Legislative Service Request (LSR):

Key points:

Who files it: Any state representative or senator.
What it includes: Sponsor(s), a short working title/summary, and drafting instructions or the policy problem to solve.
Numbering: Gets a tracking ID like 2026-2904 (year + sequence number).
What it is not: It’s not yet a bill; once OLS finishes drafting and the sponsor files it, the LSR becomes an HB or SB with a bill number.
Deadlines & status: LSRs must be filed by session deadlines; they can be withdrawn, combined, or amended during drafting. Titles are published and used for scheduling and stakeholder tracking before the final bill text appears.

How to look up LSRs:

Go to the General Court website: gc.nh.gov
Scroll down to General Court Updates and select: Public Listing of Legislative Service Requests (LSRs) for 2026
Here you can view all the LSRs–there are over 1000 for 2025–or click on New Query and filter by legislative body (House/Senate), search for specific key words, search directly by LSR number, or find LSRs submitted by specific legislators.
If an LSR concerns a topic of interest to you, contact the prime sponsor (House Members/Senators) listed with the LSR or contact one of your legislators for more information.

Retained & Re-referred Bills

What it means: A House standing committee votes to keep a bill in committee instead of sending it to the floor in the first year of the biennium.
Why: Gives the committee more time to study, take additional testimony, and work amendments over the summer/fall.
When it comes back: The committee must act on the bill in the second year (even-numbered year) with a recommendation (e.g., OTP/OTP-A, ITL, or Refer for Interim Study), and then it goes to the House floor.
To look up the status of a retained bill:
- Go to the General Court website
- Look for Advanced Bill Search
- Under House Status select “Retained in Committee” select “Rereferred.”
- Filter by using the other options in advanced bill search form.

What it means: The Senate votes to send a bill back to its Senate committee for further work rather than passing or killing it in the first year.
Why: Same idea as House “retain”: more time for drafting, negotiation, or fact-finding.
When it comes back: The Senate committee must report the bill out in the second year, after which the full Senate takes it up.
To look up the status of a Re-referred bill:
- Go to the General Court website
- Look for Advanced Bill Search
- Under Senate Status select “Rereferred.”
- Filter by using the other options in advanced bill search form.

Labels differ, purpose is the same: “Retain” is the House term; “Re-refer” is the Senate term. Both keep a bill alive for interim work.
Not dead: A retained/re-referred bill is still in play; it just hasn’t reached the floor yet.
Practical takeaway: If you care about one of these bills, the interim is the time to share data, propose language, and line up testimony—before the committee issues its second-year recommendation.

Go to the General Court site gc.nh.gov. From the Bills/Legislation area, open Advanced Bill Search.
Run the search and click the bill number in the results. On the bill detail page, use the left column and docket to find:

Select the Year (Session)
- Choose the past year you’re researching (e.g., 2018). The advanced tool is designed for prior sessions.
Choose your filter(s):
- Bill Number (e.g., HB123)
- Keywords/Title words (e.g., “workforce housing”)
- Chamber (House or Senate)
- Sponsor/Committee
Run the search and click the bill number in the results.
On the bill detail page, use the left column and docket to find:
- Status/Final Action (e.g., “Signed by Governor,” “Inexpedient to Legislate,” “Laid on Table,” “Retained/Re-referred”)
- Bill Versions (original, amended)
- Committee Reports and Calendars/Journals for the history. Guidance articles point you to these exact elements on the bill page.