We, the undersigned, stand united in support of New Hampshire House Bill 609, introduced by Representative Sam Farrington, a fellow college student at the University of New Hampshire. As someone who shares your experiences and understands the unique challenges of campus life, Representative Farrington is fighting to ensure that every student, faculty member, and staff member can defend themselves, just as they would be able to off campus.
This bill restores your right to self-defense on campus, providing consistency with the state’s broader self-defense laws. HB 609 ensures that you can carry self-defense tools such as pepper spray, Tasers, knives, and firearms (as permitted by law) to protect yourself against real-world threats. It eliminates conflicting or overly restrictive policies that leave individuals vulnerable and guarantees that anyone who uses these tools lawfully in self-defense cannot be punished for protecting themselves.
What does this bill mean for you? It means you can carry pepper spray when walking home from the library late at night without fear of violating school policies. It means faculty and staff commuting during dangerous conditions can keep a Taser for protection. It means colleges will no longer have the power to arbitrarily strip away your rights or jeopardize your safety. HB 609 aligns campus policies with the rights you already have off campus, making campuses safer and fairer for everyone.
As the first public hearing for HB 609 approaches on January 30, 2025, at 4:00 PM in the Legislative Office Building, we urge New Hampshire legislators to act decisively. Representative Farrington’s commitment to your safety and freedom deserves our full support. This bill is about ensuring you are as defended on campus as you are anywhere else in New Hampshire.
Join us in standing with Representative Farrington to pass this critical legislation. Your voice is essential in protecting our shared right to self-defense and ensuring that no one feels defenseless on campus. Let’s send a message that our rights don’t stop at the campus gate.
By signing below, you advocate for the immediate passage of NH HB 609, affirming your belief that self-defense is a fundamental right that should never be compromised.