NH committee hears bill to dissolve Office of Health Equity and limit environmental justice work; DHHS and advocates warn of service gaps

Representative Mike Belcher introduced House Bill 392, saying the measure would dissolve several statewide offices and ‘‘departments’’ he described as promoting what he called ‘‘DEI, equity, and social justice’’ and that those programs were ‘‘unlawful and unconstitutional.’’ He told the House Health and Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee the bill would prohibit re‑establishment of such advisory councils and would direct the executive branch not to adopt programs that the sponsor described as discriminatory.

The Department of Health and Human Services urged the committee to oppose the measure. Associate Commissioner Anne Naughton Landry told lawmakers the Office of Health Equity ‘‘serves three primary functions’’: ensuring communication access and civil‑rights compliance, working with communities to remove barriers to care, and managing the federally funded refugee resettlement program. Landry warned that dissolving the office would put the state at risk of violating federal laws and would jeopardize services such as language access, interpreter services and refugee integration.

The Department of Environmental Services also testified about legal and funding risks. Assistant Commissioner Adam Crapo said DES ‘‘doesn’t take a position on this bill. However, we do want to make the committee aware of some of the concerns that we have.’’ He told the committee that federal recipients must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and added that the department estimated as much as ‘‘$80 to $90,000,000 of federal funds’’ could be at risk if the state declines to provide civil‑rights pathways required by federal grant conditions.

Refugee resettlement agencies, medical groups and disability advocates told the committee the Office of Health Equity coordinates services that local nonprofits and clinics rely on. Richard Menard of Building Community in New Hampshire said the office ‘‘houses the state refugee health coordinator’’ and helps ensure required vaccinations and federal services are delivered. Representatives of the New Hampshire Medical Society, NAMI New Hampshire and disability organizations described casework the office conducts — helping low‑income or non‑English‑speaking residents navigate benefits, arranging sign language and translation services, and convening providers to reduce emergency care and institutional costs.

Conservation Law Foundation attorney Heidi Tramarco and other environmental and public‑health witnesses disputed the bill sponsor’s description of environmental‑justice practice, saying New Hampshire lacks cumulative‑impact laws and that the DES office’s current work is limited to customer service, translation and outreach rather than permit blocking. Tramarco submitted DHHS data showing elevated child lead levels and argued prevention functions are cost‑effective compared with treatment.

Several former legislators, public‑health nurses and local officials urged the committee to leave the office in place. Supporters argued the office saves money by preventing avoidable emergency and institutional care and by coordinating federal refugee funds. Opponents — including the bill sponsor and some members of the committee — framed the offices as ideologically driven or legally risky.

The public hearing drew two hours of testimony from agency heads, municipal officials, resettlement agencies, health‑care providers, and disability and faith groups. Lawmakers asked agencies to provide follow‑up materials, including legal citations and fiscal detail, and several committee members said they wanted more time to study federal guidance cited by the sponsor.

No committee action on HB 392 was taken during the hearing. The committee heard the bill in public testimony and then proceeded to other agenda items.