---
type: "Bill"
title: "permitting arraignments for felonies and preliminary examinations to be heard in circuit court."
description: "permitting arraignments for felonies and preliminary examinations to be heard in circuit court."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nh"
legislature: "New Hampshire General Court"
session: "2022"
identifier: "HB 1597"
citation: "New Hampshire HB 1597 (2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Edward M. Gordon"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 19
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2021-12-21"
last_action: "2022-06-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dc2b2d96-dfa8-4a84-a85d-a4ad88fd496d"
source_url: "http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=2769&sy=2022&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2022"
source_hash: "2d6e6fd9b535a8a805c2608e2e7f28ce262a3c8cfbea330fefd244c757f90d6b"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nh"]
---

# New Hampshire HB 1597 (2022) — permitting arraignments for felonies and preliminary examinations to be heard in circuit court.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment #2022-1918s** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2022&id=2022-1918s&txtFormat=amend)

## Sponsors

- Edward M. Gordon — primary (person)
- Donna M. Soucy — cosponsor (person)
- Marjorie K. Smith — cosponsor (person)
- Steven D. Smith — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-12-21** Introduced 01/05/2022 and referred to Judiciary `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2022-01-19** Public Hearing: 01/27/2022 09:00 am LOB 206-208
- **2022-03-04** Executive Session: 01/27/2022 09:00 am LOB 206-208
- **2022-03-04** Committee Report: Ought to Pass (Vote 21-0; CC) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-03-16** Ought to Pass: MA VV 03/15/2022 HJ 6 `passage`
- **2022-03-22** Introduced 03/17/2022 and Referred to Judiciary; SJ 6 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2022-03-23** Hearing: 03/29/2022, Room 100, SH, 02:00 pm; SC 13
- **2022-04-14** Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2022-1559s, 04/21/2022; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 16 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-04-21** Committee Amendment # 2022-1559s, AA, VV; 04/21/2022; SJ 9
- **2022-04-21** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2022-1559s, MA, VV; Refer to Finance Rule 4-5; 04/21/2022; SJ 9 `passage`
- **2022-04-26** Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate, 05/05/2022; SC 18
- **2022-05-05** Inexpedient to Legislate, MF, VV; 05/05/2022; SJ 11
- **2022-05-05** Sen. Daniels Moved Ought to Pass; 05/05/2022; SJ 11 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-05-05** Sen. Daniels Floor Amendment # 2022-1918s, AA, VV; 05/05/2022; SJ 11
- **2022-05-05** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2022-1918s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/05/2022; SJ 11 `passage`
- **2022-05-13** House Concurs with Senate Amendment (Rep. Gordon): MA VV 05/12/2022 HJ 13
- **2022-06-14** Enrolled (in recess of) 05/26/2022 HJ 14
- **2022-06-14** Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 05/26/2022); SJ 13
- **2022-06-29** Signed by Governor Sununu 06/24/2022; Chapter 268; eff. 01/01/2024 HJ 14 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dc2b2d96-dfa8-4a84-a85d-a4ad88fd496d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Hampshire legislature records).