New Hampshire : 2026 Regular Session : BILL HB1128
Restricting the use of weather modification technologies to declared emergencies.
Sponsor: Rep Kelley Potenza & Rep Judy Aron & Rep JD Bernardy & Rep Jose Cambrils & Rep Tom Ploszaj & Rep Matt Sabourin & Rep Bryan Morse & Rep Susan Deroy & Rep John Schneller & Rep Marie Bjelobrk
Bill Details
Restricting the use of weather modification technologies to declared emergencies.
GeoLawWatch Bill Summary
This bill repeals and reenacts RSA 12-F:1 to restrict cloud seeding activities in New Hampshire to specific drought conditions:
Prohibition framework: Cloud seeding may only occur when New Hampshire has been classified as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought by the United States Drought Monitor for at least 90 consecutive days.
Environmental review requirement: Any entity seeking to conduct cloud seeding must submit an environmental review to the Department of Environmental Services assessing potential risks and benefits. The department has the authority to reject proposed activities if the review demonstrates that they would cause harm to the environment, public health, or wildlife.
Public notice requirements: At least one month before any cloud seeding activities, the department must place public notices in at least four newspapers statewide and on the departmental website disclosing the date and type of activities, chemical compounds and technologies to be used, effects on human health, affected wildlife and habitats, and funding sources.
Annual reporting: The Department of Environmental Services must submit an annual report by April 1 to the governor, speaker of the house, and senate president detailing any cloud seeding activities from the prior calendar year. No report is required if no activities occurred.
Effective date: 60 days after passage.
No criminal penalties or enforcement mechanisms are specified in the bill.
History
HB1128 was pre-filed on December 1, 2025 and formally introduced on January 7, 2026 — one day before New Hampshire's tight January 8 introduction deadline — and referred to the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee. The committee held a public hearing on January 14 and convened an executive session on January 27, where it voted 15-1 to recommend Ought to Pass with Amendment (2026-0266h). The near-unanimous committee vote placed the bill on the Consent Calendar, a designation reserved for bills with strong committee support that are expected to pass without significant floor debate. In New Hampshire, bills on the Consent Calendar are voted on as a block unless a member specifically requests that a bill be removed for individual consideration.
The full House took up the bill on February 5, adopting the committee amendment and passing it as amended by voice vote. The bill was transmitted to the Senate on February 5 (formally journaled on February 9) and referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. New Hampshire's 2026 session does not have a listed crossover deadline and runs through June 30, 2026, giving the Senate ample time for committee hearings. The bill's rapid and largely uncontested progress through the House — from introduction to passage in under a month with only a single dissenting committee vote — suggests broad bipartisan support, though the Senate committee process will be the next key milestone to watch.
- Mon 01 Dec 2025 Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Science, Technology and Energy House Journal 1 P. 7
- Thu 08 Jan 2026 Public Hearing: 01/14/2026 03:00 pm GP 229
- Wed 14 Jan 2026 MEETING Science, Technology and Energy Committee
- Tue 27 Jan 2026 MEETING Science, Technology and Energy Committee Executive Session
- Thu 29 Jan 2026 Executive Session: 01/14/2026 03:00 pm GP 229
- Thu 29 Jan 2026 Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0266h 01/27/2026 (Vote 15-1; Consent Calendar) House Calendar 5 P. 16
- Thu 05 Feb 2026 Amendment # 2026-0266h: Amendment Adopted Voice Vote 02/05/2026 House Journal 3 P. 19
- Thu 05 Feb 2026 Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0266h: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/05/2026 House Journal 3 P. 19
- Mon 09 Feb 2026 Introduced 02/05/2026 and Referred to Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Journal 4
- Thu 16 Apr 2026 Hearing: 04/21/2026, Room 103, State House, 09:30 am; Senate Calendar 15
- Tue 05 May 2026 Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1839s, 05/14/2026, Vote 4-1; Senate Calendar 18
- Thu 14 May 2026 Sen. Pearl Moved Laid on Table, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 05/14/2026; Senate Journal 12
- Thu 14 May 2026 Pending Motion Committee Amendment # 2026-1839s; 05/14/2026; Senate Journal 12
Consolidated Bill Text
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Weather Modification; Emergency Cloud Seeding. RSA 12-F:1 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
I. Cloud seeding may only occur in New Hampshire if the state is determined to be in extreme or exceptional drought as categorized by the United States Drought Monitor for at least 90 days.
II. Prior to engaging in cloud seeding, the entity seeking to conduct the activity shall conduct an environmental review, assessing potential risks and benefits, and ensuring that the activities will not result in harm to the environment, public health, or wildlife. The review shall be submitted to the department of environmental services. The department may reject the activity if the environmental review demonstrates, or the department determines, the activity will result in harm to the environment, public health, or wildlife.
III. At least one month prior to any cloud seeding activities the department of environmental services shall do the following:
(a) Place a public notice in at least 4 newspapers within the state and on the departmental internet website informing the public of the date and type of the proposed cloud seeding activities within the state.
(b) Disclose to the public the chemical compounds and technologies to be used in the proposed activities in the state, including the effects of the program on human health, what wildlife and wildlife habitats may be affected, and the source of funding to perform such activities.
IV. On April 1 of each calendar year, the department of environmental services shall submit a report to the governor, speaker of the house, and senate president detailing any cloud seeding activities that occurred the prior calendar year. If no activities under this chapter occurred in the prior calendar year, a report is not required to be submitted.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
AMENDMENT NOTE: Amendment 2026-0266h replaced Section 1 in its entirety. Key changes from the introduced version: (1) removed requirement for governor-declared state of emergency; (2) replaced subjective "catastrophic drought" standard with objective US Drought Monitor classification requiring 90 days of extreme or exceptional drought; (3) shifted environmental review responsibility from "the state" to "the entity seeking to conduct the activity"; (4) removed specific 14-day timeline for environmental review; (5) removed DES oversight language regarding compliance and effectiveness assessment; (6) added new annual reporting requirement to governor and legislative leadership (Section IV).