Molly C. Howard
Serving as: NH House Hillsborough County District 31
These objective, nonpartisan measures are used to show this legislator's activities at the Statehouse in 2023 and 2024. The measures are not intended to present a ranking or rating of any kind. Average is that of all state elected officials in this chamber. Gov. Sununu is still in the process of signing and vetoing 2024 bills, so the number of prime sponsored bills that became law may increase.
Session days attended
Party unity score/partisanship
Participated in official roll call votes
Bills sponsored (as prime sponsor)
Prime sponsored bills that became law
Voting Record
CACR 23 (2024)
Constitutional amendment creating a right to abortion, including a ban on any restrictions on abortion prior to 24 weeks.
HB 10 (2023)
Establishes a parental bill of rights. Some of the parental rights in this bill include:
"The right to direct the education and care of his or her minor child"
"The right to be physically present at any health care facility ... at which their minor child is receiving hospital care"
"The right to consent in writing before a biometric scan of his or her minor child is made, shared, or stored"
HB 106 (2023)
Establishes a procedure for issuing "extreme risk protection orders" to protect against persons who pose an immediate risk of harm to themselves or others. An extreme risk protection order would restrict a person's access to firearms, and is also known as a "red flag law."
HB 1145 (2024)
Prohibits new solid waste landfill permits in the state for facilities owned by any person other than the state of New Hampshire or a political subdivision thereof.
HB 1205 (2024)
Prohibits anyone with the reproductive biology and genetics of a male at birth from participating on school sports teams designated for females. As introduced, this bill covered K-12 schools as well as the university and community college system. The House amended the bill so that it only applies to middle and high schools.
HB 1248 (2024)
Changes the state limit on abortion after 24 weeks gestation to 15 days gestation.
HB 1283 (2024)
Establishes a procedure for an individual with terminal illness to receive medical assistance in dying through the self administration of medication (sometimes called physician-assisted suicide). The bill establishes criteria for the prescription of such medication and establishes reporting requirements and penalties for misuse or noncompliance.
HB 1291 (2024)
Increases the number of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) allowed by right from one to two. This bill also increases the maximum square footage from 750 square feet to 1,000 square feet (and 850 square feet for a second unit). The bill then sets other regulations municipalities can and cannot require for ADUs. For example, the bill states that municipalities may require a property to have at least one half acre to have more than one ADU.
HB 1322 (2024)
Gradually increases the minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2029. This bill then allows future increases best on the Northeast Consumer Price Index. This bill also increases the tipped minimum wage from 45% to 50% of the regular minimum wage.
HB 1377 (2024)
Right-to-work bill that prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join or contribute to a labor union.
HB 1400 (2024)
Prohibits zoning and planning regulations that set maximum residential parking spaces above one parking space per unit.
HB 1419 (2024)
Prohibits K-12 schools from making "any material that is harmful to minors" available to students. The bill defines this material to include various content related to sex. This bill also requires school boards to adopt complaint resolution policies to address complaints regarding harmful material by parents or guardians.
HB 1633 (2024)
Legalizes and regulates recreational marijuana sales to adults over age twenty-one. As amended by the House, this bill would allow the state to license fifteen cannabis retail outlets. There would be a 10% tax on monthly total gross revenue derived from the sale of cannabis and cannabis products. Smoking in public and consuming marijuana while driving would be illegal. Towns could limit marijuana businesses.
HB 1649 (2024)
Restricts the use of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products. For example, this bill bans the sale of cosmetics, food packing, carpets, and more products with added PFAS starting July 1, 2028. The House changed that date to January 1, 2027.
The Senate amended the bill to also state that settlement funds from PFAS lawsuits will be deposited in the drinking water and groundwater trust fund and used to fund public water systems impacted by PFAS.
HB 1656 (2024)
Greatly increases the per-pupil state education funding for each student receiving special education services. The House amended the bill to establish three weighted categories for special education differentiated aid, with more funding going to students who need more services.
