Representatives of the New Hampshire Hospital Association presented the SB 177 report to the Health and Human Services Oversight Committee on Nov. 21, summarizing data on involuntary emergency admissions (IEA) and the use of restraints during transport.

Cynthia Cabones and Kathy Bizarro Thunberg said the report covers Year 6 (Oct. 2024–Sept. 2025) and showed 1,516 IEA transfers to New Hampshire designated receiving facilities, averaging about 126 transports per month. They said roughly 36% of transports were by ambulance and about 61.5% were by law enforcement, with a small share by other means. The presenters said approximately 47% of transports occurred without restraints; about 51% had restraints applied before transport; a very small share had restraints applied then removed during transport or had unknown restraint status.

On types of restraints, the presenters said roughly 40% of restrained transports used a combination of restraint types, about 12% used handcuffs only, and about 46.5% used a waist belt only (presenters noted small rounding differences in the report’s tables). They also pointed to a trend that most restraint events occurred during sheriff transports.

Committee members asked for clarification on who may initiate an IEA and who signs the petition. Presenters said a certifying practitioner in the emergency department typically certifies an IEA petition; the presenters also noted a statutory update tied to SB 177 that allows clinicians and hospital emergency departments to decide whether ambulance or sheriff transport is appropriate based on clinical assessment and availability. They said many IEA patients have a probable cause hearing in court and may have legal representation during that process.

Legislators raised concerns about training for law enforcement, de-escalation options, and whether fewer restraining practices might be possible with different transport choices; presenters said ambulance availability and clinical judgment often dictate transport mode and that collaboration between law enforcement and mental-health teams (including 988 rapid response) is expanding.