Senate Rules Committee approves series of late‑filed bill requests; LSRs due Feb. 25 to make Feb. 27 calendar

CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Senate Rules Committee voted on a slate of late‑filed legislative requests and reiterated a firm deadline for submitting Legislative Service Requests (LSRs) to the Office of Legislative Services (OLS).

The committee chair opened the short hearing by instructing members to "please submit your LSR to the office of legislative services today with full information," and repeated a sign‑off deadline: "The sign off deadline for sponsors and co sponsors is 4PM on Tuesday, February 25." The chair said that meeting the deadline was "necessary in order to get the late bills notice in, in the February 27 calendar," and warned that bills not signed off by that deadline "may need to be re referred until next year."

Why it matters: late filings determine whether bills can be added to the upcoming calendar and proceed this session. The committee approved each late‑filing request by voice vote, generally without extended debate, allowing sponsors to proceed with formal bill filing and drafting through OLS.

Votes at a glance

- Request from the Secretary of State to file legislation concerning risk management pools — presented by Senator Carson; approved by voice vote.

- Two requests from the Department of Environmental Services (DES): one for shoreland protection rules (enforcement issues) and a separate bill addressing background checks for owners of waste facilities (a third attempt after prior DOJ concerns) — presented by Senator Pearl; both approved by voice vote.

- A bill from Senator Dan Ennis to update criminal law addressing creation of intimate representations of minors using artificial intelligence — Ennis said the proposal arose after a constituent reported an AI‑altered image of her 17‑year‑old daughter; approved by voice vote.

- Two late filings presented by Senator Perkins Kocher: one concerning costs and one concerning grant funding — approved by voice vote.

- A late filing request from Senator Magoo to create a joint legislative oversight standing committee — approved by voice vote.

- A bill from Senator Kevin Abard (District 12) on sober living houses — approved by voice vote.

Discussion and context

Committee members and sponsors generally limited remarks to descriptions of what they were asking to file. Senator Dan Ennis described his bill as intended to "bring our laws up to date with technology" after a constituent reported an AI‑altered intimate image of a 17‑year‑old and said the proposal "addresses the production manufacturer and intimate, representation of a child who happens to be under the age of 18." Senator Pearl told the committee the DES background‑check bill had been revised multiple times and that the Department of Justice previously raised language concerns.

Committee action was routine: after each presentation the chair asked for questions, saw none or brief discussion, and called for a voice vote. On each item the committee recorded "Aye" and no opposition was raised on the record.

Clarifying details

- LSR submission requirement: the committee chair stated repeatedly that sponsors must "submit your LSR request with full information to OLS today."

- Sign‑off deadline: 4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 25; required to be included on the Feb. 27 calendar. The chair warned bills not signed off by that time "may need to be re referred until next year."

- DES background‑check bill: described as the "third time" the language has been revised following DOJ concerns; the committee accepted the request to file a revised version.

Process notes and next steps

Approving a late‑file request allows the sponsor to proceed with formal filing and drafting through OLS; the transcript records no final votes on the underlying bills themselves. The committee closed the hearing after asking if anyone wished to testify; no public testimony was recorded.

Ending

The Rules Committee concluded the brief hearing after approving the requests and reiterating the LSR and sign‑off deadlines. Sponsors and staff will work with OLS to finalize bill text for placement on the February calendar if deadlines are met.