Lawmakers weigh repeal of religious land‑use protections after local disputes

Senate Bill 265 drew an extended hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee after Sen. Cassandra Prentice described concerns about what she called a potential usurpation of local control by RSA 674:76, the 2022 law that limits local zoning and site‑plan discretion for properties primarily used for religious purposes.

“According to the statute as written, no zoning ordinance or site plan review regulation shall prohibit, regulate, or restrict the use of land or structures primarily used for religious purposes,” Prentice said, adding she was not seeking to restrict worship but to preserve local zoning character. She identified Hanover and other communities where disputes have arisen since the statute’s 2022 enactment.

Opponents of repeal told the committee the statute addresses long‑standing discrimination against religious institutions. Land‑use attorney Michael…