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HB 1642 Failed

Gun Confiscation (Red Flag Law)

153 Democrats voted FOR gun confiscation without due process

What This Bill Does

HB 1642 would have created "extreme risk protection orders" (ERPOs), allowing family members or law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily seize a person's firearms if they are deemed a "significant risk" to themselves or others. Critically, the person does not need to be charged with or convicted of any crime. The initial order can be issued ex parte — meaning the gun owner may not even be present at the hearing. The House killed the bill 206-153.

The Full Story

New Hampshire is a constitutional carry state — no permit is required for concealed carry, signed into law by Governor Sununu in 2017 after Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan vetoed the same bill twice (2015 and 2016). Red flag laws fundamentally conflict with this tradition. Under HB 1642, a family member or police officer could petition a court to seize someone's firearms based on the allegation that they pose a risk — with no criminal charge, no conviction, and potentially no opportunity for the gun owner to defend themselves before the seizure occurs.

153 Democrats voted for this approach. Only 8 Democrats sided with gun rights. Sen.

Debra Altschiller (D-Stratham) argued passionately for the bill: "How many more survivor families need to come here and testify and expose their pain? How many more bodies need to pile up before you start to feel again?" Ray Buckley, the Democratic Party chairman, has called NH's gun laws "notoriously lax." But New Hampshire is consistently one of the safest states in the nation — and Granite Staters credit that safety, in part, to widespread gun ownership and a culture of personal responsibility.

Party Breakdown

Republicans

197 Yea

0 Nay · 17 Absent/NV

Democrats

8 Yea

153 Nay · 16 Absent/NV

What Voters Think

73% of Americans believe the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to own firearms

Gallup, 2024

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