, 2025Public hearingHouse Education Policy and AdministrationWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamExecutive Session
  • Mar 26, 2025Floor debateHouse floor7:21:46–7:30:208m 34slocated in the stream transcriptOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-1029h 2025-1315h — adopted, roll call 183-157; Amendment # 2025-1029h (NT) — adopted, voice vote; FLAM # 2025-1315h (Rep. McFarlane) — adopted, division 174-166
  • Apr 29, 2025Public hearingSenate Education2:17:45–2:25:598m 14slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • May 15, 2025Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; Inexpedient to Legislate — adopted, voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 2 P. 3
  2. Feb 19, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/19/2025 03:15 pm LOB 205-207
  3. Mar 5, 2025HousePublic Hearing on non-germane Amendment # 2025-0595h: 03/05/2025 01:00 pm LOB 205-207
  4. Mar 12, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/12/2025 10:00 am LOB 205-207
  5. Mar 17, 2025HouseMajority : Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-1029h (NT) 03/17/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 17 P. 49
  6. Mar 19, 2025HouseMinority : Ought to Pass
  7. Mar 26, 2025HouseAmendment # 2025-1029h (NT): AA VV 03/26/2025 HJ 10 P. 114
  8. Mar 26, 2025HouseFLAM # 2025-1315h (Rep. McFarlane): AA DV 174-166 03/26/2025 HJ 10 P. 115
  9. Mar 26, 2025HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-1029h 2025-1315h: MA RC 183-157 03/26/2025 HJ 10 P. 115
  10. Mar 27, 2025SenIntroduced 03/27/2025 and Referred to Education; SJ 10
  11. Apr 29, 2025SenHearing: 04/29/2025, Room 101, LOB, 10:15 am; SC 19
  12. May 15, 2025Sen: Inexpedient to Legislate, 05/15/2025, Vote 4-1, CC; SC 21A
  13. May 15, 2025SenInexpedient to Legislate, MA, VV === BILL KILLED ===; 05/15/2025; SJ 13

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Background reading

Evergreen reading on the policy area — spanning perspectives — not coverage of this specific bill.

  • Educational gag ordersFree expression

    PEN America — The national wave of teaching restrictions and how their enforcement provisions differ.AI-generated

  • Map of divisive concepts legislationFree speech

    FIRE — A civil-liberties tracker of what has been enacted and struck down.AI-generated

  • Local Government Center v. New HampshireLitigation — NH

    ACLU of New Hampshire — The New Hampshire challenge to the teaching-discrimination law and its vagueness holding.AI-generated

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.