relative to civil rights enforcement.

CHAPTER 204
SB 464-FN - FINAL VERSION

23Apr2026... 1369h
23Apr2026... 1572h
06/04/2026 2009EBA
2026 SESSION
26-2245
09/06

SENATE BILL
464-FN

AN ACT
relative to civil rights enforcement.

SPONSORS: Sen. Abbas, Dist 22; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Sullivan, Dist 18; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Rep. Ammon, Hills. 42

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill changes the standard for civil rights enforcement.

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

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
23Apr2026... 1369h
23Apr2026... 1572h
06/04/2026 2009EBA 26-2245
09/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
relative to civil rights enforcement.

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

204:1 Civil Rights Act; Civil Rights Enforcement. RSA 354-B:1 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
354-B:1 Civil Rights Enforcement.
I.(a) Any person who, motivated in whole or in part by hostility, including but not limited to animus, bias, or prejudice, toward the race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability of the person, group, or organization directly or indirectly targeted by the unlawful act, or the affiliation or association of the person, group, or organization directly or indirectly targeted by the unlawful act with a person or people of a certain race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability, knowingly commits one of the following unlawful acts shall be subject to civil liability under RSA 354-B:2 and to the remedies provided in RSA 354-B:3 and RSA 354-B:4:
(1) Using unprivileged force against another;
(2) Committing an act of violence against another;
(3) Causing damage to or trespassing on the property of another; or
(4) Threatening to commit any of the acts listed above.
(b) In this section, “threatening to commit” means the communication, by physical conduct or by declaration, of an intent to inflict harm or damage to a person or property that, taken in the context of surrounding circumstances, would convey to a reasonable person that the actor has the apparent ability to carry out the threat and the real possibility that such harm or damage may occur.
II. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit any conduct or speech that is protected under the United States Constitution or the New Hampshire constitution.
III. It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere or attempt to interfere with the rights secured by this chapter.

204:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.

Approved: June 20, 2026
Effective Date: January 01, 2027
Enacted in accordance with Article 44, Part II of the N.H. Constitution, without the signature of the governor June 20, 2026