HB 1168 New Hampshire House · 2026 Regular Session

relative to employer documentation requirements.

HB 1168 extends the time employers have to respond to wage claims from 10 days to 30 days after receiving notice. This change directly affects employers who receive claims from employees alleging unpaid wages. The bill modifies RSA 275:51 by updating the deadline for employers to file written objections to such claims. If employers don't respond within the new 30-day window, the commissioner may order payment without further delay. This is a procedural adjustment to the existing wage enforcement process.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Dec 1, 2025 Signed May 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Version adopted by both bodies CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was finalized and approved for enactment, changing the official chapter number to 50 and setting a specific effective date of July 7, 2026. The core policy regarding wage claim objections remains the same, extending the employer's response window from 10 to 20 days.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to apply to employer documentation requirements for wage claims in New Hampshire.
TIMELINE

The effective date was set to July 7, 2026, replacing the previous placeholder date of June 5.

TECHNICAL

The bill was assigned Chapter 50 and labeled as the 'Final Version' to signify it has passed both legislative bodies and is ready for execution.

A formal approval date of May 8, 2026, was added to the final text.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
7
Committee
6
Amendments
1
May 12, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor Ayotte 05/08/2026; Chapter 50; eff. 07/07/2026
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Introduced
House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-0786s (Rep. Creighton): MA VV 04/09/2026 HJ 10 P. 8
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-0786s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/05/2026; SJ 5
upper
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Amendment # 2026-0786s, AA, VV; 03/05/2026; SJ 5
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0786s, 03/05/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 8
upper
Feb 9, 2026
Introduced
Introduced 02/05/2026 and Referred to Commerce; SJ 4
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Ought to Pass: MA DV 175-162 02/05/2026 HJ 3 P. 54
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 01/27/2026 (Vote 11-9; RC) HC 5 P. 25
lower
Dec 1, 2025
Introduced
Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services HJ 1 P. 9
lower
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors

Sponsors