HB1552

As a person who has experienced both physical and sexual violence I am asking you to please oppose HB 1552. It does nothing to actually help those that have been harmed. Thank you

Domestic violence perpetrators frequently turn the legal system on the victim. This bill gives the offender another weapon.

I oppose this bill because it adds new language to petitions for protection orders that will discourage petitioners from submitting their requests to the court. Legislators should be looking for ways to make it easier for victims of crimes such as domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking to request and obtain protection. Instead this bill adds new language that essentially threatens petitioner with legal action if they do not swear that their statements are true. The overwhelming majority of people filing these petitions are telling the truth about what they are experiencing and why they need protection. The petitioners are not filing frivolously, as is well documented. This new language does nothing whatsoever to protect a victim of these crimes - which is the purpose of these orders. Shame on you for not working to give protection orders more ability to protect victims and restrain perpetrators. This bill does the opposite.

I accidentally submitted this form with a support statement. This bill harms those who are most vulnerable.

I'm a rape victim who came forward and filed an order of protection against my boyfriend at the time. This is something that I needed to do for my physical safety because even though I had already left him he was still trying to come after me and harm me. While the initial order was granted based on the evidence, it was not continued at the follow up hearing; despite the fact that he denied none of the abuse. When filing for the initial order of protection there was the understanding that there is already a punishment for perjury. People who have made false allegations have had charges brought against them in the past and there is nothing currently in NH law that protects liars. To now say that if I could have been proven to have misremembered something because of the traumatic effect being raped everyday has I could have faced criminal charges is disheartening, dehumanizing, and insulting. There is no reason to make reporting abuse harder for victims other than to protect abusers. It seems that the intention of this bill is to intimidate victims to stay silent. In a time where those in the federal government are trying very hard to protect abusers in power by not following the law to fully release the Epstein files I hate seeing the state that I live following suit. We should be making life harder for abusers, not victims. I urgently oppose this bill.

Victims need protection, not barriers--

I oppose this bill because it may make victims less likely to report crimes. Our laws should protect victims and survivors, not cause them additional shame or blame. Our laws should encourage victims to come forward and report crimes and should offer them relief in the courts. We must believe victims and support survivors. I oppose this bill and urge you to vote against it. Thank you.

The voices of victims is important. I understand that sometimes people lie, but most victims are NOT lying and should not be silenced.

Victims need to have protection

HB1552 sends a dangerous message: victims should not be believed when they come forward. Survivors need laws that expand safety and access to justice, not ones that create new hurdles or shut doors. Being a victim and asked to attest to my truthfulness not only adds to the shame and self-blame experienced by myself and many stalking victims, but it's also likely to further discourage us from seeking essential relief. Victims should not be afraid of potential legal consequences when they already fear for their lives.

I oppose this bill because it creates an additional hurdle to victims coming forward. Already, most rape victims are too afraid to come forward because it forces them to relive their trauma and they often don't receive any justice. This bill puts additional fear of legal consequences on victims who already fear for their lives.

