SB 573 New Hampshire Senate · 2026 Regular Session

establishing certification standards for certified public safety comfort dogs.

SB 573 establishes certification standards for facility comfort dogs, their handlers, and the teams they form. It defines a "facility comfort dog" as a specifically trained dog providing emotional support in settings like hospitals, schools, and emergency services (distinct from service dogs), and requires handlers to be emergency response or public safety workers (e.g., police, firefighters, EMTs). The bill sets a framework for certification, including training requirements, to ensure these teams can effectively offer comfort and crisis response in high-stress environments. This applies to organizations such as hospitals, schools, and public safety agencies using comfort dogs for emotional support.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
May 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jul 2026
Introduced Nov 24, 2025 Signed Jul 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Version adopted by both bodies CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION · 3 edits
MINOR
The final version of the bill retains the core policy of establishing certification standards for public safety comfort dogs but includes significant formatting and layout adjustments. The text was reflowed to fit standard chapter formatting, and the list of defined terms was reorganized and split across pages, though the actual definitions and substantive content remain identical to the adopted version.
Scope change
No change in the bill's scope or applicability; the defined workers, dogs, and facilities remain the same.
TECHNICAL

The document structure was updated from a 'Version Adopted by Both Bodies' header to a 'Chaptered Final Version' header, indicating the bill has been officially enacted into law.

Page breaks and line breaks were adjusted throughout the text to conform to standard legislative chapter formatting, resulting in a reorganization of the definitions section.

Minor spacing and indentation changes were made to the 'AN ACT' and 'SPONSORS' sections to align with the final chapter layout.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
10
Committee
8
Amendments
4
Jul 9, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 07/02/2026; Chapter 267; Effective 08/31/2026
upper
Jun 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2145e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 06/04/2026); SJ 14
upper
Jun 10, 2026
Introduced
Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2145e: AA VV (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15
lower
May 21, 2026
Introduced
Sen. Pearl Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 05/21/2026; SJ 13
upper
May 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-1675h: MA VV 05/14/2026 HJ 13 P. 9
lower
May 14, 2026
Introduced
Amendment # 2026-1675h: AA VV 05/14/2026 HJ 13 P. 6
lower
May 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1675h (NT) 04/29/2026 (Vote 14-0; CC) HC 19 P. 8
lower
Apr 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee Work Session: 04/28/2026 10:00 am GP 229
lower
Apr 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee Work Session: 04/21/2026 01:15 pm GP 229
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee Work Session: 04/08/2026 10:00 am GP 229
lower
Mar 16, 2026
Introduced
Introduced (in recess of) 03/12/2026 and referred to Commerce and Consumer Affairs HJ 8 P. 114
lower
Feb 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-0683s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 02/19/2026; SJ 4
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Amendment # 2026-0683s, AA, VV; 02/19/2026; SJ 4
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0683s, 02/19/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 6
upper
Nov 24, 2025
Introduced
Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Executive Departments and Administration; SJ 1
upper
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors