CHAPTER 300
HB 1186 - FINAL VERSION
15Mar2022... 0727h
05/05/2022 1750s
26May2022... 2118EBA
2022 SESSION
22-2269
08/04
HOUSE BILL 1186
AN ACT relative to companion animals during a declared state of emergency.
SPONSORS: Rep. Gallager, Merr. 15; Rep. Read, Rock. 17; Rep. Amanda Bouldin, Hills. 12
COMMITTEE: Environment and Agriculture
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires shelters to accept companion animals during a declared state of emergency.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
15Mar2022... 0727h
05/05/2022 1750s
26May2022... 2118EBA 22-2269
08/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two
AN ACT relative to companion animals during a declared state of emergency.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
300:1 New Subdivision; Emergency Shelter for Companion Animals. Amend RSA 126-A by inserting after section 97 the following new subdivision:
Emergency Shelter for Companion Animals
126-A:98 State Policy for Companion Animals. During a declared state of emergency as defined in RSA 4:45, III(c) containing an evacuation order, any hotel or community shelter that shelters evacuated persons shall allow disaster animal response trailers, or other reasonable accommodations, on site to accommodate any companion animal belonging to such evacuated persons. The maximum number of animals per sheltered family shall comply with local ordinances. For the purpose of this section, "companion animal" means a cat, dog, or other legally-owned animal kept in an enclosure that might typically be found in a home. During such emergency, any volunteer who has been vetted by the department of health and human services and is a member of the disaster animal response team and is assisting evacuated persons and companion animals shall be considered an emergency worker under RSA 21-P:41, VI(c).
300:2 Contingency; HB1022. If HB 1022 of the 2022 regular legislative session becomes law, then RSA 126-A:98 as inserted by section 1 of this act shall be renumbered as RSA 126-A:99.
300:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
Approved: July 01, 2022
Effective Date: August 30, 2022