(New Title) relative to amending and adding definitions related to the protection of persons from domestic violence and relative to the domestic violence fatality review committee.

CHAPTER 230
HB 1522-FN - FINAL VERSION

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.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

230:1 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.

230:2 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.

230:3 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 pendency of the action and of the facts alleged against the defendant shall be given to the defendant, either personally or as provided in paragraph III. The plaintiff shall be permitted to supplement or amend the petition only if the defendant is provided an opportunity prior to the hearing to respond to the supplemental or amended petition. All petitions filed under this section shall include the home and work telephone numbers of the defendant, if known. Notice of the whereabouts of the plaintiff shall not be revealed except by order of the court for good cause shown. Any answer by the defendant shall be filed with the court and a copy shall be provided to the plaintiff by the court.

230:4 Department of Justice; Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. Amend RSA 21-M:16-a, VI to read as follows:
VI. The committee's review of a case shall not be initiated until such time as the law enforcement criminal investigation has been completed or fully adjudicated, whichever comes later. [
Additionally, if, in the opinion of the attorney general, there exists the potential for civil litigation, the committee's review of a case shall not be initiated before 3 years from the date of the incident under review.
]
Any potential or pending civil litigation shall not preclude the committee’s review of a case and shall not constitute a basis for any organization, agency, or person to withhold records or testimony that are requested or compelled by the committee pursuant to this section.

230:5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved: July 02, 2026
Effective Date: July 02, 2026