Members urge Governor to sign bill into law
CONCORD, NH – May 23, 2018 – The School Employee Death Benefit bill, along with an additional $10 million for school security upgrades, passed both the House and Senate today. There was a voice vote in the Senate, and the bill passed the House 262-76. The bill is now headed to the Governor.
The most recent slaughter of students and educators in Texas is further evidence of the need for this bill for the surviving families of school employees who die from violence while doing their jobs. So long as school employees think of their students’ safety first, and they will in every instance, they are entitled to know that their families will have some degree of financial security should they die.
“The public understands what school employees face, as do their families. It is important to remember that educators make the 911 call to first responders in these situations, and educators at every level do the best they can to save lives until more help arrives,” said Megan Tuttle, NEA-New Hampshire President. “The bill was introduced at the request of NEA-NH four years ago and we have been working to secure its passage ever since. We are calling on the Governor to sign the bill as soon as possible.”
“Our role as educators has always been important. But everything seems different now. We ask ourselves each morning what we are going to do to help students learn, but now we also wonder if today is the day the unthinkable happens at my school.”
“No one is ever hoping to need this benefit, but should the worst happen, the family of an educator who gives up their life in defense of a student deserves some recognition and compensation for their sacrifice.”