Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform – New Hampshire

It was disconcerting to see today that three important crime bill hearings in the House Criminal Justice Committee have been moved forward two weeks, giving us little time to mobilize our side to speak on them.  We invite you to testify Wednesday on two bills we wrote. Yes, that's only two days from now. Please contact Chris Dornin, founder, CCJR, cldornin@aol.com (603) 228-9610,

One is HB 1153, which stops communities from imposing residency restrictions on sex offenders.  A few years ago eight or nine towns enforced these hurtful codes. Thanks in large part to the N.H. Civil Liberties Union, only Holderness still punishes sex offenders for living too close to a school or another forbidden place. The fines against a violator add up to $870,000 a year.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 9:00 a.m. HB 1153, HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 204, LOB - prohibiting a political subdivision from adopting residency restrictions on sex offenders.

Second Important Bill is HB 1343

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 9:45 a.m. HB 1343, Room 204, LOB prohibiting the retroactive application of the sex offender registry.

This bill stops the sex offender registry from applying retroactively.  We are using a Supreme Court decision in the John Doe case last year that said the public registry was an unconstitutional retroactive punishment. 

The Third bill is on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 10:30 a.m. HB 1318, Room 204, LOB - relative to sex offender registration.  Executive session on pending legislation may be held throughout the day, time permitting, from the time the committee is initially convened.

HB 1318 is an intensely hostile and poorly written bill that would keep anyone from getting off the registry. Ever. We think that change is unconstitutional. We will raise money to fight it in court if it becomes law. The prime sponsor originally filed his legislation in the wrong committee.  At first it applied a residency restriction to every sex offender, meaning half of them would have been evicted from their homes. We thank lawmakers for taking that dubious section out of the bill before sending it to Criminal Justice. Something just as bad remains.

OTHER BILLS DATES AND TIMES

Tuesday, Feb. 16 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 204,

LOB 9:30 a.m. HB 1632-FN, establishing a criminal penalty for providing a firearm to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.

10:30 a.m. HB 1645, relative to carrying a pistol or revolver without a license.

11:00 a.m. HB 1135, relative to physical force in defense of a person.

1:00 p.m. HB 1415, relative to escape from official custody.

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Room 101, LOB Sen. Sanborn (C), Sen. Kelly (VC), Sen. Avard, Sen. Carson, Sen. Fuller Clark 1:00 p.m. SB 515-FN, relative to child neglect and other changes to the child protection act. 1:30 p.m. SB 535-FN-A, establishing a grant program for high schools for heroin and opiate prevention education. 2:00 p.m. SB 542-FN, relative to criminal interference with health services. 2:30 p.m.

SB 540-FN, prohibiting the possession, use, or sale of kratom. EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW

SENATE JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH Sen. Carson (C), Sen. Cataldo (VC), Sen. Daniels, Sen. Lasky, Sen. Pierce 9:00 a.m. SB 517-FN, increasing the amount deducted from a fine for each day of a person’s incarceration. 9:20 a.m. SB 543-FN, relative to private transferring of adopted children. EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW

Thursday, Feb. 18 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 204,

LOB 9:00 a.m. HB 1235, relative to stalking.

9:30 a.m. HB 1586-FN, prohibiting the impersonation of an emergency medical technician or firefighter.

10:00 a.m. HB 1549-FN, requiring the department of safety to establish a database cataloging certain law enforcement activities.

11:00 a.m. HB 1597-FN, relative to preservation of biological material in a criminal investigation for DNA testing.

1:00 p.m. HB 1435, relative to enforcement of the prohibition on the use of mobile electronic devices while driving.

2:00 p.m. HB 1603-FN, requiring the registration of drug dealers.

Executive session on pending legislation may be held throughout the day, time permitting, from the time the committee is initially convened.

Thursday, February 18, 2016 SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Room 100, SH Sen. Sanborn (C), Sen. Kelly (VC), Sen. Avard, Sen. Carson, Sen. Fuller Clark 2:00 p.m. SB 529-FN, establishing a food stamp photo identification requirement. 2:40 p.m. SB 487, relative to missing vulnerable adults. 3:10 p.m. SB 536, relative to emergency interim relief under the child protection act. 3:40 p.m. SB 531-FN, extending the New Hampshire health protection act.

Thursday, Feb. 18  HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 205, LOB 8:00 a.m. Subcommittee work session on HB 1681-FN, relative to hypodermic syringes and needles containing trace amounts of controlled drugs.

9:00 a.m. HB 1406, establishing a commission to study the termination of Medicaid benefits when a person enters certain state institutions or county correctional facilities.

10:00 a.m. HB 1541-FN, prohibiting placement of certain persons with a mental illness in the secure psychiatric unit, and authorizing the commissioner of the department of corrections to seek therapeutic alternatives