HB 1615-FN
permitting consenting adults to enter into contract-based marriage agreements as an alternative to the requirement of a marriage license.
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 | 2/5/2026 |
| LSR number | 2634 |
| 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
Sabourin dit Choinière, Matt(R) Rock 30, Bailey, Glenn(R) Straf 2, Drago, Mike(R) Rock 4, Dupont, Pierre(R) Hills 20, Farrington, Samuel(R) Straf 8, Giasson, Henry(R) Hills 29, Granger, Michael(R) Straf 2, Love, David(R) Rock 13, McFarlane, Donald(R) Graf 18, Murphy, Keith(R) Hills 16, Terry, Paul(R) Belk 7
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
- January 14, 2026Public Hearing: 01/14/2026 02:30 pm GP 230
- January 14, 2026Executive Session: 01/14/2026 02:30 pm GP 230
- January 22, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 01/14/2026 (Vote 14-2; CC)
- February 5, 2026Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 02/05/2026
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
It is the opinion of the majority of committee that this bill would establish an alternative to the current marriage and divorce laws in effect in New Hampshire. Traditional protections would exist only if negotiated in advance. This assumes that both parties have equal familiarity with the laws governing marriage. The bill would allow only the superior or district court to allow enforcement, and not the family court, unless children are involved, or probate division which currently have responsibility under existing divorce laws, including the equitable division of property. If marriage is successful for both parties there might not be a problem, but if there is, for example, an issue of domestic abuse, this arrangement could force a victim to be locked into an abusive relationship. While current law might not be perfect, the intention is to protect all parties in a marriage. In addition, the fiscal note in the first year is just under $4 million, and the bill has no provisions for funding or authorization of necessary new positions. Vote 14-2.
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 14, 2026 at 14:30Judiciary public hearing recording 6:03:28–6:08:37, about 5 min (estimated)
- January 14, 2026 at 14:30Judiciary executive session recording (start time not identified)
- February 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]