The Live Free or Die Alliance continually tracks and regularly updates a list of legislative actions relevant to New Hampshire citizens. Our updates are based on information gleaned from primary sources, news reports and the website of the New Hampshire General Court.
2012 Legislation
- CACR20 | Provides that the general court shall meet biennially | failed in committee 2/7; KILLED 3/7
- HB1148 | Requires public schools teach evolution as only a theory, while revealing theorists' views regarding atheism | KILLED 3/15
- HB1163 | Right to Work | Prohibits employers from withholding union dues from employees’ wages | failed in committee 2/21; KILLED 3/7
- HB1167 | Repeals the 180-day school year requirement | passed committee 1/26; amended and PASSED 3/7
- HB1177 | Says towns and school boards can't raise or reduce the total amount appropriated at an annual meeting by more than 2.5% of the amount recommended by the budget committee | KILLED 2/22
- HB1200 | Requires county commissioners to submit a reduced spending alternative prior to adoption of the county budget | KILLED 2/8
- HB1220 | Gun Laws | Repeals the criminal history record and protective order check for the sale of firearms | TABLED 3/15
- HB1222 | Shoreland Protection | Decreases protected shoreland permitting fees | KILLED 2/8
- HB1257 | Eliminates the tolls on the Everett turnpike in the town of Merrimack | KILLED 2/15
- HB1260 | Expanded Gambling | This bill: I. Allows the offering of pay-by-the-hour charitable games. II. Removes limits on by-ins and re-buys. III. Removes the limit on wagers. IV. Allows the playing of poker in private residences. | passed House with amendment 3/29; passed Senate with amendment; sent to conference committee 5/25
- HB1292 | Requires official ballot towns and school districts achieve a 2/3 majority vote to approve borrowing | KILLED 2/15
- HB1376 | Prohibits an official ballot referendum town from amending the operating at the deliberative session if such town has established a municipal budget committee | KILLED 2/15
- HB1418 | Increases the threshold amounts for taxation under the business enterprise tax | passed House with amendment 3/15
- HB1423 | Castle Doctrine | Removes the requirement that a person not be the initial aggressor in order to legally use deadly force in defense of another person | failed in committee 2/7/12; KILLED 3/7
- HB1490 | Have you heard of RGGI? | Repeals New Hampshire’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade program for controlling carbon dioxide emissions | passed House with amendment, 3/28
- HB1492 | Immigration Reform | Requires employers to verify an employee's eligibility to work in the United States | KILLED 3/15
- HB1536 | Prohibits a government entity from any action that substantially burdens a person’s free exercise of religion; establishes a private right of action for violations of the statute | failed in committee 2/7/12; KILLED 3/7
- HB1645 | Right to Work | Prohibits all public employees from participating in collective bargaining | passed House with amendment 3/15; Senate hearing 4/4
- HB1653 | Protects as a basic civil right the right of all health care providers and/or institutions, to decline to counsel, advise, pay for, provide, perform, assist, or participate in providing or performing health care services that violate their consciences. Such health care services may include, but are not limited to, abortion, artificial birth control, artificial insemination, assisted reproduction, human cloning, euthanasia, human embryonic stem-cell research, fetal experimentation, physician-assisted suicide, and sterilization | TABLED 3/29
- HB1654 | Prison Reform | Authorizes the commissioner of the department of corrections to award earned time credits for a prisoner’s participation in or completion of educational, vocational, or mental health programming | passed committee 1/17; KILLED 3/8
- HB1659 | Mandates that women considering an abortion receive "complete and accurate information on abortion and its alternatives," including the "consequences to the fetus" except in case of medical emergency | passed House 3/28
- HB1690 | Prohibits the use of cell phone data extraction devices by law enforcement agencies | referred for interim study 2/15
- HB1712 | Requires the state board of education to establish an elective bible literacy course for pupils in grades 9-12 | KILLED 3/15
- HB1713 | Abolishes the department of education and transfers all functions, duties, and responsibilities to the commissioner of education and the state board of education | failed in committee 2/2; KILLED 3/8
- SB202 | Apportioning congressional districts | passed Senate 3/28; passed House 4/11; GOVERNOR SIGNED 4/24
2011 Legislation
- 7/13/11, SB 88| Deadly Force Expansion | Relative to physical force in defense of a person | Passed by the Senate, 3/30/11, Committee of Conference report adopted and passed by the House, vetoed 7/13/11 by Governor.
- 7/6/11, SB 154 | Shoreland Protection Act | This bill makes extensive changes to the comprehensive shoreland protection act. | Passed by the Senate, 3/30/11, passed by House w/amendment, 6/1/11, Senate concurred with House amendment, 7/6/11, vetoed by Governor.
- 7/6/11, SB 57 | An act relative to regulation of title loan lenders. What does the Facebook community think? | Passed by the senate with amendment, 3/9/11, passed by house, 4/27/11, vetoed 7/6/11 by Governor.
- 6/28/11, HB 82 | Criminal Records Annulment | This bill makes various changes to the statute governing annulment of criminal records. | Passed the House 2/15/11, passed by the Senate, 6/1/11, signed 6/28/11 by Governor.
- 6/28/11, HB 147 | Death Penalty | This bill provides that a person is guilty of capital murder if he or she knowingly causes the death of another, while in another’s residence, while attempting to enter another’s residence, or as a consequence of having been in another’s residence, without invitation or right. | Passed by the House, 3/15/11, passed by Senate w/amendment, 6/1/11, House concurred with Senate amendment, 6/8/11, signed 6/28/11 by Governor.
- 6/22/11, HB 519 | Have you heard of RGGI? | Repealing New Hampshire's regional greenhouse gas initiative cap and trade program for controlling carbon dioxide emissions. What does the Facebook community think? | Passed by House, passed by Senate, vetoed by Governor, 6/22/11.
- 6/22/11, HB 329 | Parental Notification | Requiring parental notification before abortions may be performed on minors | Passed by the House, Passed by the Senate, 5/25/11, vetoed by the Governor, 6/15/11, veto overridden, 6/22/11.
- 6/15/11, SB 3 | Retirement Benefits | An act making comprehensive changes to the state retirement system | Passed by the Senate, 3/30/11, passed by the House w/amendments, 5/4/11, vetoed 6/15/11 by Governor.