New Hampshire Bills | MyRepTracker

passed both · New Hampshire · House Jun 22, 2026

HB 1529: repealing the reading recovery training program.

HB 1529 repeals the reading recovery training program, a state-established initiative that provided professional development for educators on reading recovery methods. The bill removes RSA 186:70, the statute creating the program, ending its legal basis. This action discontinues the state's administration and funding of the training, which previously supported school staff in improving reading instruction. As a result, New Hampshire school districts and educators will no longer have access to this specific training program.

Topics ✗ Education

passed both · New Hampshire · House Jun 22, 2026

HB 1575: 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.)

passed both · New Hampshire · House Jun 9, 2026

HB 1256: removing the authority of the state librarian to award scholarships to students attending graduate library schools.

HB 1256 removes a law that allowed New Hampshire's state librarian to award scholarships to students enrolled in graduate library programs accredited by the American Library Association. The bill repeals RSA 201-A:10, VII, ending the state librarian's authority to fund these scholarships. This change directly affects students seeking advanced degrees in library science at accredited institutions. The policy shift eliminates an existing state-funded support mechanism for library school students without creating new programs or requirements.

Topics ✗ Education

passed both · New Hampshire · House Jun 4, 2026

HB 751: establishing a committee to study licensure of outpatient substance use disorder treatment facilities, authorizing parents to enroll their children in any public school in the state, and creating a limited exemption from parental consent required for certain recordings under the parental bill of rights.

This bill requires outpatient substance use disorder treatment facilities in New Hampshire to obtain certification from the Department of Health and Human Services. It establishes a certification process for facilities providing outpatient services like intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and medically managed outpatient treatment, while exempting nonclinical recovery support services and certain other providers. Facilities will pay certification fees to a new "substance use treatment certification fund" that will cover the costs of the certification program. The bill also requires the Department to maintain a public online list of certified facilities and to create a dedicated behavioral health specialist position within the Ombudsman's office to investigate complaints about treatment facilities.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Hampshire · House Jun 4, 2026

HB 1709: prohibiting certain unlawfully present felons from occupying or renting real property, relative to pet vendor foster home and defining pet vendor foster facility, and providing procedures for the potential confiscation of livestock involved in cruelty to animal cases.

HB 1709 requires residential rental applicants in New Hampshire to disclose in writing if they are not U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the United States. Applicants can prove lawful presence using specific documents like a New Hampshire driver's license, tribal ID, or federal identification, and landlords cannot independently verify immigration status. Violating this disclosure requirement is classified as a class B felony. The bill directly affects renters applying for housing and landlords managing residential properties in New Hampshire.

Topics ✗ Immigration

passed · New Hampshire · House Jun 3, 2026

HB 224: relative to rebates to ratepayers from the renewable energy fund.

HB 224 requires the state to rebate excess funds in the Renewable Energy Fund directly to all retail electric ratepayers (including households, businesses, and government entities) on a per-kilowatt-hour basis. The bill mandates that any money remaining in the fund after covering administrative costs and renewable energy incentive programs must be returned to ratepayers, rather than being retained or redirected. This applies to funds generated from Alternative Compliance Payments (ACPs) paid by utilities that fail to meet renewable energy requirements under the state’s portfolio standard. The rebates would be administered by the Public Utilities Commission, with the amount depending on annual fund balances and program expenditures.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy

passed both · New Hampshire · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SB 578: relative to play-based curriculum and limitations on recess periods for pupils.

SB 578 requires all public schools to provide daily recess for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, expanding current requirements. It mandates play-based learning for kindergarten through third grade and explicitly prohibits withholding recess as punishment for misbehavior or incomplete schoolwork. The bill defines recess as unstructured outdoor play (when safe), separate from physical education classes. This law applies to all public schools in the state, directly affecting K-8 students and school policies.

Topics ✓ Education

passed both · New Hampshire · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SB 625: establishing a committee to study options for family members of intentional homicide victims where the department of justice does not file charges in a case, repealing the refugee resettlement program in the department of health and human services, and prohibiting expenditure of state funds on refugee resettlement.

SB 625 allows immediate family members (parents, spouses, or children) of homicide victims to request an evidentiary hearing when the Department of Justice (DOJ) does not file criminal charges or seek a retrial after a hung jury in a homicide case. Families must first request a written explanation from the DOJ for not filing charges, and if they believe probable cause exists, they can petition a superior court to review the DOJ’s decision. The court will assess whether the evidence supports charging a suspect, potentially requiring the DOJ to provide investigative reports for private review and holding a hearing to evaluate witness credibility. If the court finds probable cause, it will recommend prosecution to the DOJ but only inform the family that probable cause exists - not the detailed recommendation.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

passed both · New Hampshire · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SB 460: prohibiting tier III criminal offenders from being present in designated child safety zones absent a legitimate purpose.

SB 460 prohibits registered sex offenders required to register under RSA 651-B for sexual offenses against children under 13 from knowingly appearing within 1,000 feet of certain locations - such as childcare facilities, churches, schools, or areas where children gather - when circumstances would alarm nearby residents. The law applies specifically to tier II and tier III offenders and takes effect January 1, 2027. It creates a new criminal violation for these prohibited appearances, with no direct state or local funding impacts identified. The bill was requested by the Department of Safety and aligns with existing registration requirements for sex offenders.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

passed both · New Hampshire · House May 28, 2026

HB 1515: repealing the requirement that the department of health and human services' biennial budget request include funding for certain child care workforce programs.

HB 1515 repeals the child care grant program that provided recruitment and retention grants to New Hampshire child care employers through the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill removes the $7.5 million annual appropriation (from federal TANF funds) that was intended to support these grants, though the program was already unworkable due to federal restrictions. This change directly affects child care providers who previously could have accessed these grants. The repeal has no fiscal impact as the program could not operate under federal guidelines, and no new funding or changes to services are enacted.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✗ Labor & Employment

passed both · New Hampshire · Senate May 21, 2026

SB 657: relative to the use of information technology and artificial intelligence systems by state agencies.

SB 657 creates an AI Analyst position within New Hampshire's Attorney General's office to monitor AI development and investigate deceptive uses, with $150,000 annually allocated for this role. It also establishes an AI Oversight Commission to study AI's impact on labor, health, education, and political campaigns, and to recommend policies. The bill adds civil penalties for businesses or entities using AI deceptively - such as generating misleading content without disclosure - allowing victims to seek damages of $1,000-$25,000 per violation. This directly affects consumers (protected from deceptive AI marketing), workers (monitored for wage or discrimination risks), and businesses (required to disclose AI use in commercial or political contexts).

Topics ✓ Technology

passed both · New Hampshire · Senate May 21, 2026

SB 653: enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets and relative to the adopting of a municipal budget committee and electing members thereof.

SB 653 allows counties to adjust their biennial budget cycles to align with state election years, directly affecting county governments. It requires county commissioners to first vote (by majority) to put the change on the ballot, with notice given 15-60 days prior via local media and public postings. Voters then decide at the November state election whether to shift the county’s budget cycle to start in a specified year. The bill establishes a clear process for this timing change but does not mandate it, taking effect 60 days after passage.