Livestock Guarding Dog Nuisance Exemption
Summary
New Hampshire General Court passed HB1253, exempting dogs actively guarding livestock or crops from nuisance dog statutes. The bill, sponsored by Representatives Comtois, Aron, and others, passed the House and Senate with unanimous committee support and was signed into law on March 17, 2026.
What changed
NH HB1253 creates a statutory exemption for dogs engaged in guarding livestock or crops from nuisance dog statutes. The bill passed both chambers after review by the Environment and Agriculture Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, with unanimous 'Ought to Pass' votes in both committees.
Livestock farmers and agricultural operations in New Hampshire should verify their livestock guarding dogs qualify for this exemption when performing guard duties. No compliance deadlines or penalties are specified, as this is a permissive exemption rather than a new mandate.
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / New Hampshire / HB1253 Passed HB1253 House Bill Passed 2026-03-17
Exempting dogs guarding livestock or crops from nuisance dog statutes when engaged in such work.
Bill Details
State New Hampshire
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source gc.nh.gov/billstatus/legacy/bs2016/bills...
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Sponsors
Barbara Comtois (Rep - R) Judy Aron (Rep - R) Peter Bixby (Rep - D) Cathy Kenny (Rep - R) Howard Pearl (Sen - R)
Action History
2026-04-02 S Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1308s, 04/09/2026; Vote 2-0; Consent Calendar; Senate Calendar 13 2026-03-26 S Hearing: 03/31/2026, Room 103, State House, 09:30 am; Senate Calendar 12 2026-03-17 S Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Journal 7 2026-03-11 H Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0930h: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 03/11/2026 House Journal 7 2026-03-11 H Amendment # 2026-0930h: Amendment Adopted Voice Vote 03/11/2026 House Journal 7 2026-03-04 H Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0930h (NT) 03/03/2026 (Vote 13-0; Consent Calendar) House Calendar 10 P. 16 2026-03-04 H Executive Session: 03/03/2026 10:15 am GP 153 2026-02-25 H Full Committee Work Session: 03/03/2026 10:15 am GP 153 2026-02-18 H Full Committee Work Session: 02/24/2026 10:00 am GP 153 2026-02-11 H Public Hearing: 02/17/2026 02:00 pm GP 153 2025-12-01 H Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Environment and Agriculture House Journal 1 P. 12
Committee Referrals
2025-12-01 H Environment and Agriculture 2026-03-17 S Energy and Natural Resources
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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