Concord, New Hampshire (April 15, 2015): The National Federation of the Blind today applauded the passage of S.B. 47 by the New Hampshire House of Representatives. The bill was unanimously passed by the New Hampshire Senate on March 5. If Governor Hassan signs the bill, state law RSA 279:22, which previously allowed entities to pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage, will be repealed. New Hampshire will be the first state to have a law that “prohibits employers from employing individuals with disabilities at an hourly rate lower than the federal minimum wage.”

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are delighted that New Hampshire’s General Court has passed S.B. 47, and we urge Governor Hassan to sign this landmark legislation as soon as it reaches her desk. This legislation will make New Hampshire a leader in rejecting the misconceptions and low expectations that stigmatize workers with disabilities by prohibiting wage discrimination against these workers.”