Bill > HB621

This bill provides a new option for birth mothers to limit the sharing of personal information from their birth worksheets with state agencies. Specifically, the bill requires hospitals to provide written notice to birth mothers about how their birth worksheet information is shared with the Department of Health and Human Services and other state agencies. Birth mothers will now have the opportunity to choose to restrict the disclosure of their personal information, with the stipulation that only the minimum amount of statistical information necessary for vital records and public health purposes will be shared. If a birth mother elects to limit disclosure, her personal identifiers will be redacted from the worksheet before it is shared. Additionally, the bill mandates that by November 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of State must amend their existing memorandum of understanding to ensure these new notice and consent requirements are implemented. The bill will take effect 60 days after its passage, giving state agencies time to update their information-sharing practices to respect the birth mother's privacy preferences.

Health and Social Services

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0658&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB621