The New Hampshire House and Senate begin the 2026 legislative year next week by finishing up old business.

The House will consider 163 bills that were retained in committee last year, while the Senate takes up 62 bills that were rereferred to committee for more work.

Each chamber has three legislative days to deal with the holdovers, but Senate President Sharon Carson promised to handle all remaining 2025 bills on the Senate’s first day back in January. Most of those bills come out of committee with unanimous or noncontroversial recommendations on the Senate’s consent calendar, but 15 bills will see floor debate touching on many of the hot-button issues that divide Republicans and Democrats.

For Gov. Kelly Ayotte, the goal is to build on the momentum from last year’s legislative successes.

“We accomplished a lot to keep New Hampshire moving in the right direction in 2025 — from fixing our broken bail system, to getting cell phones out of classrooms, and much more. But our work isn’t done,” Ayotte told NHJournal.

“Families across our state still face challenges, and we need to keep working to build more housing, lower electric bills, and make sure Granite Staters have access to affordable childcare and high-quality health care. Heading into 2026, I’ll be focused on tackling these important issues.”

Asked what his priorities are for next year, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) told NHJournal: “While Democrats’ idea of affordability is raising your taxes and subsidizing their friends, Republicans will continue advancing the NH Advantage by reducing wasteful spending, regulation, and bureaucracy to make life more affordable for every Granite Stater.”

Here’s a sneak peek at legislative coming attractions.

 

House

Marijuana

The pro-pot House gets a second chance to send several bills to the Senate, which tabled most of last year’s marijuana legislation without debate. Will the Trump administration’s reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule III drug ease Senate opposition to any of the following?

  • HB 54 — Allows alternative treatment centers to operate for profit.

  • HB 186 — Legalizes cannabis.

Gun Rights

Expect a debate over gun rights when the House takes up HB 609. The bill makes it explicit that the state’s authority to regulate firearms and other weapons rests with the General Court, not state agencies or cities and towns.

Hard Labor

The House has often thwarted Senate efforts to strengthen criminal penalties for drug crimes. But it will take up SB 15, with an amendment from Rep. Terry Roy (R-Deerfield) that allows juries to impose hard labor on criminals convicted of heinous acts.

Controversial School Materials

The House takes a second crack at allowing parents to object to materials in school libraries after Ayotte’s veto of a similar bill was sustained last month. If SB 33 passes this week, expect a committee of conference to try to find a version that can get the governor’s signature.

DEI

HB 392 would dissolve diversity, equity, and inclusion offices within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Environmental Services, and the Governor’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion.

Biological Sex

SB 268 would limit the New Hampshire Commission of Human Rights’ jurisdiction in cases where transgender individuals seek access to bathrooms, locker rooms, sporting events, or prisons based on their preferred, rather than their biological, sex. Ayotte vetoed a similar bill last year, and the House upheld it.

Laser Eye Procedures

The House will take up HB 349, which allows Doctors of Optometry to perform three in-office low-power laser procedures that are not permitted under New Hampshire law but are allowed in 14 other states. Ophthalmologists oppose the change, arguing it would risk patient safety. The bill was recommended “ought-to-pass with amendment” on a 12-3 vote by the House ED&A Committee.

 

Senate

Claremont

The Senate will take up a package negotiated between Sen. Ruth Ward (R-Stoddard) and Rep. Jim Kofalt (R-Wilton) to allow the Claremont School District to access its state adequate education funds early to address its $5 million budget shortfall. Since news of the district’s years-long fiscal mismanagement broke, there has been little appetite to bail out the school board members and administrators who caused the problem.

But legislative leaders have agreed that students at Claremont Middle School and Stevens High School should not be sent home if there is any way to keep the schools open. Ward’s plan is to use an unrelated House bill, HB 292, as a vehicle for a new revolving loan fund that would be paid back with money already scheduled to come to the district.

The structure would give Claremont the cash it needs to finish the school year at no risk to New Hampshire taxpayers. The loan would come with strings attached, including an extensive state audit. Democrats are balking at a provision that would give all Claremont parents access to the Education Freedom Account school choice program.

Car Inspections

The Senate Commerce Committee split 3-3 on HB 649, which would have repealed the requirement for annual auto inspections for New Hampshire drivers. That provision was included in the budget agreement in June, but Sen. Denise Ricciardi (R-Bedford) joined Democrats Tara Reardon of Concord and Donovan Fenton of Keene in an effort to use the bill to restore car inspections.

Even if the Senate finds the votes to bring inspections back just as they are about to expire, the proposal is likely to fail in the House, where the issue helped convince Republicans to back the budget.

Abortion

One of the day’s last — and likely most vocal — debates will come on HB 191, which imposes civil and criminal penalties on teachers who transport underage students to medical appointments without parental permission. The legislation includes a safety valve for medical emergencies.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee object to an amendment that specifically includes “termination of pregnancy,” arguing that minors have a right to privacy when seeking an abortion.

Blockchain/Bitcoin

The Senate will take up HB 639, the latest in a series of pro-bitcoin/cryptocurrency bills to expand crypto mining in the Granite State. Just weeks after New Hampshire became the first in the nation to issue bitcoin-backed municipal bonds, this bill would establish protections for cryptocurrency mining in the state.