FW: OT: [LymeInfo] [news] New Hampshire House Bill 1326 Passes [NH]

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From: LymeInfo [mailto:LymeInfo ] On Behalf

Of Rick Laferriere

Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:14 PM

LymeInfo

Subject: [LymeInfo] [news] New Hampshire House Bill 1326 Passes [NH]

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February 17, 2010

New Hampshire House Bill 1326 passes in the New Hampshire House of

Representatives

300-58

Dear Members of the Lyme Community,

Today is a historic moment for the New Hampshire Lyme Community. In an

unusual move, the House of Representatives voted to overturn the Health

and Human Services' Committee's recommendation (18-1) to move House Bill

1326 to interim study. With that recommendation overturned, the House of

Representatives went on to approve House Bill 1326, 300-56.

Today's vote will certainly be seen as another victory in the national

debate over the existence of chronic Lyme disease, and the need for

physicians who believe the illness exists to be able to prescribe

long-term antibiotic treatment without fear of reprisal.

Today's vote also brings the bill one important step closer to becoming

law. New Hampshire may soon join the ranks of New York, Connecticut,

Rhode Island and California, which already have Lyme doctor protection

laws in place. The bill now moves on to the Senate. The Lyme Legislation

Committee will organize our strategy and keep the Lyme Community abreast

of how we can gather together for success.

What does today's action mean? It means your voices were heard. Your

stories were heard. Your family's stories were heard. And they moved the

majority of New Hampshire's House of Representatives, many of whom have

told us they, too, have been touched by Lyme disease.

The New Hampshire Lyme Legislation Committee wants to thank state

Representatives s ®, Carol Vita ®, who sponsored and

co-sponsored the bill, as well as Cebrowski ®, (D)

and Chase (D), who gave passionate speeches from the House floor

and dedicated hours of time working with the committee, doing their own

research, and contacting their legislative colleagues for support.

We also want to thank every member of the New Hampshire Lyme Community

for your support. Whether you made phone calls to representatives, wrote

letters or emails, sent in written testimony or attended the hearings ..

You should be assured today that your voices were heard. And it is about

time. We will not be silent. We will fight for access to individualized,

effective care for those of us afflicted by Lyme disease, and those who

will be touched by this pandemic in the future. We will not stop until

we win.

Our best to each of you,

The New Hampshire Lyme Legislation Committee