HB 626 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
13Feb2025... 0217h
05/01/2025 1696s
2025 SESSION
25-0617
08/02
HOUSE BILL 626
SPONSORS: Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18; Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill directs the secretary of state to implement a vulnerability disclosure program for certain election systems.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13Feb2025... 0217h
05/01/2025 1696s 25-0617
08/02
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Secretary of State; Chief Election Officer; Duty to Investigate System Vulnerabilities. Amend RSA 652:23 to read as follows:
652:23 Chief Election Officer.
I. The secretary of state shall be the chief election officer for the state. The secretary of state shall provide information regarding voter registration procedures and absentee ballot procedures for all voters, including absent uniformed services voters, absent voters temporarily residing outside the United States, and federal ballot only voters domiciled outside the United States. Instructional and informational materials published by the secretary of state for clerks to provide such voters shall include information on how to communicate electronically with election officials.
II. Within 180 days of the effective date of this paragraph, the secretary of state shall implement and operate a public vulnerability disclosure program which substantially meets or exceeds the recommendations contained within the publication "Guide to Vulnerability Reporting for America's Election Administrators" published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, to make it easier for security researchers and the general public to report security vulnerabilities appropriately. The secretary shall work with the cybersecurity advisory committee established in RSA 21-R:16.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Feb. 6, 2025 | 2025-0217h |
| April 22, 2025 | 2025-1696s |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 4, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| Feb. 4, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
| April 15, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| May 1, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
May 1, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-1696s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/01/2025; SJ 11
May 1, 2025: Committee Amendment # 2025-1696s, AA, VV; 05/01/2025; SJ 11
May 1, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-1696s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/01/2025; SJ 11
April 23, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-1696s, 05/01/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 19
April 9, 2025: Hearing: 04/15/2025, Room 103, LOB, 10:30 am; SC 17
March 12, 2025: Introduced 03/06/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 7
Feb. 13, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-0217h: MA VV 02/13/2025 HJ 5 P. 8
Feb. 13, 2025: Amendment # 0217h: AA VV 02/13/2025 HJ 5 P. 8
Feb. 6, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0217h 02/04/2025 (Vote 17-0; CC) HC 11 P. 5
Jan. 29, 2025: Executive Session: 02/04/2025 10:10 am LOB 306-308
Jan. 22, 2025: Public Hearing: 01/28/2025 11:20 am LOB 306-308
Jan. 16, 2025: Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Election Law HJ 3 P. 19