# New Hampshire SB26: (Second New Title) allowing the department of justice to authorize the preclosing use of a portion of a deposit held in escrow for the payment of certain construction customizations, upgrades, or change orders.

New Hampshire SB26, (Second New Title) allowing the department of justice to authorize the preclosing use of a portion of a deposit held in escrow for the payment of certain construction customizations, upgrades, or change orders., is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Howard Pearl (r); status signed, last action 2025-08-04 (Signed by the Governor on 08/01/2025; Chapter 291; Effective 08/01/2025); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-SB26-2025-2026
- 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 SB26
- State: New Hampshire
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: (Second New Title) allowing the department of justice to authorize the preclosing use of a portion of a deposit held in escrow for the payment of certain construction customizations, upgrades, or change orders.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-07
- Last action: 2025-08-04, Signed by the Governor on 08/01/2025; Chapter 291; Effective 08/01/2025
- Sponsor: Howard Pearl (r)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Touches household money: yes
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Buyer deposits can fund upgrades before closing: benefit, low. Beginning 60 days after passage, New Hampshire allows approved use of part of a purchase deposit before closing. This applies to covered land and condominium sales and deposit money designated in the purchase agreement. The money can pay for customizations, upgrades, change orders, similar items, o…
- Fewer buyer payments get deposit protections: cost, low. Beginning 60 days after passage, only earnest money under a purchase agreement counts as a deposit in covered New Hampshire land and condominium sales. Extra payments owed to sellers or their agents for buyer upgrades, selections, or change orders do not count. Land deposits must stay in escrow unt…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Howard Pearl (r), Senate
- Cosponsor: Alvin B See (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Carol M McGuire (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Daniel E. Innis (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Keith R. Murphy (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kevin G. Verville (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Timothy Lang (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Michael I Moffett (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Tara Reardon (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Scott R Bryer (Republican), House

## Actions (19)

- 2025-08-04: Signed by the Governor on 08/01/2025; Chapter 291; Effective 08/01/2025 (Senate)
- 2025-07-16: Enrolled (in recess of) 06/26/2025 HJ 18 P. 64 (House)
- 2025-07-16: Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/26/2025); SJ 18 (Senate)
- 2025-07-08: Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2025-2905e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 06/26/2025); SJ 18 (Senate)
- 2025-07-07: Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2025-2905e: AA VV (in recess of) 06/26/2025 HJ 18 P. 60 (House)
- 2025-06-12: Sen. Innis Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 06/12/2025; SJ 16 (Senate)
- 2025-06-05: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-1976h: MA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16 P. 2 (House)
- 2025-06-05: Amendment # 2025-1976h (NT): AA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16 P. 2 (House)
- 2025-05-28: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-1976h (NT) 05/27/2025 (Vote 16-0; CC) HC 27 P. 6 (House)
- 2025-05-21: Executive Session: 05/27/2025 01:15 pm LOB 302-304 (House)
- 2025-05-07: Subcommittee Work Session: 05/14/2025 10:30 am LOB 302-304 (House)
- 2025-04-30: Subcommittee Work Session: 05/06/2025 10:00 am LOB 302-304 (House)
- 2025-04-16: Public Hearing: 04/22/2025 01:30 pm LOB 302-304 (House)
- 2025-03-28: Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Commerce and Consumer Affairs HJ 11 P. 109 (House)
- 2025-03-20: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-0906s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/20/2025; SJ 8 (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Committee Amendment # 2025-0906s, AA, VV; 03/20/2025; SJ 8 (Senate)
- 2025-03-12: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0906s, 03/20/2025; Vote 6-0; CC; SC 13 (Senate)
- 2025-01-09: Hearing: 01/14/2025, Room 100, SH, 10:15 am; SC 5 (Senate)
- 2025-01-07: Introduced 01/08/2025 and Referred to Commerce; SJ 2 (Senate)

## Bill text

- As Amended, 2025-07-08: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=11327)
- Enrolled, 2025-07-07: [HTML](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/billinfo.aspx?id=1081&inflession=2025)
- Introduced, 2025-01-07: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=5382)
- CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=17025)
- Version adopted by both bodies: [PDF](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=16163)

## 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)
- HB1834: relative to the education freedom account enrollment cap. (failed)
- HB1002: repealing the solar energy systems tax exemption. (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
- [As Amended (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=11327)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/billinfo.aspx?id=1081&inflession=2025)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=5382)
- [CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=17025)
- [Version adopted by both bodies (PDF)](https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/pdf.aspx?q=billVersion&id=16163)

## Related
- [HB2026: (New Title) relative to the state 10-year transportation improvement plan; rela…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB2026-2025-2026)
- [HB1834: relative to the education freedom account enrollment cap.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB1834-2025-2026)
- [HB1002: repealing the solar energy systems tax exemption.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NH-HB1002-2025-2026)
- [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-SB26-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-17).