Resident who helped draft HB 386 to testify; board member seeks consensus to back ban on noncompete clauses for nursing agencies

Patricia Anglin, a Manchester resident and nurse who works at Central High School, told the school committee on Feb. 10 that she helped draft House Bill 386, legislation scheduled for a hearing in the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee the next day.

Anglin said the bill would ban noncompete clauses for nursing agencies that contract with schools and other organizations. She told the board that eliminating those clauses could reduce district nursing costs if contracted nurses could be hired directly; she offered a rough estimate that if half of currently contracted nurses moved to district employment, the district could save between $100,000 and $400,000. Anglin said she would testify in person the following day.

During the meeting, Committee Member Park asked whether the board would endorse the bill and submit online testimony in support. A board member indicated there was no further objection, and Committee Member Park said she would submit online testimony on the board’s behalf. The board did not record a formal roll-call vote or take a formal vote on the matter during the meeting.

Why it matters: Committee members described staffing and cost pressures in school nursing. If enacted, HB 386 would remove noncompete clauses that some speakers and board members said make recruiting and retaining nurses more difficult and could reduce contract spending.

What the transcript records: Anglin said she assisted in drafting the bill and that David Priest submitted it for her. Committee Member Park asked for board consensus to send supporting testimony and stated she would submit testimony on the board’s behalf; no formal board vote was recorded in the meeting minutes or transcript.