---
type: "Bill"
title: "creating a committee to study fish and game department funding and partnerships."
description: "creating a committee to study fish and game department funding and partnerships."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nh"
legislature: "New Hampshire General Court"
session: "2024"
identifier: "SB 542"
citation: "New Hampshire SB 542 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["David H. Watters"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 15
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-12-14"
last_action: "2024-07-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/080e03c9-2091-4655-bb5f-11272df85628"
source_url: "https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=2864&sy=2024&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2024"
source_hash: "5509a6b112faea2a0624df4b0b06549a517227d9cb7f17d6be30139cba9ed8c8"
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 542 (2024) — creating a committee to study fish and game department funding and partnerships.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment #2024-1782h** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2024&id=2024-1782h&txtFormat=amend)
2. **latest version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2024&id=1955&txtFormat=html)

## Sponsors

- David H. Watters — primary (person)
- Debra Altschiller — cosponsor (person)
- Kevin A. Avard — cosponsor (person)
- Will Darby — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-12-14** To Be Introduced 01/03/2024 and Referred to Energy and Natural Resources; SJ 1 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2024-02-07** Hearing: 02/13/2024, Room 103, SH, 10:00 am; SC 7
- **2024-03-27** Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2024-1343s, 04/05/2024; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 13 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-05** Committee Amendment # 2024-1343s, AA, VV; 04/05/2024; SJ 8
- **2024-04-05** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2024-1343s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/05/2024; SJ 8 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-04-10** Introduced (in recess of) 03/28/2024 and referred to Fish and Game and Marine Resources HJ 10 P. 228 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2024-04-17** Public Hearing: 05/07/2024 11:10 am LOB 307
- **2024-04-17** Executive Session: 05/07/2024 11:45 am LOB 307
- **2024-05-10** Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2024-1782h 05/07/2024 (Vote 16-0; CC) HC 20 P. 11 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-23** Amendment # 2024-1782h: AA VV 05/23/2024 HJ 14 P. 37
- **2024-05-23** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2024-1782h: MA VV 05/23/2024 HJ 14 P. 37 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-05-30** Sen. Avard 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 0302; Effective 07/26/2024 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/080e03c9-2091-4655-bb5f-11272df85628`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Hampshire legislature records).