HB 1665 (2024)
Raises the annual household income limit to qualify for the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, from 350% to 500% of the federal poverty level (from about $100,000 to about $150,000 for a family of four).
The Senate rewrote the bill. The Senate version of the bill raises eligibility to just 400% of the federal poverty level, and extends the timeline for phase-out grants for public schools when students leave to use EFA program funds, from 2026 to 2029. These changes are similar to SB 442, a bill killed in the House.
HB 1711 (2024)
Establishes a system to report to the firearm background check system if a person is found not guilty by reason of insanity, not competent to stand trial, or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. This bill also allows the court to order a person to surrender their firearms in these circumstances. This bill also establishes a process for a person to have their record removed from the background check system after six months, if they are no longer a danger to themselves or others.
HB 2 (2023)
State budget bill (part 2). The governor presented his proposal for the next state budget February 14. The House and Senate both made changes to that proposal. Click here to read a summary of the 2023 budget process.
HB 208 (2023)
Establishes greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for the state, to net zero by 2050. This bill also requires the Department of Environmental Services to develop a climate action plan by July 1, 2024, that includes evaluation of best available information, considers inclusion of strategies, programs and compliance mechanisms with measurable goals and targets, considers opportunities to encourage investment in low/moderate income, rural and minority communities, makes recommendations on retraining and apprenticeship opportunities, and coordinates with other state agencies.
HB 224 (2023)
Repeals the civil and criminal penalties for health care providers who violate the state's ban on abortion after 24 weeks.
HB 367 (2023)
Increases the maximum household income limit for participation in the Education Freedom Account program, from 300% to 500% of the federal poverty guidelines. The Education Freedom Account program allows families to spend the state's per-pupil share of education funding on private or home school expenses.
The House amended the bill to only increase the income limit to 350% of the federal poverty guidelines.
HB 470 (2023)
Exempts some drug checking equipment from the definition of drug paraphernalia, and allows the use of drug checking equipment, such as fentanyl test strips, for harm reduction.
HB 523 (2023)
Increases the maximum electric generating capacity to participate in net energy metering, from one to five megawatts. This bill also modifies the transition of tariffs applicable to some customer-generators.
HB 557 (2023)
Removes the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to require vaccinations beyond those in state law. This bill specifically notes that the requirements for chickenpox, Hepatitis B, and Hib vaccinations will expire in 2026.
HB 567 (2023)
Requires at least 30 days written notice for a rent increase. Large, multi-unit rental owners must provide at least 60 days notice. If the rent increase is over 15%, large multi-unit landlords must provide at least 6 months notice.
HB 57 (2023)
Gradually raises the minimum wage to $15 per hour over the next three years, with future adjustments based on the consumer price index. This bill also raises the tipped minimum wage from 45% to 50% of the regular minimum wage. Lastly, this bill allows a minimum wage of $8 per hour for youth under age 18 for the first six months of employment.
HB 59 (2023)
Requires commercial sales and transfers of firearms to take place through licensed dealers. Those dealers are required to perform background checks.
HB 619 (2023)
Prohibits gender transition care for minors under age 18. This bill also prohibits teaching about gender identity in public schools (with an exception for high school psychology courses), requires schools to use the name and gender that students are enrolled as, prohibits students from participating on sports teams that do not correspond to their biological sex at birth, and requires students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their biological sex at birth.
HB 624 (2023)
Requires state and local law enforcement to notify the public before an immigration checkpoint.
HB 639 (2023)
Legalizes marijuana for adults over age twenty-one. The bill allows limited home-growing of marijuana. A new Cannabis Commission would oversee licensing and regulations related to the manufacture, testing, and sale of legal marijuana. Cannabis sales would be taxed under the Meals and Rooms tax system. Alternative Treatment Centers, which currently serve the state's medical marijuana patients, would be allowed to apply for a "dual use certificate" that allows them to participate in recreational marijuana business. Towns could limit marijuana businesses.
