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HB 228 · 2025 · House · Municipal and County Government Committee

Primary petitioner for town meeting articles

AI-generated

relative to petitioned articles at annual or special town meetings.

Authorizes petitioned warrant article applications to identify a primary petitioner who must be given at least 10 minutes to introduce the article at town or school district meetings.AI-generated

Status

Signed into law · July 22, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✓Senate
  4. ✓Governor
  5. ✓Law

Analysis

This bill authorizes written applications for a petitioned article at an annual or special town or school board meeting to identify a primary petitioner who shall be given a minimum of 10 minutes to introduce their warrant articles.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as enacted. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“Such corrections shall not in any way change the intended effect of the article as presented in the original language of the petition.”
RSA 39:3
“A special meeting of a school district shall be held whenever, in the opinion of the school board, there is occasion therefor, or whenever 50 or more voters, or 1/4 of the voters of the district, whichever is less, shall have made written application to the school board therefor, setting forth the subject matter upon which action is desired.”
RSA 197:2
“Corrections to petitioned warrant articles shall not in any way change the intended effect of the article as presented in the original petition.”
RSA 197:6
“No person shall speak in any meeting without leave of the moderator, nor when any person speaking is in order; and all persons shall be silent at the desire of the moderator, on pain of forfeiting $1 for each offense, for the use of the town.”
RSA 40:7

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Diane PauerRPrimeChair· Municipal and County Government
  • Rep. Anita BurroughsDRanking Member· Commerce and Consumer Affairs
  • Rep. Juliet Harvey-BoliaRDeputy Majority Floor Leader
  • Rep. Wayne MacDonaldRChair· Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
  • Rep. Daniel VeilleuxDDeputy Ranking Member· Transportation
  • Rep. James CreightonRChair· Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services
  • Sen. Kevin AvardRDeputy Majority Whip

Also: Rep. Riché ColcombeR, Rep. John SellersR, Sen. Tim McGoughR

Public testimony

21 signed in online · 2 wrote testimony

86% support14% oppose0% neutral

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“Granite State Taxpayers supports efforts and legislation to promote awareness of the financial impact on taxpayers of spending and taxing options, to institute and defend tax cap legislation, and promote better public awareness of the impacts of proposed projects and ballot choices.…”
— Ray Chadwick, BEDFORDsupports
“Even foolish ideas deserve to be heard so voters can make decisions from a position of knowledge.”
— Liz Tentarelli, Manchestersupports

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 27, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government5:29:24–5:35:175m 53slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Mar 10, 2025Public hearingHouse Municipal and County Government2:23:49–2:29:135m 24slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Ought to Pass; Executive Session
  • Mar 26, 2025Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamOught to Pass — adopted, voice vote
  • May 13, 2025Public hearingSenate Election Law and Municipal Affairs3:23–4:321m 9slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • May 22, 2025Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamCommittee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2165s; Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-2165s — adopted, voice vote; Committee Amendment # 2025-2165s — adopted, voice vote
  • Jun 12, 2025Floor debateHouse floor2:14:31–2:16:201m 49slocated in the stream transcriptHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2025-2165s (Rep. Pauer) — adopted, voice vote
  • Jun 26, 2025Floor debateSenate floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamEnrolled Adopted — voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 2 P. 11
  2. Feb 27, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/27/2025 02:30 pm LOB 301-303
  3. Mar 10, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/10/2025 09:30 am LOB 301-303
  4. Mar 10, 2025House: Ought to Pass 03/10/2025 (Vote 18-0; CC) HC 17 P. 23
  5. Mar 26, 2025HouseOught to Pass: MA VV 03/26/2025 HJ 10 P. 43
  6. Mar 27, 2025SenIntroduced 03/27/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 10
  7. May 13, 2025SenHearing: 05/13/2025, Room 103, LOB, 09:15 am; SC 21
  8. May 22, 2025Sen: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2165s, 05/22/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 22
  9. May 22, 2025SenCommittee Amendment # 2025-2165s, AA, VV; 05/22/2025; SJ 14
  10. May 22, 2025SenOught to Pass with Amendment #2025-2165s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/22/2025; SJ 14
  11. Jun 12, 2025HouseHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2025-2165s (Rep. Pauer): MA VV 06/12/2025 HJ 17 P. 14
  12. Jun 26, 2025SenEnrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/26/2025); SJ 18
  13. Jun 26, 2025HouseEnrolled (in recess of) 06/26/2025 HJ 18 P. 59
  14. Jul 15, 2025HouseSigned by Governor Ayotte 07/15/2025; Chapter 173; eff. 09/13/2025 HJ 18

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Background reading

Evergreen reading on the policy area — spanning perspectives — not coverage of this specific bill.

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.