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HB257 • 2026

(New Title) relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

(New Title) relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

Children Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Skip Rollins (R), Cassandra Levesque (D), Hope Damon (D), Michael Moffett (R), Brian Sullivan (D), Ruth Ward (R), Diane Pauer (R)
Last action
2026-04-10
Official status
SENATE
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

(New Title) relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

(New Title) relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

What This Bill Does

  • (New Title) relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment #2025-1038h (NT): AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 2 P. 70

Plain English: Amendment #2025-1038h (NT): AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 2 P. 70 1

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-10 S

    Refer to Interim Study, MA, VV; 04/16/2026; SJ 9

  2. 2026-04-07 S

    Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 04/16/2026; Vote 3-0; CC; SC 14

  3. 2026-03-12 S

    Hearing: 03/19/2026, Room 100, SH, 09:40 am; SC 10

  4. 2026-01-15 S

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Children and Family Law; SJ 2

  5. 2026-01-08 H

    Lay HB257 on Table (Rep. McFarlane): MF DV 117-204 01/08/2026 HJ 2 P. 70

  6. 2026-01-08 H

    Amendment #2025-1038h (NT): AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 2 P. 70

  7. 2026-01-08 H

    Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-1038h: MA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 2 P. 71

  8. 2026-01-06 H

    Removed from Consent (Reps. McFarlane, Drew, Tom Mannion, Giasson, Granger, Popovici-Muller, Mehegan, Polozov, Burnham, Corcoran) 01/06/2026 HJ 1 P. 43

  9. 2025-11-13 H

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-1038h (NT) 10/22/2025 (Vote 16-0; CC)

  10. 2025-10-03 H

    ==RESCHEDULED== Full Committee Work Session: 10/22/2025 10:00 am GP 230

  11. 2025-10-03 H

    ==RESCHEDULED== Executive Session: 10/22/2025 01:00 pm GP 230

  12. 2025-03-19 H

    Retained in Committee

  13. 2025-03-10 H

    Executive Session: 03/19/2025 10:00 am LOB 202-204

  14. 2025-03-06 H

    ==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 03/14/2025 10:00 am LOB 202-204

  15. 2025-02-20 H

    Recommit (Rep. Roy): MA DV 371-2 02/20/2025 HJ 6 P. 34

  16. 2025-02-11 H

    Executive Session: 01/29/2025 11:00 am LOB 202-204

  17. 2025-02-11 H

    Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 02/07/2025 (Vote 11-5; RC) HC 12 P. 15

  18. 2025-02-11 H

    Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate

  19. 2025-01-22 H

    Subcommittee Work Session: 01/29/2025 11:00 am LOB 202-204

  20. 2025-01-15 H

    ==CANCELLED== Public Hearing: 01/24/2025 02:30 pm LOB 202-204

  21. 2025-01-14 H

    Public Hearing: 01/22/2025 11:00 am LOB 301-303

  22. 2025-01-07 H

    Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety HJ 2 P. 12

Official Summary Text

(New Title) relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 257-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

8Jan2026... 1038h
2025 SESSION
25-0317
09/05

HOUSE BILL
257-FN

AN ACT
relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

SPONSORS: Rep. Rollins, Sull. 3; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Levesque, Straf. 4; Rep. B. Sullivan, Sull. 1; Rep. Damon, Sull. 8; Sen. Ward, Dist 8

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill amends the mental state applicable to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.
8Jan2026... 1038h 25-0317
09/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT
relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

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

1 Endangering Welfare of a Child or Incompetent. Amend RSA 639:3, I to read as follows:
I. A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent if he [
knowingly
]
recklessly
endangers the welfare of a child under 18 years of age or of an incompetent person by [
purposely
]
recklessly
violating a duty of care, protection or support he owes to such child or incompetent, or by inducing such child or incompetent to engage in conduct that endangers his health or safety.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.

LBA
25-0317
1/14/26

HB 257-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT # 2025-1038h)

AN ACT
relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Estimated State Impact

FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028
FY 2029

Revenue
$0
$0
$0
$0

Revenue Fund
None

Expenditures*
Indeterminable

Funding Source
General Fund

Appropriations*
$0
$0
$0
$0

Funding Source
None

*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028
FY 2029

County Revenue
$0
$0
$0
$0

County Expenditures
Indeterminable

Local Revenue
$0
$0
$0
$0

Local Expenditures
Indeterminable

METHODOLOGY:
This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation. Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at:
https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf

AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association