Walter Spilsbury
Serving as: NH House Sullivan County District 03
These objective, nonpartisan measures are used to show this legislator's activities at the Statehouse in 2025. The measures are not intended to present a ranking or rating of any kind. Average is that of all state elected officials in this chamber. Gov. Ayotte is still in the process of signing and vetoing 2025 bills, so the number of prime sponsored bills that became law may increase.
Session days attended
Party unity score/partisanship
Participated in official roll call votes
Bills sponsored (as prime sponsor)
Prime sponsored bills that became law
Voting Record
HB 1 (2025)
State budget bill. The governor presented her proposal for the next state budget February 13. Click here to read a summary of the budget process.
HB 10 (2025)
Establishes a Parental Bill of Rights. The bill requires schools to adopt a policy to promote parental involvement in the public school system. The bill also establishes a right to sue schools that violate the law.
The final version of this bill requires schools to respond to parental inquiries "regarding any and all matters related to their minor child," within ten days.
The final Senate version of this bill also does not require parents to give written consent to any medical procedure or treatment; that provision was removed after much debate.
HB 148 (2025)
Adds an exception to state anti-discrimination laws for bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, prisons, hospitals, and treatment centers to classify individuals based on biological sex.
HB 198 (2025)
Removes the legal penalties for possessing and using marijuana and cannabis-infused products for those over age twenty-one. This bill does not include any mechanism for legal sales or taxation.
HB 238 (2025)
Right-to-work bill that prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join or contribute to a labor union.
HB 282 (2025)
Increases the maximum compensation for first responders' critical injury benefits from $500,000 to $1,000,000.
HB 324 (2025)
Prohibits K-12 schools from making "any material that is harmful to minors" available to students. The bill defines this material to include various content related to sex. This bill also requires school boards to adopt complaint resolution policies to address complaints regarding harmful material by parents or guardians.
HB 357 (2025)
Removes the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to require vaccinations beyond those in state law. This bill specifically notes that the requirements for chickenpox, Hepatitis B, and Hib vaccinations will expire in 2026.
The House added the text of this bill to SB 60.
HB 377 (2025)
Makes it a felony to provide hormone treatments and puberty blockers to a minor unless a minor is "born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development."
The Senate amended the bill to allow doctors to continue hormone treatments and puberty blockers started prior to January 1, 2026.
The Senate amended the bill to also recognize Children's Environmental Health Day, similar to SB 184.
A conference committee of representatives and senators agreed to those Senate amendments.
HB 53 (2025)
Allows qualifying medical marijuana patients and caregivers to grow marijuana at home. There would be limits on the size of the growing operation.
The House added the text of this bill to SB 118.
HB 56 (2025)
Requires sales and transfers of firearms to take place through licensed dealers. Those dealers are required to perform background checks. This bill also establishes a 3-day waiting period for firearm transfers. The bill includes some exceptions, such as transfers between immediate family members.
HB 60 (2025)
After six months of renting, this bill adds the expiration of the term of the lease or tenancy as grounds for an eviction.
The Senate amended the bill so that it will only take effect if there is a 4% vacancy rate in the state. The amended bill also increases in the minimum lease term to twelve months before eviction.
A conference committee of representatives and senators agreed on a final version of the bill. Landlords could evict without cause after twelve months, and the law would take effect regardless of the vacancy rate.
HB 649 (2025)
Removes the requirement for physical safety inspections and on-board diagnostic tests for passenger vehicles and eliminates funding for the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Abatement Fund.
SB 14 (2025)
Sets a mandatory minimum sentence for supplying fentanyl. The minimum starts at three years and six months and goes up for higher quantities.
The House amended the bill to also increase penalties for dealing fentanyl to a person who overdoses and dies, similar to SB 15. The amendment also decreases the penalty for possessing 3/4 of an ounce or less of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) to a misdemeanor.
SB 228 (2025)
Modifies the scope and capacity limits of community solar projects. Generally speaking, this bill increases the size of projects that can participate in net energy metering. The bill also allows nonprofit educational institutions and public housing authorities to operate as “municipal hosts” for net metering.
The Senate added some of this bill to HB 710.
SB 284 (2025)
Limits zoning laws to require no more than one parking spaces per residential unit, with exceptions for certain workforce housing and multi-family developments.
The House amended the bill to remove those exceptions.
