Bill > HB1423

This bill expands the existing criminal offense of improper influence in New Hampshire by broadening the definition of threats to include intimidation of immediate family members of public servants, party officials, or voters. Specifically, the bill defines "immediate family member" as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or anyone residing in the same household. The legislation introduces mandatory minimum penalties for violations, requiring a minimum one-year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine for each individual threatened. These mandatory minimum sentences cannot be suspended, deferred, or reduced, must be served consecutively for multiple victims, and preclude parole eligibility until the minimum term is completed. The bill maintains the existing provisions about threatening harm to influence official actions or decisions, but now extends legal protection to the family members of public servants, party officials, and voters. The new provisions are set to take effect on January 1, 2027, and include a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the law is found invalid, the rest of the law can still be enforced.

Justice

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=1566&inflect=2