SB579: relative to court ordered batterers intervention programs.

SB 579-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2024 SESSION

24-3127

12/10

SENATE BILL 579-FN

AN ACT relative to court ordered batterers intervention programs.

SPONSORS: Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Rep. Manos, Rock. 12

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

ANALYSIS

This bill directs the circuit court to study and report on the domestic violence protocol requiring offenders to attend a batterers intervention program.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

24-3127

12/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT relative to court ordered batterers intervention programs.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Judicial Branch, Circuit Court; Domestic Violence Protocols; Batterers Intervention Program. The New Hampshire judicial branch, circuit court shall study, review, and revise Circuit Court Domestic Violence Protocols, Protocol 19-4 with relation to the efficacy of court ordered batterers intervention programs, both in-person and online.

I. The protocol study shall consider, but not be limited to:

(a) Recidivism rates of offenders after even partial participation in a court ordered batterers intervention program; and

(b) Evaluation of the providers and review curriculum of such programs to ensure they meet the standards intended by court order.

II. The protocol study shall seek advisement from the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Crimes Against Children Research Center, Ending The Violence, and others they deem relevant in this review process.

III. The study shall be completed no later than December 31, 2025 and the results of the study shall be reported to the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over criminal justice and the judiciary.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.

LBA

24-3127

Revised 1/12/24

SB 579-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to court ordered batterers intervention programs.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease)

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Revenue Fund(s)

None

Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source(s)

General Fund

Appropriations

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

None

• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] No

• Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] No

METHODOLOGY:

This bill directs the circuit court to study and report on the domestic violence protocol requiring

offenders to attend a batterers intervention program.

The Judicial Branch indicates it does not currently have the in-house staff to conduct the required study and would have engage in a contract for expert services. The cost of such contract is indeterminable. The Branch assumes, if the bill was amended to become a legislative study committee with participation of court staff, there would be an indeterminable cost associated with amount of staff time dedicated to the study.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Judicial Branch