HB 1122 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2402
07/08
HOUSE BILL 1122
SPONSORS: Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. DeVito, Rock. 8; Rep. Sabourin dit Choiniere, Rock. 30; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17
COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires all high school students to learn about hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2402
07/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Statement of Findings. The general court herby finds that:
I. Hunting is a cherished institution in New Hampshire, part of its cultural heritage, and an enduring tradition of self-reliance and stewardship of the land.
II. Safe and responsible use of firearms and the conservation of wildlife resources are essential to preserving the state's heritage for future generations.
III. Part I, article 2-a of the New Hampshire constitution guarantees that “All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state”.
IV. Part II, article 83 of the New Hampshire constitution obliges the state to “cherish the interest of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries and public schools” and encourages the cultivation of the arts that sustain its communities, among which hunting, forestry, and wildlife management are prominent.
V. Education in hunter safety and wildlife management equips young people with practical skills, a respect for nature, responsibility in arms handling, and knowledge of conservation, thereby strengthening their personal safety and civic virtue.
VI. Making hunter education broadly available ensures that every child, regardless of family background, has the opportunity to participate in a tradition that unites communities.
2 New Paragraph; Education; State Board of Education; Duties of State Board of Education. Amend RSA 186:11 by inserting after paragraph XXXVII the following new paragraph:
XXXVIII. Hunting, Wildlife Management, and Responsible Firearms Usage Education. With the fish and game commission, jointly approve and distribute policy guidelines to school districts regarding courses and content standards pertaining to hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage for students of 16 years of age or older, and adopt such rules as may be necessary to carry out and supervise such courses and content standards. Such policy guidelines shall include a provision that, upon a parent or legal guardian’s written determination of religious or conscientious objection, alternative instruction in forestry management or participation in community service shall be sufficient to meet such policy requirements. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, school districts that receive policies from the state board of education and the fish and game commission pursuant to this paragraph shall be required to adopt such policies.
3 New Paragraph; Education; School Boards, Transportation and Instruction of Pupils; Studies. Amend RSA 189:10 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:
IV. The school board shall ensure that courses approved by the fish and game commission designed to teach students about New Hampshire's hunting and wildlife conservation heritage and how to responsibly handle firearms are taught to students of 16 years of age or older as part of the school's curriculum. Upon a parent or legal guardian’s written determination of religious or conscientious objection, alternative instruction in forestry management or participation community service shall be sufficient to meet this requirement.
4 Education; School Boards, Transportation and Instruction of Pupils; Instruction in National and State History and Government, and Civics. Amend RSA 189:11, I-b(a) to read as follows:
(a) Civic knowledge, the acquisition of knowledge of the history, heritage, civic life, and civic institutions of the United States of America and the state of New Hampshire, including the history and heritage of hunting, wildlife conservation, and firearms in the United States and New Hampshire.
5 New Paragraph; Education; Adequate Public Education; Criteria for an Adequate Education. Amend RSA 193-E:2 by inserting after paragraph VII the following new paragraph:
VIII. Knowledge of the history and heritage of hunting, wildlife conservation, and firearms, and skills in hunting, wildlife conservation, and responsible firearms usage, to enable them to preserve the state's heritage and strengthen their personal safety. Upon a parent or legal guardian’s written determination of religious or conscientious objection, alternative instruction in forestry management or participation in community service shall be sufficient to meet this requirement.
6 New Subparagraph; Education; Adequate Public Education; Substantive Educational Content of an Adequate Education. Amend RSA 193-E:2-a, I(a) by inserting after subparagraph (11) the following new subparagraph:
(12) Hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage.
7 New Subparagraph; Education; Adequate Public Education; Accountability for the Opportunity for an Adequate Education. Amend RSA 193-E:3-b, I(a) by inserting after subparagraph (13) the following new subparagraph:
(14) Hunting, wildlife management, and responsible firearms usage.
8 New Paragraph; Education; School Money; Education Trust Fund Created and Invested. Amend RSA 198:39 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:
V. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, one percent of the proceeds deposited into the education trust fund shall be appropriated to, and used exclusively for, fish and game clubs, conservation associations, or other qualified organizations in this state that provide hunter education courses.
9 Application; Hunting, Wildlife Management, and Responsible Firearms Usage. The department of education, schools, and school districts shall implement this act by July 1, 2027. The requirements of this act shall not apply until the 2027-2028 school year.
10 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.