New Hampshire HB 1595: establishing a domestic violence program and relative to orders of protection, stalking offenses, and annulment of criminal records.

Bill Text

HB 1595-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2940

 09/08

HOUSE BILL 1595-FN

AN ACT establishing a domestic violence program and relative to orders of protection, stalking offenses, and annulment of criminal records.

SPONSORS: Rep. Korzen, Coos 7; Rep. Manos, Rock. 12; Rep. Simpson, Rock. 33; Rep. Kesselring, Hills. 18; Rep. Gregg, Hills. 7; Rep. Rice, Hills. 38; Rep. D. Mannion, Rock. 25; Rep. A. Davis, Coos 2; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Reardon, Dist 15; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

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ANALYSIS

This bill:

 I. Expands judicial training requirements and establishes a new domestic violence program under the judicial branch. 

 II. Amend the definition of domestic violence and amends the process for evaluating and serving protective orders. 

 III. Establishes that law enforcement officers must complete a lethality assessment program (LAP) form when there is suspected domestic violence, and establishes a LAP program within the department of justice. 

 IV. Allows for domestic violence victims to complete an affidavit to address safety concerns when filing a parenting or divorce petition in the family court. 

 V. Amends the stalking statute to include restraining order for minors and new language to make installing electronic devices on a person or their personal property a stalking offense. 

 VI. Amends the annulment statute to expand the list of “violent crimes.” It also requires that victims of crime be notified should a defendant file a petition for annulment and provides an opportunity for the victim to give input to the judge before the annulment is granted.

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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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2940

 09/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT establishing a domestic violence program and relative to orders of protection, stalking offenses, and annulment of criminal records.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Short Title. This act may be known as and cited to as "Marisol's Law."

 2 Judicial Training; Initial Judicial Training Requirements. Amend RSA 490-K:2 to read as follows:

 490-K:2 Initial Judicial Training Requirements.

 Any person who holds the position of judge in this state, and all nonjudicial employees of the judicial branch with a hire date on or after July 1, 2025, shall complete an orientation and training program within 3 months of hire, as directed by the chief justice of the supreme court. The minimum initial training for judges may [be as follows] include but not be limited to:

 I. Orientation for new judges on procedures and functions of the applicable court and relevant procedural and substantive law, and applicable court rules and protocols;

 II. Education for new judges on major legal subjects and practical skills needed by them and appropriate to the jurisdiction of the court in which they serve;

 III. At least one hour of training devoted to the topics of legal and judicial ethics, professionalism, preventing implicit bias, mental health, and domestic violence.

 3 Judicial Training; Judicial Continuing Education Requirements. Amend RSA 490-K:3 to read as follows:

 490-K:3 Judicial Continuing Education Requirements.

 I. Any person who holds the position of judge, court administrator, clerk, or director of the administrative office of the court in this state, shall be required to complete continuing education as the chief justice of the supreme court directs.

 II. All judges shall be required to complete a minimum of 8 hours of continuing education including, but not limited to, the following areas:

 (a) Existing statewide court protocols for the administration of civil domestic violence cases;

 (b) Domestic violence and stalking dynamics;

 (c) Understanding components of lethality within domestic violence and stalking;

 (d) Safety considerations and other forms of abuse in the context of domestic violence and stalking; and 

 (e) The impact of trauma on crime victims and their children.

 4 New Chapter; Domestic Violence Program. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 490-K the following new chapter:

CHAPTER 490-L

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM

 490-L:1 Purpose. The general court recognizes the critical need to improve the statewide management of civil domestic violence cases. More than half of all homicides in New Hampshire are related to domestic violence and research demonstrates the benefit of establishing specialized responses in cases where domestic vio