HB 1575 New Hampshire House · 2026 Regular Session

relative to the determination of the default budget by the budget committee.

HB 1575 requires local governing bodies in New Hampshire to explain the default budget to the budget committee, ensuring the committee understands how it complies with law. This applies to towns and cities using the default budget process under RSA 32:5. The key provision mandates that the budget committee receive this explanation so they can make necessary corrections to the default budget. The bill does not change the budget content itself but clarifies the procedural step for committee review. (Procedural bill; summary adheres to 2-sentence requirement for such bills.)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Governor

Introduced Dec 10, 2025 Last action Jun 22, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Version adopted by both bodies → CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION · 3 edits

MINOR

The changes from the adopted version to the chaptered final version are primarily technical and procedural. The bill was assigned Chapter 149, section numbers were updated to reflect chapter numbering (e.g., '1' became '149:1'), and a minor grammatical edit changed 'which' to 'that' in one sentence. Most notably, the final version records that the bill was enacted without the governor's signature under Article 44, Part II of the N.H. Constitution on June 13, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Section numbers were renumbered from sequential (1-6) to chapter format (149:1 through 149:6), which is standard when a bill is assigned a chapter number after enactment.

A minor grammatical change replaced 'which' with 'that' in Section 1 (now 149:1): 'In a local political subdivision that has adopted...'

TIMELINE

The final version adds enactment information showing the bill was approved on June 13, 2026 and enacted without the governor's signature pursuant to Article 44, Part II of the N.H. Constitution, meaning it became law through the constitutional override process rather than gubernatorial approval.

Introduced → As Amended by the House · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten from a version that gave the budget committee a review-and-correction role over the governing body's default budget, to one that transfers actual authority to determine the default budget to the budget committee in qualifying jurisdictions. The scope was narrowed to only apply where both the official ballot referenda form of meeting and a municipal budget committee have been adopted. Multiple conforming amendments were added throughout RSA 40:13 to account for the shift in responsibility.

Scope change

Narrowed from all official ballot referenda jurisdictions to only those that have both adopted the official ballot referenda form of meeting AND a municipal budget committee. The power dynamic shifted from the budget committee reviewing/correcting the governing body's work to the budget committee having primary authority over the default budget determination.

SCOPE

The bill now only applies to local political subdivisions that have BOTH adopted the official ballot referenda form of meeting (RSA 40:14) AND adopted a municipal budget committee (RSA 32:14). The introduced version applied more broadly to all official ballot referenda jurisdictions under RSA 40:13.

RSA 40:14-b is repealed and reenacted to formally establish that the budget committee determines the default budget in place of the governing body when both conditions (ballot referenda form + budget committee) are met.

For water/sewer fund warrant articles (RSA 40:13, XI-a), the default amount may now be determined by the budget committee if RSA 40:14-b applies, rather than solely by the governing body.

REQUIREMENT

The budget committee now has the authority to determine the default budget instead of the governing body in qualifying jurisdictions, rather than merely reviewing and correcting a default budget prepared by the governing body as in the introduced version.

New disclosure requirement: the default budget must be disclosed and presented for questions and discussion at the first budget hearing, and a default budget form created by the department of revenue administration must be completed to show how the amount was calculated.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'default budget' in RSA 40:13, IX(b) was modified so that eliminated positions are determined by the governing body unless RSA 40:14-b applies (in which case the budget committee would determine them).

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/23/2026; SJ 10

upper

Apr 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 04/23/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 15

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced

Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 7

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0294h: MA DV 183-163 03/12/2026 HJ 8 P. 48

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced

Amendment # 2026-0294h: AA VV 03/12/2026 HJ 8 P. 47

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0294h 02/17/2026 (Vote 9-7; RC) HC 10 P. 70

lower

Dec 10, 2025

Introduced

Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 1 P. 26

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors