HB 1244-FN
relative to exceptions to the charge of criminal threatening.
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 | 3/5/2026 |
| LSR number | 3150 |
| 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
Farrington, Samuel(R) Straf 8, Aures, Cyril(R) Merr 13, Corcoran, Travis(R) Hills 28, Drew, Matt(R) Hills 19, Granger, Michael(R) Straf 2, Innis, Daniel(R) Belk 7, Layon, Erica(R) Rock 13, Mannion, Tom(R) Hills 1, McFarlane, Donald(R) Graf 18, Murphy, Keith(R) Hills 16, Polozov, Yury(R) Merr 10, Sabourin dit Choinière, Matt(R) Rock 30
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 29, 2026Public Hearing: 01/29/2026 03:00 pm GP 159
- January 29, 2026Executive Session: 01/29/2026 03:00 pm GP 159
- February 24, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/13/2026 (Vote 13-0; CC)
- March 5, 2026Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 03/05/2026
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.
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
While we stand second to none in our defense of the Second Amendment and the right to self-protection, this bill is both unnecessary and legally hazardous for responsible gun owners. New Hampshire is already a “Stand Your Ground” sanctuary where RSA 627:4 provides expansive rights to display a firearm when a citizen reasonably believes their safety is at risk. This 6 27 FEBRUARY 2026 HOUSE RECORD bill, however, attempts to expand this to situations involving mere “property damage,” creating a recipe for catastrophic misunderstandings. Consider a common scenario: an individual, distracted or unfamiliar with a parking lot, mistakenly tries to open the door of a vehicle that looks identical to their own. Under this bill, the owner, perceiving a “threat” to their property, might be emboldened to approach with a firearm brandished. The innocent individual, seeing an armed person approaching rapidly, could reasonably believe they are about to be robbed or car jacked and draw their own firearm in self-defense. What began as a simple, non-violent mistake over a car door could instantly escalate into a double-fatality tragedy. Existing law already protects our right to use force when our lives are in danger; extending that right to the parking lot at the mall because someone is “standing too close” to a car is an invitation to blood in the streets over replaceable plastic and metal. By lowering the threshold for displaying deadly force, this bill does not protect property, it merely provides a legal trap that encourages law-abiding citizens to introduce lethal weapons into non-lethal situations, potentially facing felony criminal threatening charges if a jury later determines their reaction was not “objectively reasonable.” We value the Second Amendment too much to see it tarnished by encouraging the irresponsible display of firearms in situations where no person’s life is in danger. 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 29, 2026 at 15:00Criminal Justice and Public Safety public hearing recording 5:03:46–5:06:46, about 3 min (estimated)
- January 29, 2026 at 15:00Criminal Justice and Public Safety executive session recording (start time not identified)
- March 5, 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]