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SB186 • 2026

(New Title) preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

(New Title) preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Denise Ricciardi (R), Tim McGough (R), Howard Pearl (r), Timothy Lang (R), David Watters (D), Ruth Ward (R), Donovan Fenton (D), Keith Murphy (R), Cindy Rosenwald (D), Bill Gannon (R), Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D)
Last action
2026-02-05
Official status
SENATE
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.

(New Title) preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

(New Title) preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

What This Bill Does

  • (New Title) preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment #2025-2993h : AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 76

Plain English: Amendment #2025-2993h : AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 76 1

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-05 S

    Special Order to the Present Time, Without Objection, MA; 02/05/2026; SJ 3

  2. 2026-02-05 S

    Sen. Pearl Moved Nonconcur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 02/05/2026; SJ 3

  3. 2026-01-07 H

    Amendment #2025-2993h : AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 76

  4. 2026-01-07 H

    Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-2993h: MA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 76

  5. 2025-11-04 H

    Executive Session: 10/08/2025 01:40 pm GP 234

  6. 2025-10-16 H

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-2993h (NT) 10/08/2025 (Vote 11-0; CC) HC 51 P. 15

  7. 2025-09-10 H

    Full Committee Work Session: 10/08/2025 01:40 pm GP 234

  8. 2025-04-16 H

    Retained in Committee

  9. 2025-04-09 H

    Public Hearing: 04/16/2025 01:15 pm LOB 203

  10. 2025-04-09 H

    Full Committee Work Session: 04/16/2025 01:45 pm LOB 203

  11. 2025-03-28 H

    Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Legislative Administration HJ 11 P. 112

  12. 2025-03-13 S

    Ought to Pass : MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/13/2025; SJ 7

  13. 2025-03-07 S

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/13/2025; Vote 4-0; CC; SC 12

  14. 2025-02-26 S

    Hearing: 03/05/2025, Room 103, SH, 09:15 am; SC 11

  15. 2025-01-23 S

    Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Executive Departments and Administration; SJ 3

Official Summary Text

(New Title) preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB 186 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

7Jan2026... 2993h
2025 SESSION
25-0980
07/06

SENATE BILL
186

AN ACT
preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

SPONSORS: Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. McGough, Dist 11; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill prevents portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.
7Jan2026... 2993h 25-0980
07/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT
preventing portraits depicting persons from being hung in certain places in the statehouse, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.

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

1 The State and Its Government; Legislative Officers and Proceedings; Office Space and Parking Facilities. Amend RSA 14:14-b to read as follows:
4:9 Portraits or Other Memorials. No portraits, busts, statues, or other memorial objects shall be placed in or on the state house with the exception of those areas under the use and control of the general court as defined by RSA 14:14-b, III, state house annex, state library, Hannah Dustin monument, Franklin Pierce homestead, Daniel Webster birthplace, or grounds connected with each without the consent of the governor and council. Any portraits, flags, busts, statues, or other memorial objects to be placed in or on legislative facilities as defined by RSA 14:14-b shall be at the direction of the joint legislative historical committee in consultation with the director of the division of historical resources, department of natural and cultural resources.
Portraits depicting persons shall not be placed in the statehouse in any area listed under RSA 14:14-b, unless the subject of the portrait has been dead for at least 10 years and provided exemplary and noteworthy services to the citizens of this state.
The director, division of historical resources, shall be responsible for the care of such memorial objects at any of these sites.

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