House Republican leaders announced they will push HB 1793 to allow firearms and non-lethal weapons on New Hampshire taxpayer-supported college campuses, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. They argued that gun-free policies leave students as defenseless targets, and unveiled the bill in the wake of the Brown University murders. The measure would extend to the state public colleges and universities.
Rep. Samuel Farrington made the case at a news conference, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
Farrington said at a news conference outside the office of House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Farrington argued the campuses mislabel what their policies actually achieve, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
“They claim to be gun-free zones. We know they are not violence-free zones; they are defenseless zones.”
the New Hampshire Union Leader
With Republicans in control of the chamber, the bill is seen as having a favorable path, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
the GOP-led House is likely to adopt the measure
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Sponsors pointed to the policies in place on campus, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
“What we do know right now is Brown University has a gun-free policy.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Farrington pointed to the policy at the center of the debate, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
Brown left the students there as defenseless victims inside that school,” Farrington said at a news conference outside the office of House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Sponsors unveiled the bill after the shooting deaths of two Brown University students, arguing that gun-free policies leave students without a means to defend themselves. The measure would apply to New Hampshire public colleges and universities, and a House panel is expected to take it up early in the 2026 session, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
The bill would let students and others carry firearms or non-lethal weapons on campuses that receive taxpayer support, which sponsors said currently leave students without recourse. With Republicans holding the majority, supporters expressed confidence the measure would advance, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
Sponsors said the legislation is about restoring Second Amendment rights to students on public campuses, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports. Leaders said they expected the GOP-led House to take up the measure favorably as the session unfolds.
Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader.
