Overview
- Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed Senate Bill 552 on Monday, June 22, 2026, saying it showed only minimal difference from earlier proposals and asking the Legislature for a more narrowly written alternative.
- SB 552 would have allowed certain spaces to be separated by biological sex, including multi-person bathrooms, locker rooms, detention centers, and some competitive sports, but the bill offered only a brief definition of “biological sex.”
- This veto continues a pattern of GOP-backed proposals being halted by Republican governors: Chris Sununu vetoed a similar measure in 2024 and Ayotte vetoed two earlier versions in 2025 and early 2026.
- Conservative groups urged pressure on the governor and criticized the veto while LGBTQ+ advocates and Democrats praised Ayotte for blocking what they called a law that could permit discrimination against transgender people.
- State law already bars discrimination based on gender identity because of changes in 2018 and 2019; the Legislature can try to override the veto with a two-thirds vote or return with a narrower bill and related measures such as House Bill 1442 remain under consideration.