New Hampshire HB 1522: relative to amending and adding definitions related to the protection of persons from domestic violence and relative to the domestic violence fatality review committee.

Bill Text

HB 1522-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

05/07/2026 1770s

2026 SESSION

 26-2398

 09/08

HOUSE BILL 1522-FN

AN ACT relative to amending and adding definitions related to the protection of persons from domestic violence and relative to the domestic violence fatality review committee.

SPONSORS: Rep. Markell, Rock. 18; Rep. DeSimone, Rock. 18; Rep. Korzen, Coos 7; Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32; Rep. W. MacDonald, Rock. 16; Rep. Mandelbaum, Rock. 21; Rep. Nelson, Rock. 13

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 This bill:

 I. Adds to the types of abuse the court can consider in determining whether to issue a domestic violence order of protection.

 II. Enables the department of justice's domestic violence fatality review committee to review a case even if there is actual or potential civil litigation.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05/07/2026 1770s 26-2398

 09/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to amending and adding definitions related to the protection of persons from domestic violence and relative to the domestic violence fatality review committee.

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

 1 Protection of Persons from Domestic Violence; Definitions. Amend RSA 173-B:1, I to read as follows: 

 I. "Abuse" means the commission or attempted commission of one or more of the acts described in subparagraphs (a) through [(h)] (i) by a family or household member or by a current or former sexual or intimate partner, where such conduct is determined to constitute a credible present threat to the petitioner's safety. In its analysis of abuse, the court may consider the presence of coercive control as defined in paragraph II-a. The court may also consider evidence of such acts, regardless of their proximity in time to the filing of the petition, which, in combination with recent conduct, reflects an ongoing pattern of behavior which reasonably causes or has caused the petitioner to fear for his or her safety or well-being: 

 (a) Assault or reckless conduct as defined in RSA 631:1 through RSA 631:3. 

 (b) Criminal threatening as defined in RSA 631:4. 

 (c) Sexual assault as defined in RSA 632-A:2 through RSA 632-A:5. 

 (d) Interference with freedom as defined in RSA 633:1 through RSA 633:3-a. 

 (e) Destruction of property as defined in RSA 634:1 and RSA 634:2. 

 (f) Unauthorized entry as defined in RSA 635:1 and RSA 635:2. 

 (g) Harassment as defined in RSA 644:4. 

 (h) Cruelty to animals as defined in RSA 644:8. 

 (i) Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images as defined in RSA 644:9-a.

 2 New Paragraph; Protection of Persons from Domestic Violence; Definitions. Amend RSA 173-B:1 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

 II-a. "Coercive control" means a pattern of conduct that includes, but is not limited to, a manifestation of the defendant’s intent to threaten, intimidate, harass, isolate, coerce, control, or compel compliance, which causes the petitioner to reasonably fear for his or her physical safety. The acts may include, but are not limited to: 

 (a) Isolating the petitioner from friends, relatives, or other sources of support; 

 (b) Depriving the petitioner of basic needs; 

 (c) Controlling, regulating, or monitoring the petitioner’s activities, communications, movements, finances, economic resources, or access to services, including through technological means; 

 (d) Compelling the petitioner to engage in a specific activity, including, but not limited to, criminal conduct; 

 (e) Threatening to publish, or actually publishing, sensitive personal information relating to the petitioner, other than making a good faith report to a law enforcement agency; or 

 (f) Any single act which is intended to threaten intimidate, harass, isolate, coerce, control, or compel compliance of a petitioner to reasonably fear for their physical safety, consisting of harming, or threating or attempting to harm, a child, relative, or animal belonging to the petitioner. 

 3 Protection of Persons from Domestic Violence; Commencement of Proceedings. Amend RSA 173-B:3, I to read as follows:

 I. Any person who has suffered abuse as defined in RSA 173-B:1, I may seek relief pursuant to RSA 173-B:5 by filing a petition, in the county or district where the plaintiff or defendant resides, alleging abuse by the defendant. Any person filing a petition containing false allegations of abuse shall be subject to criminal penalties. Notice of the pe