SB 287 (2025)
If an absentee voter asks for a ballot to be mailed to an address other than the address shown on the voter checklist, this bill adds additional verification requirements. In particular, the voter must show a copy of their photo ID to the clerk or include a notarized signature on their absentee ballot application. If an absentee voter does not complete either step, "his or her signature on the application for an absentee ballot shall be compared to his or her signature on the absentee ballot affidavit on election day in the same manner as other voters."
SB 295 (2025)
Removes the household income limit to participate in the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program.
The Senate amended the bill, adding a 10,000 enrollment cap for the EFA program. If there are 9,000 EFA applicants in a year, the enrollment cap would increase by 25%.
SB 62 (2025)
Prohibits state and local government from blocking law enforcement participation in a federal 287(g) program. That program allows local law enforcement to perform some immigration enforcement duties.
The House amended the bill to add the text of SB 71, which prohibits state and local governments from adopting "sanctuary policies," which prohibit or impede law enforcement cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
Completed our 2024 State Candidate Survey
Position on Issues
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?
"If the goal is to support the education of our students, it is appropriate to treat them as individuals, offer them choices, and allow the state's funds to follow the student."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"Current law, allowing an abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, strikes an appropriate balance between two equally legitimate state interests. I voted for current law and have zero interest in changing it, in either direction. Current law does "guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks gestation", so I would not welcome measures that would merely restate that the law allows what the law already allows."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"Current law, allowing an abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, strikes an appropriate balance between two equally legitimate state interests. I voted for current law and have zero interest in changing it, in either direction. Current law does "guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks gestation", so I would not welcome measures that would merely restate that the law allows what the law already allows."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"Totally opposed."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"I would only consider supporting a broad-based sales tax if there were explicit constitutionally adopted limits on the rate and purpose that was directly coupled to shifting the funding of local education and county government off of the real property tax as a direct substitution."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"There may be a bit more room for a rate reduction, but there are other measures that may make incremental sense such as enhanced capitalization or depreciation allowances."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?
"Totally opposed."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"Too open ended to respond. What?"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support giving voters who register without ID on Election Day a ballot that only counts if they return identifying documents to the state before a deadline?
"Yes, I have supported this approach, but there are other options to consider as well. The bottom line is that there must be a means of ensuring eligibility to vote before the vote is counted."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"Where there is a genuine need, local decision-makers and voters will almost certainly find solutions, but there is virtually nothing in this category of lawmaking in which one approach fits all municipalities across the state."
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support legislation to expand the net energy metering system capacity cap from 1 MW to 5 MW for all residential and commercial customers in New Hampshire?
"Undecided"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"Current law, allowing an abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, strikes an appropriate balance between two equally legitimate state interests. I voted for current law and have zero interest in changing it, in either direction. Current law does "guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks gestation", so I would not welcome measures that would merely restate that the law allows what the law already allows."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state increase funding for child care providers?
"Childcare should remain private enterprise."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"No, it's a horrible system that places too much burden on a single revenue source and wrecks property poor communities."
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
When asked this question in 2024, Rep. Spilsbury wrote, "Legalizing cannabis will involve trade-offs and challenges, without doubt, but those should be addressed discretely on their own merits rather than to be cited as an objection to legalization. The benefits will outweigh the deficits, particularly with the goals of driving out the black market and adulterated product. It is easier to monitor and control practices that are leglized and regulated." In 2025 Spilsbury voted to remove legal penalties for possessing and using marijuana (HB 198).
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"Legalizing cannabis will involve trade-offs and challenges, without doubt, but those should be addressed discretely on their own merits rather than to be cited as an objection to legalization. The benefits will outweigh the deficits, particularly with the goals of driving out the black market and adulterated product. It is easier to monitor and control practices that are leglized and regulated."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"Legalizing cannabis will involve trade-offs and challenges, without doubt, but those should be addressed discretely on their own merits rather than to be cited as an objection to legalization. The benefits will outweigh the deficits, particularly with the goals of driving out the black market and adulterated product. It is easier to monitor and control practices that are leglized and regulated."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"Minimum wages are a classic case of a dog chasing its tail. Let the market set wages and find equilibrium itself."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add legal protections for residents of other states who travel here for health care related to abortion or gender transition?
"NH law states what is allowed in NH. It has nothing to do with state of residency. There is no reason to create such a separate legal protection. I see no evidence that NH is trying to limit interstate travel."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"Current law, allowing an abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, strikes an appropriate balance between two equally legitimate state interests. I voted for current law and have zero interest in changing it, in either direction. Current law does "guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks gestation", so I would not welcome measures that would merely restate that the law allows what the law already allows."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
"The active word being 'cooperate', of course."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"Against"
