The Republican controlled New Hampshire
Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that protects transgender people
from discrimination.
House Bill 1319 cleared the Senate with
a 14-10 vote. The bill now heads to the desk of Republican Governor
Chris Sununu, who said on Wednesday that he will sign the bill into
law.
The House, which is also controlled by
Republicans, approved the bill in March.
The bill prohibits discrimination in
housing, employment and public accommodations, including bathrooms,
based on gender identity. New Hampshire has offered similar
protections based on sexual orientation since 1998.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, cheered the news.
“No person should be fired, evicted,
or denied service just because of who they are, and it is far beyond
time that New Hampshire’s non-discrimination protections include
transgender people,” HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse said
in a statement. “Fair-minded people across the Granite State
support these protections and recognize the importance of making New
Hampshire an inclusive and welcoming state for all. Inclusive
non-discrimination protections are now one step closer to becoming
law, and we urge Governor Sununu to continue this momentum by signing
HB 1319.”
New Hampshire is the final New England
state to enact such protections, joining 18 additional states.