With the 2020 Legislative Session in full swing, we have been very busy across the state and at the State House. This session we are continuing to work alongside advocates, partners, and lawmakers on important legislation to improve the health and wellness of the Granite State. While we are closely following many bills crucial to improving the health of NH, our three 2020 campaign-level initiatives this year are Tobacco 21, Rx Drug Price Relief, and Early Childhood Investments.
All three campaigns have seen progress in January, and we are beyond impressed by all the work put in by community stakeholders and advocates. To start the year, the State Senate voted 16-8 to pass SB 248, a bill that would raise the legal tobacco sales age to 21. This bill will now move to the NH House of Representatives for hearings and a vote. A change to federal law just before the holidays raised the minimum age to 21, however, this bill is necessary to provide the state the clarity and authority it needs to enforce the federal law. For the health and safety of Granite State youth, we must take this opportunity to increases the sales age to 21 to make NH law consistent with federal law and eliminate any public confusion.