New Hampshire HB 1181: relative to public hearing notice requirements for zoning board of adjustment appeals.

Bill Text

HB 1181-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2645

 06/05

HOUSE BILL 1181-FN

AN ACT relative to public hearing notice requirements for zoning board of adjustment appeals.

SPONSORS: Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32; Rep. Aldrich, Belk. 6; Rep. Cole, Hills. 26; Rep. Mazur, Hills. 44; Rep. Reinfurt, Hills. 29; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. McGough, Dist 11; Sen. Lang, Dist 2

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

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ANALYSIS

 This bill updates the public hearing requirement for zoning boards of adjustment by replacing the requirement that a notice be published in a newspaper of general circulation with a requirement that the notice be posted on the municipality’s public website for at least 5 days before the hearing.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2645

 06/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to public hearing notice requirements for zoning board of adjustment appeals.

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

 1 Zoning Board of Adjustment Public Hearings. RSA 676:7, I(b) is repealed and reenacted to read as follows: 

 (b) A public notice of the hearing shall be posted on the municipality’s public website not less than 5 days before the date fixed for the hearing of the appeal. The notice shall remain accessible to the public on the website until the hearing has concluded. If the municipality does not maintain a public website, the notice shall be physically posted in at least 2 public places within the municipality for the same period. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 LBA

 26-2645

 10/30/25

HB 1181-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to public hearing notice requirements for zoning board of adjustment appeals.

FISCAL IMPACT: 

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 County Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 County Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Local Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Increase 

(less than $10,000 per municipality)

 Local Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

METHODOLOGY:

This bill updates the public hearing requirement for zoning boards of adjustment by replacing the requirement that a notice be published in a newspaper of general circulation with a requirement that the notice be posted on the municipality’s public website for at least 5 days before the hearing.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association estimates that municipalities will reduce advertising costs by less than $10,000 for most municipalities, with larger municipalities that have a higher volume of appeals likely to achieve greater savings.

It is assumed that any fiscal impact would occur after FY 2026.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

New Hampshire Municipal Association