Concord, NH – On July 19th, after vetoing HB 396 and signing HB 619 and HB 1205, Governor Chris Sununu issued the following statement:

In 2018, Republicans and Democrats passed legislation to prevent discrimination because as I said at the time, it is unacceptable and runs contrary to New Hampshire’s Live Free or Die Spirit. That still rings true today. The challenge with HB 396 is that in some cases it seeks to solve problems that have not presented themselves in New Hampshire, and in doing so invites unnecessary discord. As such, today I have vetoed HB 396.

As the debate over HB 619 and HB 1205 has played out in Concord and throughout the state, charged political statements have muddled the conversation and distracted from the two primary factors that any parent must consider: safety and fairness for their children. These two factors have been my primary consideration in reviewing these bills. 

HB 619 ensures that life altering, irreversible surgeries will not be performed on children. This bill focuses on protecting the health and safety of New Hampshire’s children and has earned bipartisan support. There is a reason that countries across the world – from Sweden to Norway, France, and the United Kingdom – have taken steps to pause these procedures and policies. Even the Biden Administration opposes these youth surgeries, citing the American Academy of Pediatrics.

HB 1205 ensures fairness and safety in women's sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions. With this widely supported step, New Hampshire joins nearly half of all U.S. States in taking this measure.

New Hampshire always takes a balanced approach, and HB 619 and 1205 reflect commonsense, bipartisan solutions that reflect the values of parents across our state. The vast majority of Granite Staters share in this approach – because it is fair, balanced, and void of political considerations. By enacting these measures, we continue to uphold the principles of safety, fairness, and common sense for all our citizens.

NOTE: A copy of the HB 396 veto message can be found here