HB 1276
relative to the liability for death of a companion animal.
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 | 2846 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H10 |
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
Corcoran, Travis(R) Hills 28, Mannion, Tom(R) Hills 1
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 Judiciary
- February 11, 2026Public Hearing: 02/11/2026 11:00 am GP 230
- February 13, 2026Executive Session: 02/13/2026 10:00 am GP 158
- February 26, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/13/2026 (Vote 18-0; 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
Although the committee acknowledges the deep emotional bonds between individuals and their pets, several concerns have led to the recommendation that this bill be found Inexpedient to Legislate. The bill fails sufficiently to define pet, and fails to clarify which relations, by ownership or otherwise, of the pet would be able to claim non-economic compensation. The bill would expand potential liabilities in the case of veterinary care, leading to higher costs for veterinary care, pet grooming and other pet-related services. Traditionally, animals are classified as property under the law. Altering this classification to recognize pets similarly to human relationships could have far-reaching legal implications, potentially affecting areas such as property rights, liability, and insurance. This could inadvertently impact pet owners, service providers, and the legal system, creating burdens that outweigh the intended benefits of the bill. Vote 18-0.
Hearings and recordings
Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.
- February 11, 2026 at 11:00Judiciary public hearing
- February 13, 2026 at 10:00Judiciary executive session recording 0:27:00–0:30:30, about 4 min (estimated)
- 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]