GeoLawWatch Open Legislation 11
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NHBillHB1128Laid on Table

Restricting the use of weather modification technologies to declared emergencies.

  1. Introduced
  2. Passed one chamber
  3. Passed both chambers
  4. Passed

New Hampshire would restrict cloud seeding to verified extreme drought conditions lasting at least 90 days, replacing the state's existing open-ended weather modification authorisation with a drought-contingent regulatory framework that requires environmental review and public disclosure.

Our 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.

Legislative history

  1. Pending Motion Committee Amendment # 2026-1839s; 05/14/2026; Senate Journal 12
  2. Sen. Pearl Moved Laid on Table, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 05/14/2026; Senate Journal 12
  3. Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1839s, 05/14/2026, Vote 4-1; Senate Calendar 18
  4. Hearing: 04/21/2026, Room 103, State House, 09:30 am; Senate Calendar 15
  5. Introduced 02/05/2026 and Referred to Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Journal 4
  6. Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0266h: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/05/2026 House Journal 3 P. 19
  7. Amendment # 2026-0266h: Amendment Adopted Voice Vote 02/05/2026 House Journal 3 P. 19
  8. Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0266h 01/27/2026 (Vote 15-1; Consent Calendar) House Calendar 5 P. 16
  9. Executive Session: 01/14/2026 03:00 pm GP 229
  10. Meeting: Science, Technology and Energy Committee Executive Session. Read our write-up
  11. Meeting: Science, Technology and Energy Committee. Read our write-up
  12. Public Hearing: 01/14/2026 03:00 pm GP 229
  13. Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Science, Technology and Energy House Journal 1 P. 7

Additional documents

Bill text 
AN ACT restricting the use of weather modification technologies to declared emergencies.

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).