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HB1188 • 2026

relative to noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

relative to noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Alice Wade (D), Carrie Sorensen (D), Joseph Barton (R), Kris Schultz (D), Jared Sullivan (D), David Watters (D), Heath Howard (D), Billie Butler (D), Donovan Fenton (D)
Last action
2026-02-24
Official status
HOUSE
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

relative to noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

relative to noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

What This Bill Does

  • relative to noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-24 H

    Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/10/2026 (Vote 11-9; RC) HC 10 P. 103

  2. 2026-02-24 H

    Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-0612h

  3. 2026-02-05 H

    Executive Session: 02/10/2026 10:00 am GP 159

  4. 2026-01-28 H

    Public Hearing: 02/03/2026 11:30 am GP 159

  5. 2025-12-01 H

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services HJ 1 P. 9

Official Summary Text

relative to noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 1188 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION
26-2607
07/05

HOUSE BILL
1188

AN ACT
relative to
noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

SPONSORS: Rep. Wade, Straf. 15; Rep. Schultz, Merr. 29; Rep. H. Howard, Straf. 4; Rep. Sorensen, Rock. 28; Rep. J. Sullivan, Graf. 2; Rep. Butler, Straf. 12; Rep. Barton, Graf. 1; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10

COMMITTEE: Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

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ANALYSIS

This bill expands restrictions on the use of non-compete agreements for lower-income workers.

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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.
26-2607
07/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
relative to
noncompete agreements for low-wage employees.

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

1 Labor; Noncompete Agreements; Noncompete Agreements for Low-Wage Employees Prohibited. Amend RSA 275:70-a to read as follows:
275:70-a Noncompete Agreements for [
Low-Wage
]
Qualifying
Employees Prohibited.
I. In this section:
(a) "Employer" shall have the same meaning as in RSA 279:1, XI.
(b) "[
Low-wage
]
Qualifying
employee" means an employee who earns an hourly rate less than or equal to [
200
]
500
percent of the federal minimum wage.
(c) "Noncompete agreement" means an agreement between an employer and a [
low-wage
]
qualifying
employee that restricts such [
low-wage
]
qualifying
employee from performing:
(1) Work for another employer for a specified period of time;
(2) Work in a specified geographical area; or
(3) Work for another employer that is similar to such [
low-wage
]
qualifying
employee's work for the employer who is a party to the agreement.
II.(a) No employer shall require a [
low-wage
]
qualifying
employee to enter into a noncompete agreement.
(b) A noncompete agreement entered into between an employer and a [
low-wage
]
qualifying
employee shall be void and unenforceable.

(c) No employer shall require any qualifying employee to enter into an agreement that restricts the employee from working for another company for longer than 12 months following termination of employment.

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