CONCORD, New Hampshire — Lawmakers again are considering lowering the drinking age in New Hampshire, though they’ve rejected similar bills in the past.

Republican Rep. Dan Hynes of Merrimack told a House committee Tuesday that countries with lower drinking ages don’t have the same problems with alcohol as the United States.





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Under his proposal, 20-year-olds could drink alcohol in private settings, but couldn’t buy it or consume it in public. He said that would allow the state to keep federal transportation funding tied to the drinking age, but a state Department of Safety attorney disagreed. Police chiefs also opposed the bill.

In past years, lawmakers rejected lowering the age to 19 for active-duty military or allowing those over 18 to drink when accompanied by adults. Similar bills also have failed in other states.

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