SB 263 (2023)
Permanently reauthorizes the New Hampshire Granite Advantage Health Care Program, commonly known as expanded Medicaid. Previous law ended the program on December 31, 2023. This bill also reestablishes and revises the commission to evaluate the New Hampshire Granite Advantage Health Care Program, commonly known as expanded Medicaid.
SB 272 (2023)
Establishes a parental bill of rights in education. Some of the parental rights in this bill include:
"The right to access and review all medical records of a child maintained by a school or school personnel"
"The right to inquire of the school or school personnel and to be truthfully and completely informed if the child is being identified or referred to by school district staff, as being of a gender other than that of which the child was identified or referred when enrolled"
Completed our 2022 State Candidate Survey
Position on Issues
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?
"I think it's scandalous. That most of the families who receive it had already left the public system indicates that they felt they could afford it without public subsidies. Public funds should not underwrite activities of those wealthy enough to afford them on their own. I also think that using public funds to pay for parochial education is a breach of our founding principle of separation of church and state. And aside from the use of public dollars, I think a mass exodus from public schools will contribute to the divisions we are experiencing in our society. Public schools are the bedrock of our communities."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"First, the government does not belong in a discussion between a woman and her doctor. This invasion of privacy is a precursor to the degeneration of women's rights in general. Second, late term abortions occur almost exclusively for the health of the mother or when the fetus is not viable. The exceptions to this are so minute that they are statistically nonexistent. The idea that it is common for women to change their minds late in a pregnancy is cynical and misogynist. The law is unnecessary, dangerous and undermines women's rights."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"First, the government does not belong in a discussion between a woman and her doctor. This invasion of privacy is a precursor to the degeneration of women's rights in general. Second, late term abortions occur almost exclusively for the health of the mother or when the fetus is not viable. The exceptions to this are so minute that they are statistically nonexistent. The idea that it is common for women to change their minds late in a pregnancy is cynical and misogynist. The law is unnecessary, dangerous and undermines women's rights."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Should New Hampshire ban discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3?
"I believe in answering the questions children ask. To the extent that children are curious about these topics or observing or experiencing them in their homes (such as children with same sex parents), teachers should be allowed to help children make sense of their environment. I don't believe that this is something that comes up enough at that age in real life to even rationalize this question. Some have suggested that there are kindergarten curricula in 'Gender Studies.' I say, prove it. Teachers supplement what children learn at home, not displace it."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Do you support the state law that bans teaching certain concepts, such as the idea that people may be "inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously"?
"'Inherently'? No, I don't support that. I do support exploration of behaviors that have historically harmed people for the reasons listed. I am strongly against whitewashing history to protect some children from theoretical guilt. I am for curricula that are age-appropriate, truthful and aim to teach students empathy by providing both the full, factual history of our species and the hope of finding solutions and ways to avoid harm as they look forward."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"That won't fly in New Hampshire. I don't know enough about the topic to make a cogent argument for it in a state accustomed to doing without it. I'd look for revenue streams that are more acceptable to the workers of New Hampshire."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"I think Sununu is leaving New Hampshire in financial tatters. Our revenue sources have been cut to the bone while he surfed along on federal dollars, especially funds from the Biden Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan. I don't know if a sales tax is the answer, but we need to relieve the heavy property tax burden on Granite Staters."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Should New Hampshire add a tax credit for businesses that contribute to student loan repayment for employees?
"For"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"Besides being an important source of revenue for the state, business taxes (or more accurately, the desire not to pay them) inspire owners and CEOs to invest more in their businesses (and hopefully workers). Investing what would otherwise be profits back into the business and workers in order to minimize paying taxes on them keeps money in circulation instead of in the pockets of executives or the coffers of government. If reinvesting isn't a company's philosophy, then I think contributing to the functions of government is better than enriching a few guys at the top."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"That we are last among the New England states in investing in alternative energy is embarrassing. We can do so much more."
