What does “HB” mean?

In New Hampshire, legislation is identified with numbers and letters.

For example, SB 3 was a 2017 bill that add voter registration restrictions. HB 1319 prohibited discrimination based on gender identity in 2018.

Legislation is numbered sequentially in each two year session, generally from 1 to 2000.

Here’s a guide to what the letters stand for.

Bills

HB – House Bill

A House Bill is a proposed law that starts in the House of Representatives. Bills can spend money, change taxes, create new crimes, add fines for certain regulations, and so on. Most of the legislation in New Hampshire are House Bills.

A House Bill must pass the House and Senate and get a signature from the governor to become law.

SB – Senate Bill

A Senate Bill is just like a House Bill – except it is first proposed and voted on in the Senate.

Resolutions

HR – House Resolution

A House Resolution is basically an opinion of the House of Representatives. It does not have the force of law like a bill. A House Resolution must only pass the House to go into effect.

For example, in 2017 the New Hampshire House considered HR 8, which urged the U.S. Congress to investigate the lawsuits against Trump University. That House Resolution did not pass.

SR – Senate Resolution

A Senate Resolution is just like a House Resolution – except it is only proposed and voted on in the Senate.

HCR – House Concurrent Resolution

A House Concurrent Resolution is another statement of opinion, without the force of law like a bill. While a regular House Resolution only has to pass the House of Representatives, a House Concurrent Resolution must pass both the House and Senate and states an opinion of the entire Legislature.

For example, in 2018 the New Hampshire House and Senate passed HCR 13, “condemning hate crimes and any other form of racism in New Hampshire.” 

SCR – Senate Concurrent Resolution

A Senate Concurrent Resolution is just like a House Concurrent Resolution, but it is first introduced in the Senate, instead of the House. It must still pass both the House and Senate.

HJR – House Joint Resolution

A House Joint Resolution is halfway between a House Concurrent Resolution and a House Bill. A House Joint Resolution is typically used for emergency or temporary spending. A House Joint Resolution can also be used to set up temporary committees. However, a House Joint Resolution cannot change New Hampshire laws.

A House Joint Resolution must pass both the House and Senate and get a signature from the governor to go into effect.

For example, in 2015 the Legislature passed HJR 2 as a temporary spending bill to keep state government running after Governor Hassan vetoed that year’s budget bill.

SJR – Senate Joint Resolution

A Senate Joint Resolution is just like a House Joint Resolution, but it is first introduced in the Senate, instead of the House. It must still pass the House and Senate and get a signature from the governor.

CACR – Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution

A Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution is a proposed amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution. If both the House and Senate approve a proposed amendment by 3/5, the amendment appears on the ballot at the next general election. If 2/3 of voters support the proposed amendment, it is added to the state constitution.

A Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution may start in the House or the Senate, depending on which legislator is sponsoring.

For example, in 2018 the legislature passed CACR 16, establishing a constitutional right to privacy. Voters approved that constitutional amendment on the November 2018 general election ballot.

Bonus round: letters after the number

Sometimes additional letters appear after the number of a bill. Most of the time these extra letters are left off in newspaper articles and other bill references, but you may see them if you search for a bill on state websites.

FN – Fiscal Note

A Fiscal Note estimates the financial impact of a bill that changes taxes or spending.

L – Local

The Local designation indicates that a bill could impact local spending or how much revenue the state shares with municipalities.

A – Appropriations

An appropriation is basically an order to spend money.

Are you interested in legislation related to a particular issue? Visit our Issue Library to browse by topic.