HB 1003
prohibiting the Grafton county attorney from engaging in the private practice of law.
Official record at gencourt.state.nh.us ↗Open this bill in the searchable view → · Follow this bill by RSS
On the record
Quoted from the General Court bill status page, not worked out from the docket.
| Status | SIGNED BY GOVERNOR |
|---|---|
| In the House | PASSED/ADOPTED |
| In the Senate | PASSED/ADOPTED |
| Introduced | 1/7/2026 |
| Floor date | 2/5/2026 |
| LSR number | 2285 |
| Chapter | 0117 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H18 |
Where it stands
House: PASSED/ADOPTED · Senate: PASSED/ADOPTED
Every floor vote on this bill was a voice or division vote, so there is no record of how individual legislators voted.
A bill goes on the consent calendar when the committee vote was unanimous or nearly so, and any members who dissented did not object to placing it there. It then passes without floor debate. Ten members may file a petition to pull a bill off the consent calendar and have it debated and voted on separately.
Sponsors
McFarlane, Donald(R) Graf 18, Barton, Joseph(R) Graf 1, Berezhny, Lex(R) Graf 11, Bjelobrk, Marie Louise(R) Graf 5, Franz, Linda(R) Graf 6, Guthrie, Joseph(R) Rock 15, Lynn, Bob(R) Rock 17, Pauer, Diane(R) Hills 36, Sellers, John(R) Graf 10, Ulery, Jordan(R) Hills 13
Prime sponsor in bold. From the General Court sponsor file.
What happened
Every action recorded in the official docket, in order. Each line ends with the journal or calendar that recorded it; where we have the document, that citation links to it.
- January 7, 2026Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government
- January 13, 2026Public Hearing: 01/13/2026 10:30 am GP 154
- January 13, 2026Executive Session: 01/13/2026 10:30 am GP 154
- January 27, 2026Committee Report: Ought to Pass 01/13/2026 (Vote 14-0; CC)
- February 5, 2026Ought to Pass: MA VV 02/05/2026
- February 5, 2026Introduced 02/05/2026 and Referred to Judiciary
- April 7, 2026Hearing: 04/07/2026, Room 100, SH, 01:20 pm
- April 23, 2026Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 04/23/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 15A
- April 23, 2026Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/23/2026
- May 14, 2026Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 05/14/2026)
- May 14, 2026Enrolled (in recess of) 05/14/2026
- June 9, 2026Signed by Governor Ayotte 06/05/2026; Chapter 117; eff.06/05/2026
Votes
Roll call tallies and individual votes from the General Court roll call files. Presiding, excused and absent are shown separately: one member presides over each House roll call and does not vote except to break a tie.
Ought to Pass
Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
Ought to Pass
Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
Committee reports
Reproduced from the House Calendar in the committee’s own words.
Committee — OUGHT TO PASS
The committee heard testimony that county attorneys serve in a full-time, quasi-judicial and prosecutorial role that demands independence, impartiality, and the avoidance of conflicts of interest, both actual and perceived. This bill addresses concerns that allowing a sitting county attorney to engage in private legal practice may undermine public confidence in the fairness of prosecutorial decision-making, create divided professional loyalties, and complicate ethical compliance under the Rules of Professional Conduct. The committee noted that current New Hampshire law already prohibits county attorneys from engaging in the private practice of law in six of the state’s ten counties, and that at least one additional county restricts private practice in criminal matters. This bill therefore does not establish a novel policy but rather extends an existing and well-established standard of professional separation to Grafton County. Testimony from the prime sponsor emphasized that the bill is intended to promote consistency across counties, strengthen ethical safeguards, and ensure that the office of county attorney re10 5 JANUARY 2026 HOUSE RECORD mains focused exclusively on the public interest. The committee agreed that these objectives are reasonable, narrowly tailored, and aligned with longstanding legislative practice in New Hampshire. Accordingly, the committee finds that this bill advances transparency, uniformity, and public trust in county-level prosecution and recommends that the bill be found Ought to Pass. Vote 14-0.
Hearings and recordings
Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.
- January 13, 2026 at 10:30Municipal and County Government public hearing recording 1:59:30–2:00:00, about 0 min (estimated)
- January 13, 2026 at 10:30Municipal and County Government executive session recording (start time not identified)
- February 5, 2026House floor debate recording (start time not identified)
- April 7, 2026 at 13:20Judiciary hearing recording (start time not identified)
- April 23, 2026Senate floor debate recording (start time not identified)
Page generated 2026-09-03 from data published by the New Hampshire General Court. Granite Record is an independent project, not affiliated with the General Court. The official record always takes precedence. Corrections: [email protected]