HB 1203-FN
relative to the return of firearms following a not guilty verdict or dismissal of the proceeding.
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 | HOUSE |
|---|---|
| In the House | INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE |
| Introduced | 1/7/2026 |
| Floor date | 2/19/2026 |
| LSR number | 2773 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H26 |
Where it stands
House: INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE
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
Morse, Bryan(R) Merr 3, DeVito, Sayra(R) Rock 8, Giasson, Henry(R) Hills 29, Love, David(R) Rock 13, McFarlane, Donald(R) Graf 18, Tenczar, Jeffrey(R) Hills 1, Thibault, James(R) Merr 25
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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- January 22, 2026Public Hearing: 01/22/2026 10:30 am GP 159
- February 4, 2026Executive Session: 02/04/2026 10:00 am GP 159
- February 9, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/04/2026 (Vote 13-0; CC)
- February 19, 2026Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 02/19/2026
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.
Inexpedient to Legislate
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 — INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE
The committee after extensive discussions with the courts and law enforcement came to the conclusion that the bill as written was unnecessary. The courts have just completed a five month system-wide implementation of an expedited process to return firearms to anyone who had them seized by law enforcement. This process will ensure that court orders to return the property are issued in a timely manner and at no additional cost to the property owners. The committee inquired about the time required by law enforcement to respond and return the property after the issuance of the order. The committee was assured that while rare delays of days may occur if the officer in control of the property is absent, it is generally the policy of law enforcement to relinquish responsibility for any firearms in their custody as soon as possible. Law enforcement is advised that the way to avoid prescriptive laws that could expose them to further liability, is to implement standardized policies state-wide that respect the constitutional rights of New Hampshire citizens and return their property with all due haste. Vote 13-0.
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 22, 2026 at 10:30Criminal Justice and Public Safety public hearing recording 0:30:52–0:33:52, about 3 min (estimated)
- February 4, 2026 at 10:00Criminal Justice and Public Safety executive session recording 0:00:47–0:04:01, about 3 min (estimated)
- February 19, 2026House 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]