HB 1525
relative to zoning restrictions concerning dwelling unit occupancy.
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 | 2678 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H64 |
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
Burton, Wayne(D) Straf 10
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 Housing
- January 22, 2026Public Hearing: 01/22/2026 01:00 pm GP 231
- January 22, 2026Executive Session: 01/22/2026 01:00 pm GP 231
- February 6, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/22/2026 (Vote 15-0; 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 bill intends to repeal legislation that just became effective September 1, 2025 which restricts municipalities to zone housing that prevents three unrelated people from living together. The committee agrees that the bill runs counter to New Hampshire’s urgent need for more housing options, not fewer. Committee members expressed concern that requiring housing eligibility to be based on relational or familial status unnecessarily reduces available housing and limits flexibility in how existing homes are used. Restricting the number of unrelated occupants can prevent lawful practical living arrangements, even when a dwelling is fully capable of safely accommodating additional residents. The committee emphasized that if a home can support occupancy based on health, safety and infrastructure standards such as septic, capacity, sewer access and building codes, then residents should be permitted to live there regardless of whether they are related. Members also noted that concerns driving this legislation are often specific to college towns or localized situations and should be addressed at a municipal level, not through a statewide mandate that impacts every community including those where the issue does not exist. In summary, the committee found it inconsistent to acknowledge the state’s housing shortage while simultaneously imposing additional restrictions that reduce housing availability that this bill would do. For these reasons, the committee recommended this bill as Inexpedient to Legislate. Vote 15-0.
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 13:00Housing public hearing recording 4:05:29–4:08:35, about 3 min (estimated)
- January 22, 2026 at 13:00Housing executive session recording (start time not identified)
- 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]