HB 1651-FN
establishing sexual assault orders of protection and relative to sexual assault survivors' rights.
Official record at gencourt.state.nh.us ↗Open this bill in the searchable view → · Follow this bill by RSS
On the record
Quoted from the General Court bill status page, not worked out from the docket.
| Status | SIGNED BY GOVERNOR |
|---|---|
| In the House | CONCURRED |
| In the Senate | PASSED/ADOPTED WITH AMENDMENT |
| Introduced | 1/7/2026 |
| Floor date | 5/21/2026 |
| LSR number | 3104 |
| Chapter | 0238 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H26 |
Where it stands
House: CONCURRED · Senate: PASSED/ADOPTED WITH AMENDMENT
Every floor vote on this bill was a voice or division vote, so there is no record of how individual legislators voted.
A bill goes on the consent calendar when the committee vote was unanimous or nearly so, and any members who dissented did not object to placing it there. It then passes without floor debate. Ten members may file a petition to pull a bill off the consent calendar and have it debated and voted on separately.
Sponsors
Rhodes, Jennifer(R) Ches 17, Birdsell, Regina(R) Rock 19, Gannon, Bill(R) Rock 23, Kelly, Eileen(D) Merr 8, Kuttab, Katelyn(R) Rock 17, Meuse, David(D) Rock 37, Murphy, Nancy(D) Hills 12, Murray, Alissandra(D) Hills 20, Nelson, Jodi(R) Rock 13, Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D) Rock 21, Ricciardi, Denise(R) Ches 9, Rice, Kimberly(R) Hills 38, Roy, Terry(R) Rock 31, Simpson, Alexis(D) Rock 33
Prime sponsor in bold. From the General Court sponsor file.
What happened
Every action recorded in the official docket, in order. Each line ends with the journal or calendar that recorded it; where we have the document, that citation links to it.
- January 7, 2026Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- January 16, 2026Public Hearing: 01/16/2026 10:00 am GP 159
- February 18, 2026Executive Session: 02/18/2026 10:00 am GP 159
- February 24, 2026Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0139h 02/18/2026 (Vote 12-0; CC)
- March 5, 2026Amendment # 2026-0139h: AA VV 03/05/2026
- March 5, 2026Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0139h: MA VV 03/05/2026
- March 5, 2026Introduced 03/05/2026 and Referred to Judiciary
- March 24, 2026Hearing: 03/24/2026, Room 100, SH, 01:30 pm
- May 7, 2026Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 05/07/2026; Vote 5-0; CC
- May 7, 2026HB 1651 was Removed from the Consent Calendar; 05/07/2026
- May 7, 2026Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1814s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/07/2026
- May 7, 2026Sen. Gannon Floor Amendment # 2026-1814s, AA, VV; 05/07/2026
- May 21, 2026House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1814s (Rep. Roy): MA VV 05/21/2026
- June 4, 2026Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/04/2026)
- June 4, 2026Enrolled (in recess of) 06/04/2026
- July 10, 2026Signed by Governor Ayotte 07/02/2026; Chapter 238; eff. 1/1/2027
Votes
Roll call tallies and individual votes from the General Court roll call files. Presiding, excused and absent are shown separately: one member presides over each House roll call and does not vote except to break a tie.
Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0139h
Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1814s
Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1814s (Rep. Roy)
Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
Committee reports
Reproduced from the House Calendar in the committee’s own words.
Committee — OUGHT TO PASS WITH AMENDMENT
This critical piece of legislation addresses long-standing gaps in how the state supports survivors of sexual assault, specifically by establishing sexual assault orders of protection and codifying essential rights regarding evidence preservation. The committee believes that survivors deserve both immediate safety and long-term certainty that their evidence will be handled with the highest level of care. The adopted amendment clarifies several key provisions to ensure the law is both compassionate and enforceable. First, the bill establishes a new “sexual assault order of protection,” similar to domestic violence restraining orders, which provides a dedicated legal path for victims who may not have a “domestic” or “dating” relationship with their attacker. Second, the amendment strengthens the “Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights” by mandating that sexual assault evidence collection kits (SAECKs) be preserved for the duration of the maximum applicable statute of limitations or 20 years, whichever is shorter. Most importantly, it guarantees survivors the right to be informed of the status and location of their kit and any DNA matches found, provided such disclosure does not compromise an ongoing investigation. By pass ing this bill with this amendment, we are replacing a patchwork of local policies with a uniform, state-wide standard of dignity and transparency. We are ensuring that time-sensitive evidence is not only collected but tracked and preserved, giving survivors the agency and information they need to seek justice on their own timeline. This bill represents a major victory for public safety and the fundamental rights of New Hampshire citizens. Vote 12-0.
Hearings and recordings
Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.
- January 16, 2026 at 10:00Criminal Justice and Public Safety public hearing recording 0:01:29–0:49:09, about 48 min (estimated)
- February 18, 2026 at 10:00Criminal Justice and Public Safety executive session recording 0:38:00–0:38:30, about 0 min (estimated)
- March 5, 2026House floor debate recording (start time not identified)
- March 24, 2026 at 13:30Judiciary hearing recording (start time not identified)
- May 7, 2026Senate floor debate recording (start time not identified)
- May 21, 2026House floor debate recording (start time not identified)
Page generated 2026-09-03 from data published by the New Hampshire General Court. Granite Record is an independent project, not affiliated with the General Court. The official record always takes precedence. Corrections: [email protected]