---
type: "Bill"
title: "expanding access to court-appointed counsel for children in dependency proceedings."
description: "expanding access to court-appointed counsel for children in dependency proceedings."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nh"
legislature: "New Hampshire General Court"
session: "2024"
identifier: "SB 463"
citation: "New Hampshire SB 463 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Sharon M. Carson"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 27
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-12-12"
last_action: "2024-07-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/401c7f3c-01ce-4ea2-8904-97aa39f342d7"
source_url: "https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=3021&sy=2024&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2024"
source_hash: "5ef5ab60f634b5f81498cc5f1bd8e9f7d58a2300a72262c46c1c00ead8207cfc"
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 SB 463 (2024) — expanding access to court-appointed counsel for children in dependency proceedings.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment #2024-1971h** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2024&id=2024-1971h&txtFormat=amend)
2. **latest version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2024&id=2112&txtFormat=html)

## Sponsors

- Sharon M. Carson — primary (person)
- Bill M. Gannon — cosponsor (person)
- Lorie Ball — cosponsor (person)
- Mark A. Pearson — cosponsor (person)
- Rebecca G. Whitley — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-12-12** To Be Introduced 01/03/2024 and Referred to Judiciary; SJ 1 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2024-01-17** Hearing: 01/25/2024, Room 100, SH, 09:30 am; SC 4
- **2024-03-27** Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 04/05/2024; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 13 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-05** Ought to Pass: MA, VV; Refer to Finance Rule 4-5; 04/05/2024; SJ 8 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-04-09** Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2024-1466s, 04/11/2024, Vote 7-0; SC 14A `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-11** Committee Amendment # 2024-1466s, AA, VV; 04/11/2024; SJ 9
- **2024-04-11** Sen. Rosenwald Floor Amendment # 2024-1457s, AA, VV; 04/11/2024; SJ 9
- **2024-04-11** Ought to Pass with Amendments 2024-1466s and 2024-1457s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/11/2024; SJ 9 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-04-11** Without Objection, the Clerk is authorized to make technical and administrative corrections which are necessary to reflect the intent of the Senate, MA; 04/11/2024; SJ 9
- **2024-04-12** Introduced 04/12/2024 and referred to Children and Family Law HJ 11 P. 103 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2024-04-16** Public Hearing: 04/23/2024 10:00 am LOB 206-208
- **2024-04-18** Executive Session: 04/23/2024 02:30 pm LOB 206-208
- **2024-04-24** Committee Report: Ought to Pass 04/23/2024 (Vote 11-0; RC) HC 17 P. 15 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-02** Referred to Finance 05/02/2024 HJ 12 P. 32 `referral-committee`
- **2024-05-02** Ought to Pass: MA VV 05/02/2024 HJ 12 P. 32 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-05-02** Division III Work Session: 05/07/2024 10:00 am LOB 210-211
- **2024-05-02** Division III Work Session: 05/10/2024 10:00 am LOB 210-211
- **2024-05-08** Executive Session: 05/14/2024 01:00 pm LOB 210-211
- **2024-05-16** Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2024-1971h 05/15/2024 (Vote 25-0; RC) HC 20 P. 22 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-23** Amendment # 2024-1971h: AA VV 05/23/2024 HJ 14 P. 87
- **2024-05-23** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2024-1971h: MA VV 05/23/2024 HJ 14 P. 88 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-05-30** Sen. Carson Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 05/30/2024; SJ 16
- **2024-07-11** Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/13/2024); SJ 18 `enrolled`
- **2024-07-15** Enrolled (in recess of) 06/13/2024 HJ 16 P. 51
- **2024-07-30** Signed by the Governor on 07/26/2024; Chapter 0296 `executive-signature`
- **2024-07-30** I. Section 3 & 5 Effective 08/01/2026
- **2024-07-30** II. Remainder Effective 07/01/2025

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/401c7f3c-01ce-4ea2-8904-97aa39f342d7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Hampshire legislature records).