CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, in House Finance Division III, an amendment to HB 2 was introduced by Rep. Layon (R- Derry) which would dramatically decrease funding to family planning clinics providing cancer screenings, STI and STD screenings, and birth control to families across the state. Following the introduction, committee member Representative Katherine Rogers (D-Concord) released the following statement:
“The amendment introduced in House Finance today to gut funding to family planning clinics would strip vital healthcare from thousands of Granite Staters and force the closure of facilities across the state. As NH DHHS has explained, funding for the vast majority of care, including preventative cancer and STI and STD screenings, are affected by this bill and would have grave consequences on the healthcare of the populations these clinics service. During the past year in a global pandemic with unprecedented need for access to healthcare, many of these clinics have stepped up to provide critical telehealth services especially to rural western parts of the state. Recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19 is essential for our healthcare system and this amendment is the opposite of the help they need to survive. Such a major policy change warrants a public hearing where the detrimental impact can be explained and Granite Staters can have a voice.”
###