---
type: "Bill"
title: "relative to background check disqualifications for applicants seeking educator credentials."
description: "relative to background check disqualifications for applicants seeking educator credentials."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nh"
legislature: "New Hampshire General Court"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 1373"
citation: "New Hampshire HB 1373 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Melissa A. Litchfield"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 12
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2025-12-02"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/24536c9e-e0f0-43e1-ad8f-221efd30e06f"
source_url: "https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=2242&inflect=2"
source_hash: "f4c5b998c2125c3b2f376e77961687c854417ed0efcedce0279338ab12fe840e"
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 1373 (2026) — relative to background check disqualifications for applicants seeking educator credentials.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/pdf.aspx?id=23171&q=billVersion)
2. **CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION** (committee substitute) — [source](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/pdf.aspx?id=30447&q=billVersion)
3. **Version adopted by both bodies** (committee substitute) — [source](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/pdf.aspx?id=28513&q=billVersion)

## Sponsors

- Melissa A. Litchfield — primary (person)
- Bill M. Gannon — cosponsor (person)
- Brian G Nadeau — cosponsor (person)
- James R Thibault — cosponsor (person)
- Kristin Noble — cosponsor (person)
- Margaret M Drye — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-12-02** Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 1 P. 17 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2026-01-08** Public Hearing: 01/14/2026 10:30 am GP 232
- **2026-01-14** Executive Session: 01/22/2026 10:00 am GP 232
- **2026-01-27** Committee Report: Ought to Pass 01/22/2026 (Vote 18-0; CC) HC 5 P. 5 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-05** Ought to Pass: MA VV 02/05/2026 HJ 3 P. 8 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2026-02-09** Introduced 02/05/2026 and Referred to Education; SJ 4 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2026-02-19** Hearing: 03/03/2026, Room Map Room, SL, 10:15 am; SC 8
- **2026-03-05** Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/12/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 9 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-06** Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/12/2026; SJ 6 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2026-03-26** Enrolled 03/26/2026 HJ 9 P. 2
- **2026-03-26** Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 03/26/2026); SJ 8 `enrolled`
- **2026-04-06** Signed by Governor Ayotte 04/03/2026; Chapter 23; eff: 04/03/2026 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/24536c9e-e0f0-43e1-ad8f-221efd30e06f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Hampshire legislature records).