Chapter 159-E: Presidential Executive Orders and Statutory Law Relating to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Pursuant to the general court's authority under Part II, Article 5 of the New Hampshire Constitution, the state of New Hampshire, a political subdivision of this state, or any person acting under the color of state, county, or municipal law shall be prohibited from using any personnel or financial resources to enforce, administer, or cooperate with any law, act, rule, order, or regulation of the United States Government or Executive Order of the President of the United States that is inconsistent with any law of this state regarding the regulation of firearms, ammunition, magazines or the ammunition feeding devices, firearm components, firearms supplies, or knives. Silence in the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated pertaining to a matter regulated by federal law shall be construed as an inconsistency for the purposes of this chapter.

In light of the long-standing practice of cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, nothing in this chapter shall prevent a state, county, or local official from cooperating with or rendering aid or assistance to federal officials in any circumstance where there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a person who is the subject of an investigation for violation of federal firearms law covered by RSA 159-E:1 also has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a violation of New Hampshire law or a violation of a federal law, regulation, order, or practice not covered by RSA 159-E:1. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a state, county, or local official from providing authorized federal officials, upon their request, with official state, county, or local records that are available to the public or which constitute criminal history records maintained by an agency of state, county, or local government, or taking any other action necessary to fulfill or comply with the state's obligations under the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact approved and ratified in RSA 106-B:14, III, provided that the provisions of this chapter shall not provide for the distribution of information required to be destroyed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. section 922(t)(2)(C). Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the judicial branch from entering protective order information into law enforcement databases.

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.