Senate rejects committee'recommendation and advances bill on parental notice for youth risk behavior survey

The New Hampshire Senate on a roll call vote on May 20 rejected a committee recommendation to find House Bill 446 "inexpedient to legislate" and instead advanced the bill to third reading after extensive debate over the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and parental consent.

HB 446, as discussed in the Senate education committee and on the floor, would change how schools notify and obtain consent for nonacademic surveys administered to students, including the 13'page Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) used to track health, safety and prevention metrics. Proponents of the bill argued the change would ensure parents have clear notice and a right to opt in; opponents warned that making YRBS opt'in would lower participation below thresholds needed for statistically reliable results used by school districts and community organizations to apply for prevention grants.

Senator Prentiss, speaking for the Senate education committee, explained the committee'vote for "inexpedient to legislate" because the panel concluded shifting the YRBS to an opt'in model would likely cut participation and "compromise the quality and statistical significance of…