HB 1291-FN
criminalizing the use of small unmanned aircraft systems for the purposes of flying over critical infrastructure and events without authorization.
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 | 2816 |
| 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
Wood, Clayton(R) Merr 13, Birdsell, Regina(R) Rock 19, Post, Lisa(R) Hills 42, Tenczar, Jeffrey(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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- January 30, 2026Public Hearing: 01/30/2026 10:00 am GP 159
- January 30, 2026Executive Session: 01/30/2026 10:00 am GP 159
- February 18, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 01/30/2026 (Vote 10-0; 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
This bill seeks to criminalize the use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) drones, from being flown over critical infrastructures and events without prior authorization. During the public hearing the committee found themselves having more questions than answers regarding whom the operator would seek permission to operate the UAS, what critical infrastructure is defined as, and many others. The committee recognized the need to address the rising use of UAS in the state and has recommended the passage of several pieces of legislation the last biennium. Vote 10-0.
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 30, 2026 at 10:00Criminal Justice and Public Safety public hearing recording 0:00:00–0:05:41, about 6 min (estimated)
- January 30, 2026 at 10:00Criminal 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]