SB 554 repeals a law that previously shielded firearm manufacturers from lawsuits related to specific design features of guns. This change directly affects firearm manufacturers by removing their legal protection for certain product designs, making them potentially liable for related claims. The bill does not create new regulations but eliminates an existing exemption in state law (RSA 507-D:6). It takes effect 60 days after enactment. The bill focuses solely on removing this liability limitation without altering other firearm regulations.
HB 1564 removes the phrase "gender identity" from multiple New Hampshire statutes that currently include it as a protected characteristic in discrimination laws. This affects provisions related to equal employment (RSA 21-I:42), classified employment protections (RSA 21-I:52), cable TV service access (RSA 53-C:3-g), hate crime reporting (RSA 106-B:14-c), police training (RSA 106-L:2), racial profiling definitions (RSA 106-O:1), and mental health services (RSA 135-C:13). The bill deletes all instances of "gender identity" except in RSA 332-M:2, III-a. It does not create new policies but eliminates existing language from these statutes. The direct effect is removing gender identity as a specified protected category in these legal provisions.
HB 1238 amends New Hampshire law (RSA 265:4) to increase penalties for disobeying law enforcement officers. It reclassifies certain violations as class A misdemeanors (for offenses under subparagraphs I(a), (b), (d), (e), (f)) and upgrades penalties for violations involving motor vehicle accidents: a class B felony if serious injury occurs during pursuit (subparagraph I(c)), and a class A felony if injury or death results. This directly affects individuals who refuse to comply with officers during traffic stops or investigations, particularly when accidents happen while fleeing. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027, and was requested by the Department of Safety.
This bill shortens the temporary exemption period for out-of-state vessels from 30 to 10 consecutive days. It requires boats registered in another state or country to obtain New Hampshire vessel registration and pay a fee if they use state waters for more than 10 days. The change directly affects recreational boaters who bring their vessels into New Hampshire from other states for short-term visits. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.
HB 1623 requires charter schools in New Hampshire to use uniform, clear billing practices for special education services, prohibiting varying rates for identical services. It directly affects charter schools and school districts that provide special education, ensuring parents and oversight bodies can easily understand costs. The bill mandates transparent billing by July 1, 2026, with no new state funding or staffing authorized to implement it. This policy change aims to simplify cost structures for families and improve accountability without altering service delivery.
HB 1327 updates the legal definitions of "commercially-zoned land" and "mixed-use" in New Hampshire law. It clarifies that commercially-zoned land refers to areas where commercial use is permitted under local zoning rules, and defines mixed-use development as projects combining residential or other uses within a single building or area approved by a local planning board. These changes directly affect developers seeking approval for projects that blend residential and commercial spaces, requiring planning board review for such developments. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.
HB 1392 removes a requirement that municipal governing bodies or budget committees provide written recommendations on warrant articles (budget items) appearing on town meeting ballots. Currently, local governments must include notations stating whether the governing body or budget committee supports or opposes specific budget proposals. This bill eliminates that requirement, meaning towns will no longer need to include such written recommendations on ballots for budget-related votes. The change directly affects all New Hampshire municipalities that use warrant articles for budget approvals, streamlining the ballot information without altering the voting process itself.
This bill allows New Hampshire municipalities to create special assessment districts to fund infrastructure improvements - such as roads, utilities, sidewalks, and storm water systems - that directly serve new development. Property owners within these districts would pay special assessments based on their proportionate benefit (e.g., lot size or frontage), not equally, and payments would be collected over up to 20 years as a property lien. The law requires public hearings before district creation and excludes schools, government buildings, and general facilities from these assessments. It applies specifically to infrastructure tied to new development, not existing neighborhoods.
HB 1018 prohibits the use of four specific rat poisons (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone) in New Hampshire, primarily affecting pest control businesses, property owners, and general commercial users. The ban takes effect January 1, 2027, with key exceptions allowing these products for public health activities (like protecting drinking water or controlling documented infestations), medical waste facilities, and certain agricultural settings including food storage warehouses, slaughterhouses, and breweries. The law does not ban all rodenticides, only these four second-generation anticoagulant types. It directly changes pesticide regulations under RSA 430:41.
HB 1058 amends New Hampshire law to allow carrying a loaded firearm on an off-highway recreational vehicle (OHRV), such as an ATV or dirt bike, when operating it on private property with the landowner's permission. Currently, the law prohibits carrying a loaded firearm on an OHRV, but this bill creates a specific exception for private property use (excluding public trails, rights-of-way, or designated OHRV corridors). The change does not affect existing exceptions for law enforcement officers or for carrying pistols/revolvers. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027.
This bill repeals a current law that prohibits possessing ferrets while hunting or traveling to/from hunting. It would allow hunters in New Hampshire to legally use ferrets for hunting, which is currently banned under RSA 207:6. The change takes effect January 1, 2027, removing the existing restriction on ferret possession during hunting activities. The bill specifically targets the prohibition in state law, making no other changes to hunting regulations.
SB 621 establishes a cold case commission to serve as a middle person between New Hampshire's Department of Justice Cold Case Unit and families of homicide victims in unresolved cases. The commission, made up of two Department of Justice staff, two family members of victims (appointed by the governor), and one representative from a missing/murdered persons coalition, handles communications about case status to families and the public. It cannot investigate cases or access information protected by law, but requires the Department of Justice to share sufficient details to fulfill its communication role. The bill does not create new investigations but aims to improve transparency and support for families in long-unresolved homicide cases.
