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Senate advances bill to raise maximum benefits for first responders injured on duty
Summary
The New Hampshire Senate removed House Bill 282 from the table, adopted floor amendments, and moved the bill toward final passage to raise the cap on benefits for first responders critically injured in the line of duty.
The New Hampshire Senate voted to revive and advance House Bill 282, which would increase the statute’s maximum payment to first responders who are critically injured in the line of duty.
The bill was removed from the table and reported out of the Senate Finance Committee with an "ought to pass" recommendation. Senator Sharon Pearl, speaking for the committee, said the committee recommended passage by a vote of 8-0.
Supporters said the measure restores a benefit level for a group they described as the "missing middle" of public-safety retirees. "These men and women are providing the most fundamental service to our communities 24/7, 365 days a year," Senator Becky Prentiss said on the floor in support of an amendment tied to the bill. Senator Long also said she would vote for the amendment in part to provide Manchester taxpayers time to prepare for revenue impacts.
Senator Grama presented amendments to clarify statutory language and Senator Gray moved a floor amendment described on the floor as correcting a typo and aligning text with the sponsors’ intent. The Senate adopted a floor amendment identified in the transcript as 2895s after a roll-call vote (24-0 in favor), and then ordered the bill to third reading.
Later procedural steps on the floor included motions to suspend rules so the bill could receive immediate third-reading consideration; those motions also passed, and the body completed third reading and final passage in the early session after the amendments were adopted.
The bill’s proponents said the change would increase the cap on the benefit available to first responders injured in the line of duty to better cover severe cases. The Senate record shows multiple procedural votes to remove the bill from the table, adopt amendments, and advance the measure to final passage.
No enactment date or fiscal note was read aloud on the floor during the recorded debate; supporters noted the committee had vetted the bill and an amendment was vetted by the governor’s office, House members and stakeholders before adoption. Opponents did not register substantive floor objections in the recorded segments used here.
Votes and next steps: The amendment 2895s was adopted by roll call (24-0). The Senate later ordered the bill to third reading and completed final passage as amended in the early session; the Clerk was authorized to make technical corrections to reflect the Senate’s intent.
