Legislative Updates (02/24/26)
A few big updates:
The committee hearings on Friday exec'd that day. For those of you who missed that:
1564 was voted unanimously ITL. We showed up and showed out and it really mattered. This was the bill that sought to remove gender identity from all state statutes.
Two of the bathroom bills were moved to Interim Study with unanimous votes from the committee. 1217 + 1442. 1442 had that extra troubling criminal component.
1299 was recommended OTPA. The amendment designates that for public buildings to adopt this policy, it would also have to offer an individual/gender-neutral bathroom option.
1447 was recommended OTP. Rep MacFarlane did note that he wanted to add an amendment to the bill, and plans to do so on the floor - because he wanted to ensure that public camp sites wouldn’t be subject to the legislation.
There were also updates on bills from the Senate and House sessions
The Senate Approved 16Y-8N, SB434 - another censorship bill.
The Senate voted OTPA 16Y-8N, SB430 - the forced outing bill.
The House voted OTP 184 / 164 on HB1792 - that horrible anti-DEI bill.
Here are some actions we can take this week to keep the momentum going:
SB552 Nearly identical to SB268 - bathrooms, sports, prisons. Official Title: permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances. (Headed to Senate on 03/05)
Action: Email senators ahead of vote
HB1165 This bill removes the "X" designation on NH Drivers Licenses and identification cards. (House Transportation Committee will exec on 03/03) Official Title: relative to gender designation on state-issued identification.
Action: Email House Transportation Committee ahead of meeting
Action: This bill sponsor is the same one who said he thinks everyone should have the right to discriminate during multiple committee hearings on Friday 02/20. We could use your help amplifying the video of him saying that to make recommending his bill OTP VERY unpopular. It is on our TikTok, Instagram and Facebook page.
Here is the current status of all of the bills we’re tracking:
Bills that are ITL / Vetoed (KILLED)
Go team, go! Amazing job rallying folks to action on these. Here is the running list of bills we’ve killed this legislative session:
SB211 (ITL) Retained from last year, this bill extends discrimination in sports to higher education. Official Title: relative to biological sex in student athletics.
SB268 (VETOED) Retained from last year, this bill legalizes discrimination for bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, and prisons. Biological sex is not defined, nor are enforcement mechanisms. Official Title: permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances.
HB1615 (ITL) This Republican bill creates a second-class alternative to marriage, in anticipation of a federal attack on marriage equality. (House Judiciary Committee) Official Title: permitting consenting adults to enter into contract-based marriage agreements as an alternative to the requirement of a marriage license.
HB1564 (ITL) This bill removes all references of "gender identity" from NH law. (House Judiciary Committee) Official Title: removing all references of gender identity in New Hampshire statutes.
SB33 (SENATE NON-CONCUR) Retained from last year, this bill enables small groups of citizens to cause "harmful" materials to be removed from public schools. Official Title: relative to the regulation of public school materials.
HB1778 (ITL)This bill prohibits teaching public school students about "Personal Identity Ideology" including DEI, race, color, biological sex, sexual orientation, religion or gender identity. Official Title: relative to prohibiting the use of personal identity ideology in public school instruction and policies.
Bills in Interim Study
We’ll keep an eye on these:
HB1217 Nearly identical to SB268 - bathrooms, sports, prisons. Official Title: permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances.
HB1442 This sweeping and cruel bill applies to publicly accessible bathrooms, including private businesses. It criminally charges trans bathroom users with "willful trespass." Bizarrely, it only applies to trans women. Official Title: limiting the use of certain facilities on the basis of sex and redefining the term "gender identity."
SB464 This bill dilutes a legal definition, preventing civil rights offenses from being recognized as such. (Senate Judiciary Committee?) Official Title: relative to civil rights enforcement.
Bills in Exec
The committee has had a hearing, and we’re awaiting the final report
SB459 Nearly identical to SB211, extending sports discrimination to higher education. Official Title: relative to biological sex in student athletics and prisons.
HB1356 This bill extends the statute of limitations for gender surgery on a minor to 10 years after majority, causing a chilling effect on accepted medical practice.Official Title: relative to the statute of limitations for bringing a private right of action for violation of the statute prohibiting medical procedures and treatments intended to alter a minor's gender.
HB1165 This bill removes the "X" designation on NH Drivers Licenses and identification cards. (House Transportation Committee will exec on 03/03) Official Title: relative to gender designation on state-issued identification.
HB1376 This bill provides legal justification for parents to raise their trans children against the child's intended gender. (House Children & Family Law Committee) Official Title: relative to a parent's ability to raise their child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex.
SB431 This bill extends prohibitions on teaching public school students about discrimination. Official Title: relative to violations of the prohibition on teaching discrimination.
HB1132 This bill only allows official flags in school buildings, effectively banning pride flags. Official Title: prohibiting the display of certain flags in public schools and public charter schools and establishing penalties for the display of prohibited flags.
HB1345 In addition to many flag rules, this bill only allows official flags to be flown in schools, effectively banning pride flags. (The bill sponsor revised to remove the language about official flags) Official Title: requiring schools to establish rules related to the display of flags and designate students at each school to serve as the school's color guard.
Bills headed to their first full floor vote
These have been recommended OTP or OTPA in committee and are headed to their first floor vote.
SB552 Nearly identical to SB268 - bathrooms, sports, prisons. Official Title: permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances. (Headed to Senate on 03/05)
HB1299 Nearly identical to SB268 - bathrooms, sports, prisons.Official Title: permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances. (Just out of Committee on 02/20 - no date for the house calendar yet)
HB1447 Classifies bathrooms, locker rooms, sleeping quarters with the same highly unusual SRY gene-based definition of biological sex, but without the trespass language. Official Title: restricting the use of certain public and private facilities on the basis of sex and establishing that such restriction does not qualify as discrimination. (Just out of Committee on 02/20 - no date for the house calendar yet)
Bills headed to cross over
SB434 (Senate OTP 16Y-8N,) Nearly identical to SB33. Official Title: relative to regulation of public school materials.
SB430 (Senate OTPA 16Y-8N) This bill expands upon the "forced outing" or mandatory disclosure of any information about public school students to their parents. Official Title: relative to mandatory disclosure by school district employees to parents and legal guardians.
HB1792 (House Vote OTP 184Y / 164N - Headed to Senate on 03/05 to be referred to committee) This bill prohibits a laundry list of concepts including "critical race theory" and "LGBTQ+ ideology as a prescriptive world-view". (Official Title: prohibiting school districts and personnel from the instruction of critical race theory and LGBTQ+ ideologies in schools as well as establishing a private right of action for violations.
