PROSPECTS FOR AND IMPLICATIONS OF MEASURING THE HIGGS-BOSON TO PHOTON-PHOTON BRANCHING RATIO AT THE NEXT LINEAR E(-)-COLLIDER()E()

We evaluate the prospects for measuring B(h --> gamma gamma) for a sta ndard-model-like Higgs boson at the Next Linear e(+)e(-) Collider in t he e(+)e(-) --> Z --> Zh and e(+)e(-) --> nu(e)<(nu)over bar>(e)h pro duction modes. Relative merits of different machine energy/luminosity strategies and different electromagnetic calorimeter designs are evalu ated. We emphasize the importance of measuring B(h --> gamma gamma) in order to obtain the total width of a light Higgs boson and thereby th e <(b)over bar b> partial width that will be critical in discriminatin g between the standard model Higgs boson and the Higgs boson of an ext ended model.