# New Hampshire SB188: (New Title) relative to the state building code. New Hampshire SB188, (New Title) relative to the state building code., is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Keith R. Murphy (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-07-22 (Signed by the Governor on 07/15/2025; Chapter 0246; Effective 07/15/2025); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-SB188-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: New Hampshire SB188 - State: New Hampshire - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: (New Title) relative to the state building code. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-23 - Last action: 2025-07-22, Signed by the Governor on 07/15/2025; Chapter 0246; Effective 07/15/2025 - Sponsor: Keith R. Murphy (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Owners get fees reduced for savings: benefit, low. Owners or authorized contractors pay independent providers directly for plan reviews and inspections. The local authority must reduce its service fee by the costs it saves when private providers do that work. There is no fixed discount: the reduction depends on actual savings, not the provider's pr… - Owners get firm building approval deadlines: benefit, low. Authorities have 8 business days to approve building documents or permit applications, or give written deficiencies citing code chapters. After revisions, they have the remaining paused business days plus 1 business day to approve or give another specific notice. These deadlines exclude zoning and… - Owners and providers can challenge decisions: mixed, low. Covered decisions about inspections, occupancy, completion, building documents, permits, and provider suspensions can go to the state Building Code Review Board. The board must handle disputes promptly and may charge a fee. Providers, owners, and their contractors can also ask a court to correct sp… - Owners gain private building review options: mixed, low. Effective 60 days after passage, this New Hampshire law lets owners hire independent building-plan reviewers and inspectors. Contractors need the owner's written approval; neither can own the provider, and providers cannot give them legal counsel. Providers must work within their licenses and certi… - Private reviews bring insurance and liability: mixed, low. Independent providers must carry professional-liability insurance before work starts unless the regulatory authority waives it. Projects costing $5 million or less require $2 million per occurrence and $4 million in total coverage. Projects over $5 million require $4 million per occurrence and $8 m… - Private inspectors face audits with limits: mixed, low. Local enforcement agencies must randomly audit some private inspections without advance notice; the law sets no required percentage. Authorities must create a formal audit evaluation and can require owners or contractors to disclose inspection times without revealing audits. Audits cannot delay wor… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Keith R. Murphy (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Daniel E. Innis (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jason M. Osborne (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Joe H. Alexander (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Tim McGough (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Howard Pearl (r), Senate ## Actions (21) - 2025-07-22: Signed by the Governor on 07/15/2025; Chapter 0246; Effective 07/15/2025 (Senate) - 2025-07-08: Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/26/2025); SJ 18 (Senate) - 2025-07-08: Enrolled (in recess of) 06/26/2025 HJ 18 P. 60 (House) - 2025-06-12: Sen. Pearl Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 06/12/2025; SJ 16 (Senate) - 2025-05-22: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-1951h: MA DV 276-82 05/22/2025 HJ 15 P. 46 (House) - 2025-05-22: Amendment # 2025-1951h (NT): AA VV 05/22/2025 HJ 15 P. 46 (House) - 2025-05-22: Removed from Consent (Reps. DeLemus, Colcombe, DeRoy, Gorski, Hill, Turcotte, Wallner, Kaczynski, Flanagan, D. Mannion) 05/22/2025 HJ 15 P. 4 (House) - 2025-05-12: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-1951h (NT) 05/06/2025 (Vote 17-0; CC) (House) - 2025-04-23: Executive Session: 05/06/2025 10:00 am LOB 305 (House) - 2025-04-16: Subcommittee Work Session: 04/22/2025 10:00 am LOB 305 (House) - 2025-04-01: Public Hearing: 04/08/2025 11:00 am LOB 305 (House) - 2025-03-28: Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Housing HJ 11 P. 112 (House) - 2025-03-06: Ought to Pass with Amendments #2025-0294s and #2025-0563s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/06/2025; SJ 6 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Sen. Perkins Kwoka Floor Amendment # 2025-0563s, AA, VV; 03/06/2025; SJ 6 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Committee Amendment # 2025-0294s, AA, VV; 03/06/2025; SJ 6 (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0294s, 03/06/2025, Vote 5-0; SC 11 (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Special Order to Next Session, Without Objection; 02/13/2025; SJ 5 (Senate) - 2025-02-13: SB 188-FN was Removed from the Consent Calendar; 02/13/2025; SJ 5 (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-0294s, 02/13/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 9 (Senate) - 2025-01-29: Hearing: 02/05/2025, Room 103, SH, 10:30 am; SC 8 (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Executive Departments and Administration; SJ 3 (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-07-08: [HTML](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/billinfo.aspx?id=1008&inflession=2025) - Introduced, 2025-01-23: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=7956) - CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=16976) - Version adopted by both bodies: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=16151) ## Related bills - HB2026: (New Title) relative to the state 10-year transportation improvement plan; relative to toll rate adjustments and periodic toll reviews for the New Hampshire tu… (became law) - HB1002: repealing the solar energy systems tax exemption. (failed) - HB1834: relative to the education freedom account enrollment cap. (failed) - SB101: (Second New Title) authorizing parents to enroll their children in any public school in the state. (failed) - CACR22: relating to the compensation of the legislature. Providing that the present compensation per elected term for legislators is hereby abolished. (failed) - HB1786: relative to creating a state assessment on non-homestead luxury second homes to fund statewide housing development programs and address housing shortages and m… (failed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/billinfo.aspx?id=1008&inflession=2025) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=7956) - [CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=16976) - [Version adopted by both bodies (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=16151) ## Related - [HB2026: (New Title) relative to the state 10-year transportation improvement plan; rela…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB2026-2025-2026) - [HB1002: repealing the solar energy systems tax exemption.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB1002-2025-2026) - [HB1834: relative to the education freedom account enrollment cap.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB1834-2025-2026) - [SB101: (Second New Title) authorizing parents to enroll their children in any public s…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-SB101-2025-2026) - [CACR22: relating to the compensation of the legislature. Providing that the present com…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-CACR22-2025-2026) - [HB1786: relative to creating a state assessment on non-homestead luxury second homes to…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB1786-2025-2026) - [New Hampshire bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-hampshire/bills) - [New Hampshire state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/new-hampshire) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-SB188-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-17).