I write to oppose HB 1552-FN and urge you to consider the realities of domestic violence that this bill overlooks. This bill solves a problem that doesn’t exist while creating real barriers to safety. Perjury is already illegal under RSA 641:1. Petitioners for protective orders already swear under oath that their statements are true. Adding additional warnings and signature requirements suggests that protective order petitioners are uniquely untrustworthy, a premise unsupported by evidence and harmful to victim safety. The bill fundamentally misunderstands the domestic violence context. Victims seeking protective orders are often recently escaped from or still living with their abuser. They’re experiencing trauma that affects memory and ability to recall exact details. Many are confused about what “counts” as abuse due to years of gaslighting. They’re terrified of retaliation. When you’ve been told for years that you’re crazy, overreacting, or misremembering events, being forced to sign multiple statements acknowledging criminal penalties for “material false statements” is deeply intimidating, even when you’re telling the truth. Abusers already weaponize accusations of lying. A core tactic of domestic abuse is convincing victims that no one will believe them. This bill hands abusers additional ammunition. They can say, “You better not file that order because you know they’ll charge you with perjury if you can’t prove everything.” The threat doesn’t need to be real to be effective in silencing victims. What constitutes a “material false statement” in the context of abuse? Is it lying if you say you “fear for your safety” but can’t prove that feeling in court? If an abuser choked you but you can’t remember if it was Tuesday or Wednesday, is that perjury? If emotional abuse has made you doubt your own experiences, and some details turn out to be incorrect, have you committed a crime? The ambiguity creates exactly the kind of uncertainty that will prevent people from seeking help. This bill will particularly harm the most vulnerable. Those with language barriers, disabilities, mental health conditions, lower education levels, or cognitive impacts from trauma will be disproportionately frightened by additional legal warnings they may not fully understand. These are often the victims who most need court protection. Research shows false protective orders are rare. Studies consistently find that the vast majority of protective order requests involve genuine safety concerns. Meanwhile, we know that domestic violence is significantly underreported and many victims never seek legal protection at all. This bill addresses a minor concern while potentially exacerbating a major public safety problem. We should be removing barriers, not adding them. New Hampshire should make it easier, not harder, for abuse victims to access the legal protections they need. If there are concerns about false statements, the existing perjury statute is sufficient. This bill adds bureaucracy and intimidation without enhancing justice. I urge the committee to vote Inexpedient to Legislate on HB 1552-FN.

This bill is redundant and, as such, wasteful and unnecessary. Why are we adding hoops for victims to jump through, when they already feel overwhelmed and unsupported. These hoops add nothing that isn’t already in place. I don’t understand the point, unless it is to further intimidate and overwhelm victims.

I am a domestic violence survivor. Please don't make it any other for other victims to come forward.

I Oppose HB 1552 as it might create obstacles or fear for people legitimately seeking protection from abuse or stalking.

HB1552 goes against public safety and amends several of New Hampshire's restraining order laws to make it more difficult for victims to come forward and seek relief. Specifically, this bill would add new language to the following statutes requiring victims to sign a sworn document that they are not providing any false information in the petitions they file: RSA 173-B: civil domestic violence protection orders RSA 633:3-a: civil stalking protection orders RSA 169-C:7-a: protective orders filed on behalf of a minor RSA 458:16: restraining orders filed in divorce cases RSA 461-A:10: restraining orders filed in parenting and custody cases Petitions filed through the Judicial Branch already include a section requiring victims to swear that the information they provided is true and accurate. Further, it cautions them that they could face penalties if any of the information submitted is found to be false. HB1552 is unnecessary. Asking victims to engage in an extra step to prove their credibility serves to reinforce the dangerous stereotype that women lack credibility. These kinds of measures discourage victims from seeking essential relief. Victims should not be afraid of potential legal consequences when they are already in fear for their lives.

As a victim of sexual violence I know how difficult the process can be. Don't make the victim feel like they are not believed.

This bill implies that survivors are lying about their story --.Victims should not be afraid of potential legal consequences when they are already in fear for their lives.

As the President of the General Federation of Women's Club - NH representing 800 clubwomen in NH, I am opposed to this bill. GFWC and GFWC - NH has a long history of supporting victims of domestic and sexual abuse. HB1552 sends a dangerous message that victims shouldn't be believed at a time when they may already fear retaliation from their abuser for coming forward. Click the button and follow the simple steps below to oppose HB1552.

There are already requirements for women to swear they are being truthful. Let's not create more barriers for women to seek help

As a state, we should be eliminating barriers to protection, not increasing them: • Petitions filed through the Judicial Branch already include a section requiring victims to swear that the information they provided is true and accurate. Further, it cautions them that they could face penalties if any of the information submitted is found to be false. HB1552 is unnecessary. • Asking victims to attest to their truthfulness not only adds to the shame and self-blame experienced by many victims, it’s also likely to discourage victims from seeking essential relief. Victims should not be afraid of potential legal consequences when they are already in fear for their lives. HB1552 sends a dangerous message that victims shouldn't be believed at a time when they may already fear retaliation from their abuser for coming forward. These further isolates victims and survivors and increases the likelihood of more fatal consequences.

Position recorded without written comment.

Position recorded without written comment.

Position recorded without written comment.