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support giving voters who register without ID on Election Day a ballot that only counts if they return identifying documents to the state before a deadline?
"New Hampshire is the hardest state in which to vote. I don't think ID's are necessary in general, but I think the requirement is comforting to those among us who are suspicious of the voting process, so, if we need to show our ID, then that same responsibility should fall on those who register at the polls. The affidavit/proof deadline requirements provide parity with other voters."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Should New Hampshire add a fee or mileage charge for electric vehicle owners to help pay for transportation and/or electric infrastructure?
"Against"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"Encourage is the right word. Providing incentives such as assistance with infrastructure improvements and tax breaks for affordable units could help developers make improvements that affect communities in observable ways. The state needs to develop plans for increasing housing development in both urban and rural settings, which require entirely different approaches and scales. New Hampshire's economy is hog-tied by the housing shortage, so I think it's the perfect issue for bipartisan work."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Should New Hampshire extend the renewable portfolio standard past 2025, requiring public utilities to obtain more than 25% of electricity from renewable energy sources?
"For"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"First, the government does not belong in a discussion between a woman and her doctor. This invasion of privacy is a precursor to the degeneration of women's rights in general. Second, late term abortions occur almost exclusively for the health of the mother or when the fetus is not viable. The exceptions to this are so minute that they are statistically nonexistent. The idea that it is common for women to change their minds late in a pregnancy is cynical and misogynist. The law is unnecessary, dangerous and undermines women's rights."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Do you support the option of mail-in ballots for all voters, not just absentees?
"For"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"I am for the funding structure as laid out in the New Hampshire Constitution. The current distribution of funds maintains an unfair advantage for towns with higher property values. There has been a slick avoidance of the constitutional (and court validated) method for funding an adequate education for all New Hampshire students that has left many towns unable to afford things like retaining first responders or maintenance on public property."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
"Marijuana is still a federally illegal substance. We can learn how to get around this from states who have legalized it as a private enterprise, but I don't think the state should break federal law. In fact, I think trying to do it at the state level will stop it from happening at all."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"Marijuana is still a federally illegal substance. We can learn how to get around this from states who have legalized it as a private enterprise, but I don't think the state should break federal law. In fact, I think trying to do it at the state level will stop it from happening at all."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"Marijuana is still a federally illegal substance. We can learn how to get around this from states who have legalized it as a private enterprise, but I don't think the state should break federal law. In fact, I think trying to do it at the state level will stop it from happening at all."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"While I understand that some business sectors would have to make major adjustments in how they do business, our minimum wage is insultingly low. Post-pandemic worker shortages and the resulting correction in wages, even in traditionally low-paying jobs, illustrates how businesses are able to adjust. Paying a fair wage should be a part of every business plan. I wouldn't mind considering a lower tier for teen workers who are just starting and require more than just basic job training."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Should the state permanently increase how much tax revenue it shares with towns and cities every year, beyond public school funding?
"For"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022
Do you support the gradual phase-out of the Interests and Dividends tax?
"This only benefits those who least need it."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"First, the government does not belong in a discussion between a woman and her doctor. This invasion of privacy is a precursor to the degeneration of women's rights in general. Second, late term abortions occur almost exclusively for the health of the mother or when the fetus is not viable. The exceptions to this are so minute that they are statistically nonexistent. The idea that it is common for women to change their minds late in a pregnancy is cynical and misogynist. The law is unnecessary, dangerous and undermines women's rights."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"Truthfully, for purely selfish reasons, I'd start with not allowing guns in Rep's Hall in the State House. They scare me. Seriously, though, I can hear the clock ticking down the time until we have a mass shooting in one of our schools. I'd support banning semi automatic guns. Licensure and locked storage requirements are good ideas. Background checks, check. I'm not against gun ownership. I just wish we adhered to the part of the second amendment that requires a well regulated militia. Those folks kept their guns in an armory."
