HB 1134 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2296
07/08
HOUSE BILL 1134
AN ACT relative to the town meeting form of local governance.
SPONSORS: Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Berezhny, Graf. 11; Rep. DeRoy, Straf. 3; Rep. Erf, Hills. 28; Rep. Granger, Straf. 2; Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32; Rep. Nalevanko, Ches. 9; Rep. Ammon, Hills. 42; Rep. Lascelles, Hills. 14; Rep. Harvey-Bolia, Belk. 3; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill determines the order in which total appropriations in warrant articles accumulate for purposes of determining when a warrant article will trigger an override vote of a local tax or budget cap.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2296
07/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to the town meeting form of local governance.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Towns, Cities, Village Districts, and Unincorporated Places; Proceedings; Consideration of Warrant Articles. Amend RSA 40:11 to read as follows:
40:11 Consideration of Warrant Articles.
I. Every article included in a warrant for a town meeting shall be acted upon before final adjournment of the town meeting.
II. If voting on a warrant article requires the use of a ballot by statute, the moderator shall ensure the warrant article is acted upon by conducting a "yes-no" ballot vote for that warrant article.
III. In determining when an appropriation in a warrant article will attempt to override a local tax cap pursuant to RSA 32:5-b or budget cap pursuant to RSA 32:5-e or RSA 32:5-g, or when an appropriation in a warrant article will exceed the 10 percent limitation on expenditures pursuant to RSA 32:18, total appropriations in warrant articles approved by a legislative body shall accumulate in the order in which the warrant articles are taken up at the annual meeting. For a town or district that uses an official ballot form of meeting under RSA 40:13 or operates under a charter adopted pursuant to RSA 49-D, approved appropriations for warrant articles shall accumulate in the order in which warrant articles are approved at an annual meeting, if any, then accumulate in the order in which warrant articles appear on an official ballot.
2 Towns, Cities, Village Districts, and Unincorporated Places; Optional Form of Meeting-Official Ballot Referenda; Use of Official Ballot. Amend RSA 40:13, XIII to read as follows:
XIII. Approval of all warrant articles shall be by simple majority except for questions which require a 2/3 or 3/5 vote by law, contract, or written agreement.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Feb. 10, 2026 | 2026-0204h |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2026 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 3, 2026 | House | Exec Session |
| Feb. 3, 2026 | House | Floor Vote |
Feb. 10, 2026: Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
Feb. 10, 2026: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0204h 02/03/2026 (Vote 10-8; RC)
Feb. 4, 2026: Executive Session: 02/03/2026 11:15 am GP 153
Jan. 14, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/23/2026 09:35 am GP 154
Dec. 1, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government