The New Hampshire State Senate

The New Hampshire Senate welcomes media coverage on both the Chamber floor and in the Gallery during session, as well as in Senate committee rooms during hearings. However, space for members of the media and their equipment may be limited. To balance the needs of the media with Senate decorum, the Senate requests that all members of the media adhere to the following rules.

General Guidelines During Session:

• Admission to the Chamber floor is by invitation of the Senate President or her designee. See Senate Rule 2-30.
• Media is defined as any organization whose primary purpose is the collection and dissemination of newsworthy information, whether TV, cable-access, print, radio or web-based.
• Individuals or organizations whose primary purpose is to promote partisan politics or to influence public policy will not be considered media. Such individuals and organizations are welcome to follow and record Senate proceedings, like the rest of the general public and lobbyists, from the Gallery.
• All members of the media are asked to write their names and affiliations on a sign-up sheet at the table just inside the Chamber door when they arrive. The Senate reserves the right to issue and require media credentials.
• Members of the media who work out of the State House press room or who regularly cover the Senate will be given priority access to the Chamber floor and the Gallery whenever space is limited.
• If the Chamber is unable to accommodate all media at one time, the press is encouraged to pool their resources.

Media Positions During Session:

• Print and web-based reporters may sit at the table just inside the front door of the Chamber as space allows.
• A maximum of three (3) video cameras will be permitted in the corner of the Chamber on the far side of the podium. Radio reporters may occupy this same corner in proximity to the multi-box as space allows.
• The media may not place any object, sit, or lean on the antique glass-top table located in the Chamber by the window.
• Still photographers may shoot from the print or videotaping corners ONLY. No shots are allowed from the podium, the podium steps, or from behind any of the senators’ seats. They may also shoot from the Gallery.
• Members of the media and their cameras are allowed in the Gallery as space allows.

Chamber Decorum:

• Tripods or sticks are only permitted in the Gallery if the user is holding the equipment or immediately adjacent, continuously monitoring its use, and the equipment does not cause an interference with others. No equipment or any other object may be placed or rested on the Gallery's railing for the safety of the people underneath.
• All videotaping and audio recording must be paused while the Senate is in recess, which includes the time before session commences and after session ends. See Senate Rule 2-4.
• Members of the media may not conduct interviews or otherwise speak to senators on the floor but can ask the Communications Director to inform a senator that their comments are desired outside the Chamber.
• Members of the media may not cross in front of the podium during Session. Media who need to depart must do so without interrupting the business of the Senate. If positioned in the far corner of the Chamber, members of the media should walk behind the last row of senators’ chairs and leave through the front door of the Chamber only.
• Members of the media are not permitted in the Senate antechamber adjacent to the Senate Clerk’s office.
• All cell phones must be silenced.

Removal Policy:

• The Senate President or her designee has the right to remove any individual who causes a disruption in the Chamber or the Gallery. See Senate Rule 1-6. Any challenges or discussions concerning this rule must take place outside the Chamber.
• Once an individual has been removed, they are welcome back in the Chamber or the Gallery only after an agreement regarding the conduct that led to the removal has been reached. The Senate President is the final arbiter regarding any such disputes.

General Guidelines During Senate Committee Hearings:

• Members of the media, including still photographers and videographers, may not stand behind senators during a hearing. If the space is limited and accommodations need to be made, please contact the Communications Director.
• The media may not conduct interviews or speak to senators seated at their desks during a hearing. However, members can ask the Communications Director or Committee Staff to inform a senator that their comments are desired outside the committee room.
• All cell phones must be silenced.