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Bill would expand HikeSafe family definition to include domestic partners sharing an address
Summary
Representative Will Darby introduced House Bill 404 to broaden the definition of a family on the state’s voluntary HikeSafe card so domestic partners and cohabiting families sharing an address can qualify for a family card. Fish and Game and a constituent testified in support; the committee closed the hearing and held the bill for follow-up.
Representative Will Darby of Hillsborough District 11 introduced House Bill 404 to expand the definition of "family" for the HikeSafe voluntary card so that domestic partners and cohabiting family units who share an address may qualify for a family card.
Darby said the HikeSafe card has raised between $100,000 and $300,000 annually since its 2015 inception and could generate more revenue if Fish and Game engaged partner organizations and recognized modern family arrangements. He said the bill aims to build interest among younger and nontraditional households and to align HikeSafe language with other statutes and administrative rules that use the term "domestic partner."
Noah Telerski, a Nashua resident and the constituent who sponsored the idea, said he and his then-fiancée (now wife) lived together and chose not to buy a family card because the existing definition required marriage. He said expanding the definition would encourage more people to buy family cards and help fund Fish and Game’s search-and-rescue operations.
Major David Walsh, assistant chief of law enforcement for New Hampshire Fish and Game, testified in support. Walsh said the HikeSafe card generated about $390,000 in calendar-year 2024 and that card sales have increased every year since the program began. He reported the department averages about 180 search missions a year and recommends billing in roughly 12 of those cases; HikeSafe covers more than half of the department’s search-and-rescue funding and has contributed to the program operating with a surplus in recent years.
Senators asked practical questions about administration, including how Fish and Game would verify domestic partnerships in field rescue situations. Walsh said staff generally interview rescued subjects and could check addresses to confirm a domestic-partner or household relationship; the statute already allows billing in cases of recklessness even for HikeSafe holders.
The committee closed the hearing on HB404; senators indicated they would save the bill for a particular member to carry (comments noted follow-up with a senator named Kevin). No final committee vote was recorded during the hearing.
Why it matters: Expanding the family definition could increase HikeSafe card sales and revenue for search-and-rescue operations, support outreach partnerships and reduce barriers for cohabiting families who currently must buy multiple individual cards.
What’s next: The committee closed the hearing and will consider further follow-up; staff and sponsors may refine statutory language or propose an amendment that clarifies who qualifies as a household or domestic partner under the program.
