amending the title of the position of senior deputy secretary of state.
SB 451 amends New Hampshire law to change the official title of a position from "senior deputy secretary of state" to "Special Deputy Secretary of State" in RSA 5:2-a. This procedural bill updates the statutory language without altering the duties, responsibilities, or appointment process for the role. The change affects the Secretary of State's office by updating the position's formal designation in state law. The amendment takes effect 60 days after enactment.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Nov 21, 2025
Signed May 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
Version adopted by both bodies
→
CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION
·
3 edits
MINOR
No substantive policy changes were made between the adopted version and the final chapped version. The bill still amends RSA 5:2-a to rename the position from 'Senior Deputy Secretary of State' to 'Special Deputy Secretary of State.' All changes are technical: the bill was assigned Chapter 100, section numbers were prefixed with the chapter number (e.g., '1' became '100:1'), and standard approval/effective dates were added.
TECHNICAL
Section numbers were renumbered with the chapter prefix: Section 1 became 100:1 and Section 2 became 100:2, which is standard practice when a bill is assigned a chapter number.
Header changed from 'VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES' to 'CHAPTER 100 / FINAL VERSION,' reflecting the formal chaptering process. Minor formatting and alignment adjustments were made throughout.
TIMELINE
Formal approval date (May 28, 2026) and effective date (July 27, 2026) were added at the end of the document, consistent with the 60-day effective period already stated in the bill text.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
14
Key actions
5
Committee
4
Amendments
2
May 29, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 05/28/2026; Chapter 100; Effective 07/27/2026
upper
Apr 16, 2026
Introduced
Sen. Pearl Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 04/16/2026; SJ 9
upper
Apr 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-1230h: MA VV 04/09/2026 HJ 10 P. 12
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Introduced
Amendment # 2026-1230h: AA VV 04/09/2026 HJ 10 P. 12
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1230h 03/18/2026 (Vote 12-0; CC)
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Introduced
Introduced (in recess of) 02/19/2026 and referred to Executive Departments and Administration HJ 5 P. 124
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 01/29/2026; SJ 2
upper
Jan 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 01/29/2026; Vote 3-0; CC; SC 3
upper
Nov 21, 2025
Introduced
Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Executive Departments and Administration; SJ 1
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
James Gray
RRepublican
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