HB 396 · 2026 · House · Environment and Agriculture Committee

Small-scale livestock processing exemption

(Second New Title) relative to the processing of cattle, swine, sheep, and goats at facilities not certified by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Allows a limited number of cattle, swine, sheep, and goats to be processed monthly by a farm or producer at a facility not certified by the United States Department of Agriculture.AI-generated

Status

Vetoed by the governor — the override vote has not been held yet · July 16, 2026

✓Introduced
✓House
✓Senate
Governor
Law

Governor's veto message

“Agriculture is an important part of our state's economy and heritage, and I appreciate the bill's intent to provide additional meat processing access for small farmers and producers. Unfortunately, this proposal violates the federal Meat Inspection Act as confirmed in a letter written to the Commissioner of Agriculture Shawn Jasper by Acting Administrator of the Office of Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA. New Hampshire has not established its own Meat and Poultry Inspection Program and therefore, the state relies on federal inspection of these products.”

— Gov. Kelly Ayotte · Jul 10, 2026 · excerpt

Governor's press release

A passage from the Governor's veto message, quoted verbatim. The full message enters the record on veto day.

Analysis

This bill exempts meat and meat food products slaughtered and prepared in state for sale in state from certain inspections.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as passed by both chambers.

“No more than the following number of animals shall be processed per month under this paragraph: (a) Three cattle. (b) Five swine. (c) Ten sheep or goats, or a combination thereof.”

RSA 427:2-a, V

This sets the monthly volume caps that limit the on-farm processing exemption the bill creates for cattle, swine, sheep, and goats.AI-generated

“The slaughter of bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats on a farm for purposes of sale, as provided in RSA 143-A:5, IX, shall be exempt from the provisions of this subdivision requiring inspection of the slaughter of animals”

RSA 427:2-a, IV

This is the core exemption, allowing on-farm slaughter of the added livestock species for sale without state inspection of the slaughter.AI-generated

“The licensed restaurant shall clearly label any menu item containing uninspected cattle, swine, sheep, or goat with the following statement: "This product was initially processed at the farm and is exempt from state inspection."”

RSA 143-A:20, III-a

The bill requires restaurants to disclose on the menu that uninspected farm-processed meat is exempt from state inspection.AI-generated

“When the bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat is slaughtered in a humane method, as defined in RSA 427:33, III, by the owner [or], the owner's full time or seasonal employee, or the owner's agent.”

RSA 427:2-a, IV(b)

The bill conditions the exemption on humane slaughter and, as amended, allows the owner's agent (not only the owner or employees) to perform it.AI-generated

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Public testimony

No one submitted online testimony on this bill. See the record

Hearings and debates

Feb 18, 2025Public hearingHouse Environment and Agriculture5:09:36–7:14:182h 4m 42s
Feb 19, 2025Full committee work sessionHouse Environment and Agriculture1:37:25–2:16:0438m 39s
Mar 4, 2025Full committee work sessionHouse Environment and Agriculture1:19:17–1:22:132m 56s
Mar 4, 2025Executive sessionHouse Environment and Agriculture2:08:59–2:10:581m 59s
Sep 9, 2025Full committee work sessionHouse Environment and Agriculture4:47–47:3142m 44s
Nov 5, 2025Full committee work sessionHouse Environment and Agriculture8:09–1:00:2052m 11s
Nov 12, 2025Full committee work sessionHouse Environment and Agriculture4:13–40:2236m 9s
Jan 7, 2026Floor debateHouse floor7:16:38–7:36:3019m 52s
Feb 10, 2026Public hearingSenate Commerce1:59:07–2:59:181h 11s
May 21, 2026Floor debateHouse floor1:23:37–1:24:531m 16s

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

Votes

yeanay

Starting text: Bill as introduced

Nov 12, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-3090h (NT)9–3
Overall
75% yea
Jan 7, 2026HouseVoice voteAmendment 2025-3090hadopted
Jan 7, 2026HouseRoll callOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-3090hAdopted214–119How they voted
Overall
64% yea
Party-line vote
Republicans
175–796% yea
Democrats
39–11226% yea
Resulting text: Bill as amended by the House
May 7, 2026SenateCommittee report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1719s5–0
Overall
100% yea
May 7, 2026SenateVoice voteCommittee amendment 2026-1719sadopted
May 7, 2026SenateVoice voteOught to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1719sadopted
Resulting text: Bill as amended by the Senate
May 21, 2026HouseVoice voteHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1719s (Rep. J. Aron)adopted
Resulting text: Bill as adopted by both chambers
Jun 4, 2026HouseVoice voteEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2155eadopted

