New Hampshire HB 1671: relative to prohibiting state Medicaid payments to facilities that discriminate against employees, students, or trainees for exercising lawful medical or religious vaccine exemptions.

Bill Text

HB 1671-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2632

 05/08

HOUSE BILL 1671-FN

AN ACT relative to prohibiting state Medicaid payments to facilities that discriminate against employees, students, or trainees for exercising lawful medical or religious vaccine exemptions.

SPONSORS: Rep. McGrath, Rock. 40; Rep. DeRoy, Straf. 3; Rep. DeVito, Rock. 8; Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18; Rep. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Terry, Belk. 7; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Kofalt, Hills. 32

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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ANALYSIS

 This bill prohibits state Medicaid payments to facilities that discriminate against employees, students, or trainees for exercising lawful medical or religious vaccine exemptions.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2632

 05/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to prohibiting state Medicaid payments to facilities that discriminate against employees, students, or trainees for exercising lawful medical or religious vaccine exemptions.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Paragraph; Medical Freedom in Immunizations; Discrimination Against Health Care Employees for Exercising Lawful Vaccine Exemptions Prohibited. Amend RSA 141-C:1-a by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:

 IV. No health care provider shall discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an employee, student, or trainee regarding the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because the employee, student, or trainee has executed a valid medical or religious vaccine exemption. If the department of health and human services determines that a health care provider has acted in violation of this section, the department shall withhold Medicaid reimbursement payments to the provider and shall suspend or terminate the provider from the state Medicaid program pursuant to RSA 167:60. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027. 

 LBA

 26-2632

 12/8/25

HB 1671-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to prohibiting state Medicaid payments to facilities that discriminate against employees, students, or trainees for exercising lawful medical or religious vaccine exemptions.

FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Revenue Fund(s)

None

 Expenditures*

$0

$46,000 increase in administrative costs; indeterminable decrease in program costs

$95,000 increase in administrative costs; indeterminable decrease in program costs

$98,000 increase in administrative costs; indeterminable decrease in program costs

 Funding Source(s)

General Fund, Federal Funds

 Appropriations*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

METHODOLOGY:

This bill amends RSA 141-C:1-a to prohibit state Medicaid payments to health care providers that “discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an employee, student, or trainee regarding the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment” because that individual has provided a valid medical or religious exemption for any vaccinations required by the medical facility or medical office. The Department of Health and Human Services assumes there will be administrative costs resulting from the need to investigate discrimination complaints, and estimates that a new compliance officer will be needed at a cost of $46,000 in FY27, $95,000 in FY28, and $98,000 in FY29. (The bill has an effective date of January 1, 2027, halfway through FY27.) The Department further assumes that there will be some indeterminable decrease in Medicaid expenditures in cases where it has determined a health care provider has engaged in discrimination in violation of the statute. As Medicaid is funded with a combination of general and federal funds (the percentage of which varies depending on the specific program), any costs or savings will be a mixture of general and federal funds. 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Health and Human Services