HB 1352
relative to payment and dispute resolution for medical bills under workers compensation.
Official record at gencourt.state.nh.us ↗Open this bill in the searchable view → · Follow this bill by RSS
On the record
Quoted from the General Court bill status page, not worked out from the docket.
| Status | HOUSE |
|---|---|
| In the House | INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE |
| Introduced | 1/7/2026 |
| Floor date | 2/5/2026 |
| LSR number | 3155 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H11 |
Where it stands
House: INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE
Every floor vote on this bill was a voice or division vote, so there is no record of how individual legislators voted.
Sponsors
MacKenzie, Mark(D) Hills 40
Prime sponsor in bold. From the General Court sponsor file.
What happened
Every action recorded in the official docket, in order. Each line ends with the journal or calendar that recorded it; where we have the document, that citation links to it.
- January 7, 2026Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services
- January 13, 2026Public Hearing: 01/13/2026 02:00 pm GP 159
- January 20, 2026Executive Session: 01/20/2026 10:00 am GP 159
- January 28, 2026Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 01/20/2026 (Vote 11-9; RC)
- January 28, 2026Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0150h
- February 5, 2026Inexpedient to Legislate: MA DV 183-153 02/05/2026
Votes
Roll call tallies and individual votes from the General Court roll call files. Presiding, excused and absent are shown separately: one member presides over each House roll call and does not vote except to break a tie.
Inexpedient to Legislate
Decided on a division vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
Committee reports
Reproduced from the House Calendar in the committee’s own words.
Majority — INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE
While this bill aims to improve dispute resolution and accountability in workers’ compensation medical billing, the committee finds that the proposed mediation process could unintentionally delay payments to providers and add complexity without clear benefit. Existing mechanisms already allow for dispute resolution and oversight, and increasing penalties may not address the underlying issues of re-pricing and payment delays. For these reasons, the committee recommends Inexpedient to Legislate. Vote 11-9.
Minority — OUGHT TO PASS WITH AMENDMENT
The workers’ compensation system is designed to provide injured workers with two primary types of benefits: indemnity benefits for lost wages and medical benefits for healthcare needs. In exchange for this comprehensive support, employers are protected from lawsuits initiated by injured workers. This balance ensures both timely assistance for employees and legal security for employers. The system mandates prompt payment for both lost wages and medical expenses. When a claim is denied or a dispute arises, parties are given the opportunity to resolve the matter before resorting to a Department of Labor hearing. This pre-hearing process is crucial in maintaining efficiency and fairness within the system. During testimony, medical care providers expressed concerns about the significant time and financial resources they invest in attempting to resolve disputes prior to Department of Labor hearings. These efforts highlight the need for improvements in the current process to reduce burdens on providers and facilitate smoother dispute resolution. This legislation aims to address these challenges by tightening reporting requirements, introducing a mediation step, and mandating additional reporting if carriers fail to comply with the law. These measures are intended to enhance transparency, encourage timely compliance, and streamline the resolution of disputes within the workers’ compensation system. The minority believes that this bill effectively addresses the identified problems. It provides essential tools for dispute resolution, increases accountability, and is expected to save both time and money for all parties involved. Most importantly, the minority emphasizes that injured workers deserve a system that safeguards their interests, ensures prompt payment of medical bills, and allows access to the healthcare providers of their choice. Therefore, the minority opposes the Inexpedient to Legislate motion in favor of Ought to Pass with Amendment.
Hearings and recordings
Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.
- January 13, 2026 at 14:00Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services public hearing recording 4:03:30–4:21:10, about 18 min (estimated)
- January 20, 2026 at 10:00Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services executive session recording 0:35:43–1:37:31, about 62 min (estimated)
- February 5, 2026House floor debate recording (start time not identified)
Page generated 2026-09-03 from data published by the New Hampshire General Court. Granite Record is an independent project, not affiliated with the General Court. The official record always takes precedence. Corrections: [email protected]