New Hampshire HB 1699: enabling the carriage of certain firearms on slow-moving boats.

Bill Text

HB 1699-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2350

 08/06

HOUSE BILL 1699-FN

AN ACT enabling the carriage of certain firearms on slow-moving boats.

SPONSORS: Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. J. Smith, Carr. 5; Rep. DeVito, Rock. 8; Rep. Sabourin dit Choiniere, Rock. 30; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Sirois, Hills. 32; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17; Rep. Farrington, Straf. 8; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

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ANALYSIS

 This bill enables the carriage of certain firearms on slow-moving boats.

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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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2350

 08/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT enabling the carriage of certain firearms on slow-moving boats.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Hunting from Motor Vehicle, OHRV, Snowmobile, Boat, or Aircraft. Amend RSA 207:7, III and IV to read as follows: 

 III. No person shall have in or on a boat or other craft while being propelled by mechanical power, or in a boat or other craft being towed by a boat or other craft propelled by mechanical power, a cocked crossbow, a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle. This paragraph shall not apply to a person in or on a boat or other craft that is operating at a no-wake speed or at a speed not exceeding 1.5 times headway speed. 

 IV. [The provisions of this section shall not apply to law enforcement officers carrying guns or firearms in the line of duty.] For the purposes of this section, "loaded" means a round, cartridge shell or other charge is chambered in the firearm or is positioned in the breech. A firearm shall not be considered loaded solely because a magazine, tube, or other ammunition storage device attached to the firearm contains ammunition, so long as no round is chambered. A muzzle loading firearm shall not be considered loaded unless it is both charged with powder and ball and also primed with a percussion cap or powder in the frizzen pan. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.

 LBA

 26-2350

 12/1/25

HB 1699-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT enabling the carriage of certain firearms on slow-moving boats.

FISCAL IMPACT: 

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 Revenue

$0

$0 

$0 

$0 

 Revenue Fund

None

 Expenditures*

Indeterminable

 Funding Source

General Fund

 Appropriations*

$0 

$0 

$0 

$0 

 Funding Source

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 County Revenue

$0 

$0 

$0 

$0 

 County Expenditures

Indeterminable

 Local Revenue

$0 

$0 

$0 

$0 

 Local Expenditures

Indeterminable

METHODOLOGY:

This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation. Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association