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HB 1603-FN

(New Title) requiring the executive director of the department of fish and game to adopt rules relative to procedures for verifying accuracy of records collected relative to threatened and endangered wildlife and ensuring landowner permission is granted for the gathering of such record.

Filed 2026 · Signed into law · Resources, Recreation and Development · Environment - Administration

Official record at gencourt.state.nh.us ↗

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On the record

Quoted from the General Court bill status page, not worked out from the docket.

StatusSIGNED BY GOVERNOR
In the HouseCONCURRED
In the SenatePASSED/ADOPTED WITH AMENDMENT
Introduced1/7/2026
Floor date5/21/2026
LSR number3192
Chapter0236
Local government impactno
Committee codeH34

Bill text (PDF) ↗

Where it stands

House: CONCURRED · Senate: PASSED/ADOPTED WITH AMENDMENT

Every floor vote on this bill was a voice or division vote, so there is no record of how individual legislators voted.

In practice this often ends a bill's progress for the term.

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

DeVito, Sayra(R) Rock 8, Beaulier, Calvin(R) Graf 1, DeRoy, Susan(R) Straf 3, Harvey-Bolia, Juliet(R) Belk 3, Litchfield, Melissa(R) Rock 32, Mannion, Tom(R) Hills 1, Mazur, Lisa(R) Hills 44, McGrath, Linda(R) Rock 40, Murphy, Keith(R) Hills 16, Murphy, Mary(R) Hills 27, 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.

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.

Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0518h

February 19, 2026 · House · 192–152, adopted

Decided on a division vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.

Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-1305s

April 9, 2026 · Senate · None–None, adopted

Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.

House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1305s (Rep. Harb)

May 21, 2026 · House · None–None, adopted

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.

Majority — OUGHT TO PASS WITH AMENDMENT

Rep. Tanya Donnelly

This is a fair and forwardlooking bill that protects property rights, promotes regulatory accountability, and offers valuable opportunities for landowner education and participation. Research indicates that land use restrictions are sometimes applied without current, direct evidence of a species’ presence, often depending on models or historical data. This can impose unnecessary burdens on property owners and has been criticized as regulatory overreach. By requiring verifiable evidence and landowner involvement, it addresses recognized issues in current endangered species regulations and aligns with constitutional principles and effective conservation methods. This approach not only protects individual rights but also builds a foundation for more efficient, cooperative, and sustainable species protection in New Hampshire. The amendment was supported by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Vote 8-7.

Minority — REFER FOR INTERIM STUDY

Rep. Will Darby

The bill as drafted would have prevented the state of New Hampshire from enforcing the federal endangered species act by invalidating the state’s database of endangered and protected species. As described in the fiscal note, this would have resulted in costs of millions of dollars per year, and increased delays to perform endangered species reviews. Potentially worse would be federal enforcement of the endangered species act if New Hampshire was found unable to perform these reviews as required by federal law. Many organizations, including the Forest Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Loon Preservation Committee, and New Hampshire Audubon opposed the bill due to the restrictions it would place on protecting the state’s most threatened wildlife species. While the majority of the committee’s amendment removes the most concerning aspects of the original bill, it introduces new ambiguity and defers critical questions to future rule making. HB 2 transferred the environmental review responsibility from Fish and Game to the Department of Environmental Services; this transition is still underway, and both departments raised concerns about the timing of this bill and likely disruption such as increased environmental review delays. Additionally, the Fish and Game Commission opposes the amendment on numerous grounds and offered alternative amendment language that was not discussed. As this amendment did not receive a public hearing, there is no updated fiscal note, and because until very recently Fish and Game has performed this role, the minority of the committee recommends the bill be referred for interim study to consult with all stakeholders.

Hearings and recordings

Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.

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]