Bill > HB701

This bill modifies the Terminal Patients' Right to Try Act by narrowing the scope of eligible patients from those with life-threatening conditions to those with terminal illnesses, and introduces several key provisions to expand access to experimental treatments. The bill defines "terminal illness" as a disease that would result in death without life-sustaining procedures or lead to a state of permanent unconsciousness, and adds new definitions including "telehealth prescreening" and "remote signing" to facilitate patient access to investigational treatments. The legislation allows healthcare providers to conduct remote screenings and obtain consent electronically, provides immunity from legal action for manufacturers, healthcare providers, and facilities involved in providing experimental treatments, and creates a mechanism for patients to seek injunctive relief if their rights under the act are violated. The bill aims to remove barriers to accessing potentially life-saving or life-improving treatments for patients with terminal illnesses, explicitly seeking to make New Hampshire an attractive jurisdiction for clinical trials and innovative medical treatments. Importantly, the bill includes safeguards such as requiring informed consent, ensuring that physicians are not directly compensated by manufacturers, and limiting treatments to those that have completed initial clinical trials. The legislation will take effect on January 1, 2026, and does not require additional state funding.

Health and Social Services

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0560&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB701