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Committee votes to table bill that would let new mothers opt out of birth worksheets
Summary
The committee voted 17–0 to recommend 'Inexpedient to Legislate' (ITL) on HB621FN after testimony that birth worksheet data are important for public-health programs and the senate version included stronger privacy protections.
The House Health Committee voted 17–0 to recommend ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate) on HB621FN, which would have allowed a subset of parents to opt out of providing birth worksheet information used by public-health programs.
The motion to ITL was made and supported on the grounds that the birth worksheet contains information critical to determining citizenship, tracking birth defects, and supporting public-health programs. The chair and members who chaired the subcommittee said testimony showed significant public-health risk if information were lost.
Representative Lamontagne told the committee that testimony was "overwhelming" that allowing opt-outs would harm public-health programs; sponsors noted the senate counterpart included stronger privacy protections but still recommended ITL in committee.
Clerk roll call recorded a unanimous 17–0 vote to send the bill to ITL. The committee's action effectively prevents HB621FN from advancing as written.
