Committee rejects recommendation on technical corrections to residential-treatment law after amendment debate

The Senate Children and Family Law Committee considered Senate Bill 161, a "replace-all" amendment intended to correct inconsistent language left after 2024 legislation that expanded oversight of residential treatment placements for children.

Senator Regina Birdsell, the bill's prime sponsor, said the measure was a remedial fix requested by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Susan Larrabee, DCYF general counsel and legislative liaison, told the committee the bill reconciles language left unchanged after passage of House Bill 1573 and Senate Bill 417 (chapter 377, Laws of 2024) and aligns statutory references to licensing, director approval and out‑of‑region placement rules in RSA 169‑F:19 and related sections.

"There are many iterations of both bills as they made it their way through the legislative process last term," Larrabee said, and the replace-all corrects two sections that were not updated to the intended language. She described changes as technical and said the department and stakeholders, including the Office of the Child Advocate, worked over the summer to implement the prior bills.

Cassandra Sanchez, the state child advocate, testified in support of the replace-all, saying it "does accurately reflect the intent" of the earlier bills and resolves confusion about when director approval is required for out‑of‑New England placements.

The committee adopted an amendment to the bill (amendment 2025-0514s) but then voted on a motion not to recommend the bill as amended. By voice vote the motion "not to pass as amended" carried, so the committee did not send the measure forward as a favorable report.