Sponsor Seeks to Add Domestic‑Violence Prevention to School Wellness Standards

Representative Buzz Schur introduced HB 1077 to add the phrase "prevention of domestic and sexual violence" to the statutory list of subjects a school board must ensure are included within health and wellness education. Schur said his experience as a former public defender and as an incoming Portsmouth Police Commission chair motivated the change and framed the bill as a modest statutory correction to encourage earlier education on harm and healthy relationships.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on timing and implementation. Schur said OLS drafted a 60‑day effective date but he is amenable to amending the effective date to July 1, 2026 so districts can use the summer for curriculum planning. Mary Wilson, retired assistant superintendent and curriculum coordinator, testified she supports the concept but emphasized the implementation complexity: districts would need time, paid summer work for teachers, and local discussion to define competencies and age‑appropriate content.

Barrett Christina of the New Hampshire School Boards Association testified that NHSBA was not taking a position on HB 1077 but cautioned that the list of required non‑academic topics in state law is growing and that committees should consider removing some other requirements if new mandates are added. Committee members asked for clarification on how many additional instructional minutes this would add and whether districts already implement similar topics; witnesses said many districts already include related prevention topics in health classes and that local flexibility is appropriate.

The committee received written testimony from the Coalition for Domestic Violence and closed the hearing with no immediate vote scheduled.