relative to out-of-home placements for children.

This bill establishes a legal preference for keeping children in New Hampshire and placing them with their siblings whenever possible, unless doing so would endanger them. It modifies custody rules for parents not charged with abuse or neglect by creating a rebuttable presumption that they are fit to care for their children, requiring the state to prove unfitness with specific evidence. The legislation also sets a clear order of preference for out-of-home placements, prioritizing relatives, community-based foster homes, and schools of origin over group or residential care. Additionally, it mandates that psychological evaluations be conducted by trauma-specialized psychologists and clarifies that firearm ownership alone does not make a home unsafe if federal and state laws are followed.