New Hampshire’s Governor Sununu signed into law HB 1336 on July 12, 2024. This bill follows numerous other states’ similarly passed bills known as “parking lot” laws. This bill will limit the ability of certain employers to restrict the presence of firearms and ammunition on their properties. This bill will significantly expand Second Amendment protections for the legal gun owners of New Hampshire by allowing employees to store firearms and ammunition in personal vehicles on employer property. To be clear, covered employers can still prohibit weapons of any kind on the person of the employee or in the employer’s offices, facilities, and company owned or leased vehicles. This bill simply expands protections for employees to keep their firearms in their personal vehicle. What Employers Are Affected? Any public or private employer within the state of New Hampshire that receives public funds from the federal or state government is affected by this law. Public funds are defined broadly in this context and include government grants, any payments under government contracts, or any other form of public funds, regardless of the amount or level of such funding. Key Takeaways: Employers cannot force an employee to disclose whether they are storing a firearm in their vehicle. Searches of vehicles can only be conducted by law enforcement with a warrant or recognized exception to the warrant requirement. There is no requirement that the gun must be in a locked safe or secured within the vehicle. The only requirement is that it is out of sight. This bill grants employer’s civil immunity from any damages involving firearms and ammunition stored in compliance. Next Steps for Employers: With this new law set to take effect on January 1, 2025, employers should review their current policies and procedures now. To comply with this new law, New Hampshire employers should review their current workplace policies to identify whether any such policies will conflict with the provisions of HB 1336. This is also a great opportunity to update any workplace violence policies and enhance or initiate workplace violence training. It is extremely important for employers to remain up to date on legislation to ensure compliance and to update existing policies as needed. If your business has any questions on this topic or any other matters, please do not hesitate to contact the attorneys at The Royal Law Firm at 413-586-2288.