Criminal Justice (Policing)

HB 109 makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly report false information about police officer misconduct during official duties, and a class A misdemeanor for false reports about alleged criminal conduct by officers. The bill directly affects individuals who make false allegations against law enforcement officers, creating new criminal penalties for such false reports. Key provisions amend New Hampshire law to specifically criminalize false reports regarding officer misconduct (Section II, misdemeanor) or criminal conduct (Section III, class A misdemeanor). The law takes effect January 1, 2026, and does not impose direct fiscal costs on the state or local governments.

HB 1564 removes the phrase "gender identity" from multiple New Hampshire statutes that currently include it as a protected characteristic in discrimination laws. This affects provisions related to equal employment (RSA 21-I:42), classified employment protections (RSA 21-I:52), cable TV service access (RSA 53-C:3-g), hate crime reporting (RSA 106-B:14-c), police training (RSA 106-L:2), racial profiling definitions (RSA 106-O:1), and mental health services (RSA 135-C:13). The bill deletes all instances of "gender identity" except in RSA 332-M:2, III-a. It does not create new policies but eliminates existing language from these statutes. The direct effect is removing gender identity as a specified protected category in these legal provisions.