Secretary of State Required to Post Constitutional Amendment Notices
Summary
The New Hampshire General Court passed HB1247, requiring the Secretary of State to create, post on the official state website, and distribute notice of proposed constitutional amendments. The bill passed the House on March 11, 2026, and was introduced in the Senate on March 17, 2026. This measure enhances public transparency in the constitutional amendment process.
What changed
HB1247 adds a new statutory requirement for the New Hampshire Secretary of State to create and disseminate public notices regarding proposed constitutional amendments. The bill mandates online posting on the Secretary of State's website and other distribution methods. The legislation passed with strong committee support (17-0 in House, 4-0 in Senate) through both chambers during the 2026 Regular Session.
State election officials and agency administrators should prepare to implement new notice procedures once the bill becomes law. Compliance teams should monitor for any additional implementing guidance from the Secretary of State's office regarding the format and timing of constitutional amendment notices.
What to do next
- Review HB1247 requirements for constitutional amendment notice procedures
- Coordinate with Secretary of State office on implementation timeline
- Update internal procedures for handling constitutional amendment notices if applicable
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / New Hampshire / HB1247 Passed HB1247 House Bill Passed 2026-03-17
Requiring the secretary of state to create, post on the secretary of state's website, and otherwise distribute notice of proposed constitutional amendments.
Bill Details
State New Hampshire
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source gc.nh.gov/billstatus/legacy/bs2016/bills...
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Robert Wherry (Rep - R) Claudine Burnham (Rep - R) Donald McFarlane (Rep - R) Linda McGrath (Rep - R) Mary Murphy (Rep - R) Clayton Wood (Rep - R)
Action History
2026-04-02 S Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 04/09/2026; Vote 4-0; Consent Calendar; Senate Calendar 13 2026-03-25 S Hearing: 04/01/2026, Room 103, State House, 01:15 pm; Senate Calendar 12 2026-03-17 S Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; Senate Journal 7 2026-03-11 H Ought to Pass: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 03/11/2026 House Journal 7 2026-03-04 H Committee Report: Ought to Pass 03/03/2026 (Vote 17-0; Consent Calendar) House Calendar 10 P. 14 2026-02-18 H Executive Session: 03/03/2026 10:00 am GP 158 2026-01-29 H Public Hearing: 02/03/2026 02:20 pm GP 158 2025-12-01 H Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Election Law House Journal 1 P. 12
Committee Referrals
2025-12-01 H Election Law 2026-03-17 S Election Law and Municipal Affairs
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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