HB1365

2nd Amendment gone wild again

This bill would weaken the language governing applications for licenses to carry a loaded pistol or revolver, resulting in lower and less consistent standards for everyone. At a time when gun deaths and injuries are rising, this is exactly the wrong direction. I speak not only as a concerned resident, but from personal experience. I have been attacked at gunpoint. That experience leaves no doubt about how quickly a situation can turn deadly when a firearm is present and poorly regulated. Permitting laws exist to ensure that individuals carrying loaded firearms in public meet clear, rigorous standards. Weakening those standards increases risk—to the public, to law enforcement, and to permit holders themselves. Given the realities we face today, standards for carrying loaded firearms should be strengthened, not diluted. HR 1365 undermines public safety and public confidence. I urge you to reject this bill.

Time to stop the random killing by crazies and ICE in this country.

Weakening language in permitting laws creates weaker standards for everyone. Based on the rising number of gun deaths and injuries, standards should be strengthened. Americans live in more fear of gun violence than any other developed nation. Reducing regulations is NOT the answer to making our citizens more safe.

I think this bill weakens the standards. Based on the rising number of gun deaths and injuries, I vehemently oppose weakening any standards and think quite the opposite is needed. I have many family members who work in primary and secondary education and believe we need stronger gun laws. Please oppose this.

Testimony opposing HB1365 raises significant concerns regarding the harmful underpinnings of this legislation, which aims to limit the information required during the application process for licenses to carry a loaded pistol or revolver. While proponents may argue that this bill protects the privacy rights of applicants, it fundamentally reduces the necessary scrutiny essential for public safety. By eliminating requests for employment information and personal references, the bill effectively circumvents a critical vetting process that can help identify individuals who may pose a risk to themselves or others. This lack of oversight undermines community safety, particularly in a climate where gun violence remains a palpable threat. Furthermore, HB1365 disproportionately impacts marginalized communities who are often most vulnerable to the ramifications of unchecked firearm access. Communities of color, low-income neighborhoods, and those already facing systemic injustices may bear the heaviest burdens if individuals with potentially harmful backgrounds gain easier access to firearms. The assertion of protecting individual rights must not come at the cost of collective safety; the potential consequences of facilitating easier access to weapons without comprehensive background checks exacerbate existing inequalities and risk further marginalization. This legislation reflects a troubling prioritization of gun rights over essential community protections, calling into question both its moral and ethical implications. We must stand against measures that compromise public safety in favor of deregulation, advocating for policies that genuinely balance constitutional rights with the safety of all citizens.

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Please! I urge you NOT to pass this bill! With the rising number of gun deaths, diluting the language by permitting laws to create weaker standards for everyone is counterintuitive! Standards should be strengthened, not weakened.!

House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Members: My name is Sarah Gentile, I am a resident of Rochester, New Hampshire. I am also a gun owner. I am reaching out to express my opposition to HB 1365. This bill weakens New Hampshire’s already limited firearm permitting standards during the height of gun deaths and violence across our country. When the risk of gun deaths and violence increases, our standards should be strengthened, not dismantled. This bill changes the language governing applications for licenses to carry by expressly prohibiting application forms from requiring “personal, employment, medical, psychiatric, or other records.” That language is unfair and unclear. It also guts the remaining guardrails New Hampshire has in the permitting process and takes away the ability to evaluate even basic indicators of risk. How will issuing authorities make licensing decisions with even less information? That does not enhance due process or public safety. It creates weaker or, in practice, no meaningful standards at all. New Hampshire has already repealed its concealed licensing requirement. Licenses now function largely for reciprocity with other states. If the licensing framework is weakened, it not only impacts New Hampshire but every state should a concealed carry mandate put in place. Weakening permitting language does not protect responsible gun owners. At a time when gun violence is on the rise, legislature should focus on clarity, safety, and responsible gun ownership – not policies that further reduce oversight. Please vote in opposition on HB 1365. Thank you for your time, Sarah Gentile

Standards need strengthening not weakening!

Weakening language in permitting laws creates weaker standards for everyone. Based on the rising number of gun deaths and injuries, standards should be strengthened.

I oppose this effort to weaken permitting laws in NH. Recent events in Minnesota with poorly trained ICE officers that supposedly know how to properly handle lethal weapons highlights that permitting standards should be strengthen, not weakened.

I do not support this bill!

I strongly oppose HB 1365. This bill strips away basic safeguards in the handgun licensing process by eliminating employment information and, most concerning, character references. These requirements exist for a reason: they provide context, accountability, and a minimal check on suitability before a lethal weapon is authorized. Removing them does not enhance privacy—it weakens public safety. This proposal is another step toward deregulating firearms with no corresponding benefit, and it unnecessarily increases risk to communities, law enforcement, and responsible gun owners alike.

Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing to express my opposition to HB 1365. While I support the goal of protecting individual privacy, I am concerned that this bill would weaken important background information requirements on applications for a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver. Requiring appropriate information — such as employment history and personal references — helps licensing authorities assess an applicant’s character, stability, and suitability to responsibly carry a firearm. Removing these questions may reduce the effectiveness of the licensing process and make it harder to identify individuals who pose an elevated risk to public safety. Firearms are inherently dangerous tools, and carrying a loaded weapon in public carries significant responsibility. The information currently gathered through application forms exists to help law enforcement and licensing boards make informed decisions that protect both the applicant and the broader community. By limiting the information that can be requested, HB 1365 could undermine that careful review process, potentially allowing individuals with troubling or unstable backgrounds to receive carry permits without adequate vetting. In addition, the licensing process should strike a balance between privacy and public safety. While privacy is important, it should not come at the cost of reducing transparency in a process designed to evaluate readiness to responsibly exercise the privilege of carrying a loaded firearm. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the committee to oppose HB 1365. Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony and for your service to the State of New Hampshire. Sincerely, Amie Price

As a mother to three children, I oppose this bill.

Allowing any person to carry a dangerous weapon is stupid and dangerous. The public deserves to be protected from dangerous individuals. Establishing reasonable qualifications for carrying dangerous weapons is just common sense. The people of New Hampshire rightly expect our government to provide this protection.

No one should be walking around with a loaded gun. That’s just stupid.

This law would make for weaker standards...not good on several levels.

Weakening language in permitting laws creates weaker standards for everyone. Based on the rising number of gun deaths and injuries, standards should be strengthened.

Weakening gun laws makes residents less safe. Weakening language in permitting laws creates weaker standards for everyone. Based on the rising number of gun deaths and injuries, standards must be strengthened.

This weakens laws already failing to keep us safe. Based on the rising number of gun deaths and injuries, standards should be strengthened.