2026 SESSION
26-3125
06/05
HOUSE BILL 1040
AN ACT establishing a committee to study the laws and procedures governing the filing and registering of quitclaim deeds in the state.
SPONSORS: Rep. Turer, Rock. 6
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a committee to study the laws and procedures governing the filing and registering of quitclaim deeds in the state.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-3125
06/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT establishing a committee to study the laws and procedures governing the filing and registering of quitclaim deeds in the state.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study legislative protections against property fraud and title theft through the use of quitclaim deeds.
2 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
3 Duties. The committee shall:
I. Review the definition and uses of quitclaim deeds in New Hampshire.
II. Review the mechanisms by which property fraud and title theft crimes are carried out using the quitclaim deed, both in New Hampshire and other states, including the underlying vulnerabilities that facilitate such crimes.
III. Examine the range of legal and procedural changes being implemented in other states to decrease the likelihood of using quitclaim deeds to commit property fraud and title theft.
IV. Solicit information from the public and private sector, including but not limited to: experts in property and probate law, county registers of deeds, notaries public, county attorneys, the attorney general’s office, members and advocates from the real estate community, members of law enforcement, and victims of property fraud and title theft.
V. Enumerate the range of legal and procedural options available to New Hampshire to reduce the likelihood of property fraud and title theft using quitclaim deeds, including the pros, cons, and potential costs of each.
4 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
5 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2026.
6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.