New Hampshire Governor signs bipartisan victim protection bills

Governor Kelly Ayotte held a ceremonial signing in Concord for a suite of bipartisan bills designed to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence. The event was attended by lawmakers, survivors, and victim advocates at the New Hampshire Coalition to Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence.

The legislation includes measures to combat human trafficking by requiring certain massage establishments to be licensed and subject to state oversight. Additionally, House Bill 1576 strengthens the collection of court-ordered restitution and mandates that victims be notified of any changes or interruptions in payments.

House Bill 1651 provides survivors of sexual assault with a new civil protection option through a sexual assault protective order and strengthens rights regarding the preservation of and access to sexual assault evidence kits. While the bills were signed into law on July 2, the ceremonial signing took place on Monday.