Hi All:

The House public hearing for SB353 has been set for this coming Wednesday, January 24th, starting at 9:20am in LOB 101.

SB353 updates definitions in RSA 417-E:1 to align with the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and expands insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) to include people with Down syndrome.

While ABA may also be of benefit to many others, this bill is a step to help us get broader insurance coverage for ABA. It is also backed by research from the National Institute of Health that specifically focuses on addressing challenging behavior in children with Down syndrome.

Talking Points

This is your opportunity to let legislators know the impact that ABA may have on you and/or your family member with Down syndrome.

• Are there maladaptive behaviors that might be addressed through ABA?
• Have you had to obtain an additional diagnosis of autism just so you could qualify for ABA?

Template for Testimony

The following is an example template to indicate support for the bill. You are welcome to write your own testimony from scratch to indicate your position. If you use the template, replace the words in italics with your information.

Date

Dear Chairman Birdsell and Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee,

My name is Your Name and I live in Town, NH. I am asking you to SUPPORT SB353 to broaden insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) to include people with Down syndrome.

I want to tell you a bit about (myself/my family member). (Share a brief paragraph about yourself or family member and specific examples of how maladaptive behaviors interfere with activities of daily living or ability to adjust to and participate in particular settings. If you are creating the testimony using Microsoft Word or other word processing software, consider including a photograph of your family member.)

Thank you, Chairman Birdsell and Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, for considering my testimony. I urge you to SUPPORT SB353 to help (me/my family member) obtain insurance coverage for ABA. This will help (me/my family member) live a full, inclusive, and productive life.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Address

Attending In Person

The hearing is in LOB 101 this coming Wednesday, January 24th, starting at 9:20am. Plan to arrive EARLY and be prepared to pay for parking. If you can, please make 5 copies of your testimony to give to the committee.

If you plan on speaking, please also review our testimony tips to help you give the most effective testimony possible. Practice ahead of time to keep your testimony short and concise - you will only have 3 minutes to speak. Ideally you should not read from your written testimony; it is perfectly acceptable if your spoken testimony is not identical to your written testimony.

The address for the Legislative Office Building (LOB) is 33 N State St, Concord, NH 03301, and the hearing is in room 101.

CLICK HERE for downtown Concord parking information.

Submitting Testimony Online

Unlike the House, there is not a form you can fill out to register your opinion online. Instead you can visit the Health and Human Services Committee page and click on "Email Entire Committee".

Viewing the Hearing

You can watch the hearing live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NewHampshireSenate

Please let me know if you need help writing your testimony and thank you for your advocacy,

Will