HB 1394 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-3207
08/05
HOUSE BILL 1394
SPONSORS: Rep. Sweeney, Rock. 25
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill enables the municipal officers to place a proposed charter amendment on the ballot that changes the form of government of the municipality.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-3207
08/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Charter Amendments; Procedure; Change Form of Government. Amend RSA 49-B:5, I(c)-(d) to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the municipal officers may, by a vote of two-thirds of their membership, place directly on the ballot a proposed charter amendment that changes the form of government of the municipality, including but not limited to: adoption of a town council, adoption of a city form, transition between council-manager and mayor-council structures, or any other structural realignment of legislative or executive authority. Any such amendment shall be adopted upon receiving a majority of those voting on the question.
(d) Each amendment shall be limited to a single subject, but more than one section of the charter may be amended as long as it is germane to that subject.
[(d)] (e) Alternative statements of a single amendment are prohibited.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 27, 2026 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 17, 2026 | House | Exec Session |
| Feb. 17, 2026 | House | Floor Vote |
Feb. 24, 2026: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/17/2026 (Vote 17-0; CC)
Feb. 11, 2026: Executive Session: 02/17/2026 09:00 am GP 154
Jan. 21, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/27/2026 11:55 am GP 154
Dec. 4, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government