Legislative history

Jan 9, 2025HouseIntroduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Environment and Agriculture HJ 3 P. 8
Feb 18, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/18/2025 02:00 pm LOB 301-303
Feb 19, 2025HouseFull Committee Work Session: 02/19/2025 09:30 am LOB 301-303
Mar 4, 2025HouseFull Committee Work Session: 03/04/2025 09:30 am LOB 301-303
Mar 4, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/04/2025 11:20 am LOB 301-303
Mar 10, 2025HouseRetained in Committee
Sep 9, 2025HouseFull Committee Work Session: 09/09/2025 10:30 am GP 153
Nov 5, 2025HouseFull Committee Work Session: 11/05/2025 10:00 am GP153
Nov 12, 2025HouseFull Committee Work Session: 11/12/2025 11:00 am GP 153
Nov 12, 2025HouseMajority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-3090h (NT) 11/12/2025 (Vote 9-3; RC) HC 51 P. 32
Nov 17, 2025HouseMinority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
Jan 7, 2026HouseAmendment # 2025-3090h (NT): AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 164
Jan 7, 2026HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2025-3090h: MA RC 214-119 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 166
Jan 29, 2026SenIntroduced 01/29/2026 and Referred to Commerce; SJ 3
Feb 10, 2026SenHearing: 02/10/2026, Room 100, SH, 10:30 am; SC 5
May 7, 2026Sen: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1719s, 05/07/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 17
May 7, 2026SenCommittee Amendment # 2026-1719s, AA, VV; 05/07/2026; SJ 11
May 7, 2026SenOught to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1719s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/07/2026; SJ 11
May 21, 2026HouseHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1719s (Rep. J. Aron): MA VV 05/21/2026 HJ 14 P. 10
Jun 4, 2026SenEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2155e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 06/04/2026); SJ 14
Jun 4, 2026HouseEnrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2155e: AA VV (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15
Jun 4, 2026SenEnrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/04/2026); SJ 15
Jun 4, 2026HouseEnrolled (in recess of) 06/04/2026
Jul 10, 2026HouseVetoed by Governor Ayotte 07/10/2026

Coverage

Push to loosen regulations on New Hampshire meat industry meets vetoNew Hampshire Bulletin
Ayotte vetoed HB 396, which would have let small farmers sell in-state meat processed at facilities not certified by the USDA, citing conflict with the federal Meat Inspection Act.AI-generated
Push to loosen regulations on New Hampshire meat industry meets vetoManchester Ink Link
The article reports Ayotte's veto of HB 396, a bill allowing limited on-farm slaughter and in-state sale of cattle, swine, sheep, and goats processed at non-USDA facilities.AI-generated
Meat deregulation bill moves aheadNew Hampshire Bulletin · Jan 8, 2026
The article covers HB 396's advance to permit in-state sale of meat processed at non-USDA-certified facilities amid a shortage of inspected slaughterhouse capacity.AI-generated

Background reading

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

“Custom Exempt” Slaughter: The Exception, or the Rule?Explainer
National Agricultural Law Center — Explains the categories of meat inspection and how the custom-exempt slaughter provision fits within federal law.AI-generated
State-Inspected Meat and Poultry: Issues for CongressExplainer — nonpartisan
Congressional Research Service (via EveryCRSReport) — A nonpartisan report on how state meat-inspection programs relate to the federal USDA FSIS system and interstate sales rules.AI-generated
COVID-19 is Highlighting an Old Problem: the Lack of Meat Processing PlantsLocal food
FoodPrint — Argues that a shortage of small processing plants bottlenecks local and small-scale farmers seeking to sell their meat.AI-generated
North American Meat Institute: PRIME Act is a Food Safety RiskFood safety
North American Meat Institute — Industry statement opposing measures that would let uninspected custom-slaughtered meat be sold, citing food-safety and traceability concerns.AI-generated
Despite safety, liability concerns, lawmakers push to deregulate New Hampshire meat processingNH context
New Hampshire Bulletin — Reports on New Hampshire's HB 396 to exempt small on-farm slaughter from certain inspection rules, presenting arguments for and against.AI-generated
HB 396 (2025)NH context — nonpartisan
Citizens Count — A nonpartisan summary of the New Hampshire bill exempting certain in-state meat from federal inspection requirements.AI-generated

Documents (PDF)

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