Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

New Hampshire: “Universal” Background Check Bill Scheduled for Possible House Committee Vote on Tuesday

Friday, January 24, 2014

Contact members of this House committee today and urge them to OPPOSE House Bill 1589

On Tuesday, January 28 at 1:15 p.m., the state House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold an executive session on House Bill 1589, a misguided anti-gun bill which would mandate “universal” background checks.  This session will take place in Room 302 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord.

As previously reported, if passed and enacted into law, HB 1589 would criminalize the private sale, transfer or loan of any firearm to anyone outside of the immediate family without a background check from a licensed firearms dealer.  This extreme legislation would criminalize commonplace activities such as loaning a rifle to a friend on a hunting trip, allowing a friend to try out your gun at a shooting range or selling your gun to a friend or neighbor - subjecting the transferor to the penalties of a Class B felony.

“Universal” background checks do nothing to reduce violent crime, and will only affect law-abiding gun owners by creating cumbersome mandates and restrictions on the lawful purchase and possession of firearms.  Criminals, by definition, violate laws, especially gun control laws.  They don’t register their firearms, purchase firearms through licensed dealers or subject themselves to any gun control schemes that only penalize law-abiding citizens.  Furthermore, it is already illegal to knowingly sell or transfer a firearm to someone classified as a prohibited person, and is a felony for a prohibited person to buy, own or possess a firearm.

HB 1589 seeks to make drastic and unnecessary changes to current state firearm laws that will impose unduly restrictions on law-abiding citizens rather than addressing the true problems associated with illegal straw purchases – lack of enforcement of current law.  In addition, a January 2013 internal U.S. Department of Justice memorandum summarizing so-called “gun violence” prevention strategies states that the effectiveness of “universal background checks” depends on “requiring gun registration.

Using the contact information provided below, it is vital that you call and/or e-mail members of the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee TODAY and urge them to OPPOSE this HB 1589 when it comes up for a vote.

Representative Edward Butler (D-7), Chairman
Harts Location
(603) 271-3369
[email protected]

 
Representative Donna Schlachman (D-18), Vice Chairman
Exeter
(603) 772-4934
[email protected]

 
Representative Chris Muns (D-21), Clerk
Hampton
(603) 929-3629
[email protected]

 
Representative Angeline Kopka (D-28)
Nashua
(603) 577-5561
 
Representative Catherine Mulholland (D-17)
Grafton
(603) 523-4497
[email protected]

 
Representative Joe Scarlotto (D-31)
Portsmouth
(603) 501-1800
[email protected]

 
Representative Donald Flanders (R-3)
Laconia
(603) 524-5369
[email protected]

 
Representative Pamela Tucker (R-23)
Greenland
(603) 431-8982
[email protected]

 
Representative Ralph Doolan (R-1)
Littleton
(603) 259-3187
 
Representative Kenneth Gidge (D-33)
Nashua
(603) 888-2355
[email protected]

 
Representative Ruth Heden (D-23)
Milford
(603) 673-7036
[email protected]

 
Representative Kermit Williams (D-4)
Wilton
(603) 654-7684
[email protected]

 
Representative Ronald Belanger (R-8)
Salem
(603) 893-0659
[email protected]

 
Representative Laura Jones (R-24)
Rochester
(603) 948-2264
[email protected]

 
Representative Emily Sandblade (R-18)
Manchester
(603) 845-3228
[email protected]

 
Representative Jill Hammond (D-24)
Peterborough
(603) 547-0715
[email protected]

 
Representative Richard McNamara (D-38)
Hillsborough
(603) 464-0212
[email protected]

 
Representative John Hunt (R-11)
Rindge
(603) 899-6000
[email protected]

 
Representative Frederick Rice (R-21)
Hampton
(603) 929-1517
[email protected]

 
Representative Keith Murphy (R-7)
Bedford
(603) 488-5792
[email protected]

TRENDING NOW
Promise to Practice: Federal Firearm Rights Restoration is Now a Reality

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Promise to Practice: Federal Firearm Rights Restoration is Now a Reality

The federal government’s promise to provide a pathway to restore firearm rights is no longer merely a commitment on paper. 

“Derivative Disarmament” – A “No Fault” Loss of Gun Rights

News  

Monday, September 14, 2026

“Derivative Disarmament” – A “No Fault” Loss of Gun Rights

One of the aftereffects of the United States Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen was the ire expressed by antigun lawmakers, executives and judges, which manifested as an outright unwillingness to respect the ...

Redditors Embarrass Virginia Assembly’s Chief Gun Banner

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Redditors Embarrass Virginia Assembly’s Chief Gun Banner

In late August, Virginia State Delegate Dan Helmer (D-10), who represents a portion of the Northern Virginia D.C. suburb of Fairfax County, took to Reddit for an “ask me anything” (AMA) question and answer session.

Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case

In another major victory for the National Rifle Association and law-abiding gun owners, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas today held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for ...

Remembering NRA Benefactor John Mascari II from Indianapolis, Indiana

Take Action  

Monday, September 14, 2026

Remembering NRA Benefactor John Mascari II from Indianapolis, Indiana

John was a dedicated NRA volunteer, recruiter, and FrontLines Activist Leader (FAL) whose commitment to protecting the Second Amendment touched many people throughout central Indiana.

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to Minnesota’s Refusal to Recognize Out-of-State Carry Permits

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to Minnesota’s Refusal to Recognize Out-of-State Carry Permits

The National Rifle Association joined the Second Amendment Foundation, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Second Amendment Law Center, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in filing ...

Questions and Answers About the Texas NFA Case

News  

Monday, August 17, 2026

Questions and Answers About the Texas NFA Case

On August 12, we reported on an important development in the ongoing litigation over the National Firearms Act (NFA) filed by multiple plaintiffs in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. These included, ...

Virginia Case Shows Gun Control is Aimed at Decent Citizens, Not Criminals

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Virginia Case Shows Gun Control is Aimed at Decent Citizens, Not Criminals

Economics has a concept called “revealed preference.” The gist is that a person’s observed actions reveal more about their preferences than what a person might profess to favor. 

What Does the Texas NFA Decision Mean for You?

News  

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

What Does the Texas NFA Decision Mean for You?

On August 5, 2026, Judge Wesley Hendrix of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns ...

Unhealthy Exposure: Gun Ban Advocates Allergic to Defensive Gun Use

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Unhealthy Exposure: Gun Ban Advocates Allergic to Defensive Gun Use

One of the narratives invented by gun control activists and their political allies to try to make their agenda more palatable to the general public has been to recast gun crime as a “public health ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.