SB 141 New Hampshire Senate · 2025 Regular Session

extending the time to petition for a new trial in certain cases and relative to adding library cards and membership status to the list of confidential library user records.

SB 141 extends the deadline for criminal defendants to petition for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence or forensic testing. It allows petitions up to 3 years after conviction, with exceptions for cases involving new forensic methods, scientific understanding, or evidence not available at trial. To qualify, petitioners must prove innocence under penalty of perjury and demonstrate how the new evidence would exonerate them. The bill directly affects incarcerated individuals convicted of felonies who seek to challenge their convictions using evidence unavailable at trial. It does not address library records, as the title's mention of "library cards" appears inconsistent with the bill's actual content.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Signed Jun 19, 2025
Floor votes · House May 8, 2025

How they voted

98100
Passed · 23 other
Total votes 221
May 8, 2025
D Democratic106
2 Yea 93 Nay 11
87% Nay
I Independent2
1 Yea 1
50% Yea
R Republican113
95 Yea 7 Nay 11
84% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
9
Committee
7
Amendments
2
Jun 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Conference Committee Report: Not Filed HJ 17
lower
Jun 19, 2025
Signed into law
Conference Committee Report; Not Signed Off; SJ 16
upper
Jun 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of Conference Meeting: 06/16/2025, 03:15 pm, Room 100, SH
upper
Jun 11, 2025
Introduced
Sen. Gannon Moved Nonconcur with the House Amendment; Requests C of C, MA, VV; (In Recess 06/05/2025); SJ 16
upper
May 8, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (98-100-23)
house
May 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-1997h: MA DV 343-19 05/08/2025 HJ 14 P. 48
lower
May 8, 2025
Introduced
Amendment # 2025-1654h: AF DV 172-191 05/08/2025 HJ 14 P. 43
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-1654h (NT) 04/23/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 23 P. 14
lower
Mar 28, 2025
Introduced
Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Judiciary HJ 11 P. 111
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/06/2025; SJ 6
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/06/2025, Vote 3-1; SC 11
upper
Jan 22, 2025
Introduced
Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Judiciary; SJ 3
upper
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors

Sponsors