This constitutional amendment (CACR 14) would require all candidates for governor, state senator, and state representative to be U.S. citizens, amending Articles 14, 29, and 42 of New Hampshire's Constitution. It directly affects individuals seeking these three statewide and legislative offices by adding explicit U.S. citizenship as a qualification. The bill proposes to update the constitution's language to clarify this requirement, which currently exists in varying forms but would be uniformly stated for all three offices. The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 general election to take effect. This is a procedural change to constitutional qualifications, not a new policy affecting current officeholders.
HB 1552 requires individuals seeking protective orders (for domestic violence, stalking, or other cases) to sign a statement acknowledging that false claims in their petition could lead to perjury charges. This applies to all new petitions filed under New Hampshire law, including those for temporary or permanent restraining orders. The bill mandates that petitioners sign an affidavit confirming they understand false statements may result in criminal penalties under RSA 641:1. The requirement takes effect January 1, 2027, with no estimated cost impact to state or local governments.
HB 1680 directs New Hampshire's Department of Transportation to improve Boston express bus service from Nashua, Manchester, and Londonderry. It requires increasing service frequency during peak commuting hours and late nights on Fridays/Saturdays, advocating for consistent federal/state funding, and allocating existing federal funds to expand this service. The bill mandates a report on service frequency, ridership, and impacts on workforce mobility and regional economic development, due November 1. Crucially, the bill does not provide new state funding but directs the use of existing transportation program resources.
HB 1345 requires all New Hampshire public and non-public middle, junior high, and secondary schools to establish rules for displaying flags on school property and designate student color guards. The bill mandates that schools display only the U.S. flag, New Hampshire state flag, and POW/MIA flag (with specific placement rules), while prohibiting other flags like political or religious symbols - except for small educational displays. Each school must appoint 3-4 student volunteers (or JROTC students if available) to raise and lower flags daily, follow half-staff protocols, and receive training on flag care. This applies to all affected schools, with elementary schools required to develop separate policies for flag care.
HB 1728 requires operators of critical infrastructure systems - such as water, power, emergency response, and public transportation networks serving over 10,000 people or 3,300 households in New Hampshire - to implement specific cybersecurity measures. The bill mandates strict firewall controls, phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication for remote access, and documented incident response plans to prevent foreseeable cyber risks. Operators who fail to meet this "standard of care" could face liability for harms caused by security failures. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and has no new funding requirements.
HB 1047 amends New Hampshire law to define killing certain state officials as capital murder. It specifically targets the governor, governor-elect, executive council members, and state legislators (including those in office or nominated in primaries for the New Hampshire Senate or House of Representatives). The bill requires that the killing must be motivated by the perpetrator’s knowledge of the victim’s official capacity. This change takes effect January 1, 2027, and does not involve new state funding.
HB 1781 would allow New Hampshire parents to voluntarily agree to pay for their child's college or post-secondary education through a court-approved agreement. Without such an agreement, child support obligations would end when the child graduates high school, as current law does not require parents to cover college costs. If parents create a written agreement (approved by a court), support could continue until the child graduates or turns 22, whichever occurs first. The bill does not mandate parental payments but provides a legal framework for those who choose to extend support beyond high school. This change applies to new agreements starting January 1, 2027.
HB 1462 creates a standardized complaint form for alleging that voters wrongfully claimed New Hampshire domicile to vote. The Department of Justice must provide this form (available online, at their office, or the Secretary of State's office) and investigate only complaints filed using it. Investigators may ask specific questions about voting history, domicile changes, or false information at registration, but are strictly prohibited from inquiring about unrelated private matters like medical care, utility bills, or family relationships. This procedural bill establishes clear limits on election complaint investigations without changing voter eligibility or voting rules.
HB 1700 adds a non-voting student member position to New Hampshire's State Board of Education. The position requires the member to be a currently enrolled student in a New Hampshire career school, high school, community college, college, or home education program (or enrolled in an education freedom account), aged 14-22. The student member serves a non-renewable two-year term or until turning 22, whichever comes first. While they cannot vote on board decisions, they have all other rights of board members.
HB 1801 modifies four key areas of law enforcement practice. It requires the state to prove a detention was lawful after a plaintiff shows it was unlawful, with $100 hourly damages (adjusted annually) for wrongful detention. The bill revises drug forfeiture rules to specify which property (like vehicles, money, or real estate) can be seized and adds a lien on seized items. It also mandates new certification requirements for law enforcement officers and creates a violation-level offense for officers who knowingly provide false information in written reports. These changes directly affect individuals claiming unlawful detention, property owners in drug cases, and law enforcement officers.
SB 561 allows applicants for a gaming facility license in New Hampshire to update the proposed location of their facility while their application is pending. To change addresses, applicants must ensure the new location is within the state and in a municipality that hasn't banned gambling under existing law. They must notify the lottery commission in writing with required documentation, and the commission has 90 days to review the new address before finalizing the application decision. This change eliminates the need to submit a completely new application when updating a proposed facility location.
HB 1326 requires the governor to call a special election for a state representative in a city ward if a vacancy occurs between 56 and 77 days before a municipal primary. The governor must declare the election within 24 hours of receiving a request from the city's governing body. This bill directly affects cities with ward-based representation by ensuring timely special elections during this specific timeframe, replacing the previous 21-day governor declaration window for such vacancies. It amends RSA 661:8 to establish this new timeline.
