[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6366180,"mediaKeyId","2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c","parentId",2159615,"title","Sponsor seeks to tighten impaired-driver education and allow out-of-state completion","audioSeconds",147,"startMs",2914000,"endMs",3061000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c&start=2914&end=3061","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c/thumbnail_2914000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6366180/New-Hampshire/Sponsor-seeks-to-tighten-impaired-driver-education-and-allow-out-of-state-completion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366180-73acb871a8b3847b98f25fef504bc169/orig.mp4?Expires=1777632387&Signature=agfELOexPct-prGlGI7eTszHh8VswY0Iy4OX02ODY77CrvEppAdTL8XK93seHEFwrIpibDYlZyoZoWE9gW5FGa1bDrVT7CbiIIMH2sSRyFxWCeURvnYq~44f36Yjyy6hWAbqDnWbEoWnOLa5ORTUwmZPtU7~GhaKcACFL-zZN7tzhZZuLmDY1uOrBL~cSGtiwp9erKknG8h28tOUt6cHmNRq2X14Bo73gDd~MxjuYY97HrpwNWFYRfqeA-~POhoCPofQP62SmfU4PyRsrFIvMQdBHdifjFjKPaW8dWzRjBclL1Anxu3xK-YLTKmwu-KuLJ4SOAT~0WJWjSa4ij7Gkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Senate","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","Sen. Sue Prentice, prime sponsor of Senate Bill 143, told the Judiciary Committee the bill cleans up statutory authority for the impaired driving care management program and strengthens requirements to improve public safety.

The bill’s changes fall into four areas: remove a provision that restricts the program to one-time completion (so repeat offenders within a five-year window would be required to repeat screening/treatment), permit out-of-state residents arrested in New Hampshire to complete approved programs in their home state without preapproval (allowing submission of a completion certificate after the fact), align required program hours across jurisdictions where reasonable, and allow program services provided out of state by providers approved by that other state to satisfy New Hampshire requirements.

Sen. Prentice, a paramedic by background, framed the bill as a public-safety measure, citing motor-vehicle crashes and impairment as leading causes of death for younger age groups. Jenny O’Higgins of DHHS and other department staff supported the amendments as “clean-up” language to enable reciprocity and better screening and evaluation for repeat offenders.

Committee members asked whether the reciprocity provisions would also apply to New Hampshire residents arrested out-of-state; witnesses said the bill is focused on arrests that occur in New Hampshire but added that the statute cleanup will better enable mutual recognition when out-of-state programs meet New Hampshire standards. The committee adjourned the SB 143 hearing with no committee vote recorded.

Ending: No vote was taken; sponsors said the changes are intended to strengthen screening and treatment access, particularly for repeat offenders and nonresidents arrested in-state who wish to complete programs in their home state.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Judiciary (01/28/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 143 would update the impaired driving care management program: require re-enrollment for repeat offenders within five years, allow out-of-state residents to complete approved equivalent programs without preapproval, and permit out-of-state residents arrested here to receive services in their home state under certain conditions.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate , Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",29511,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366186,"Committee hears bill to increase license-suspension penalties for chemical-test refusal",275,2558000,2833000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c&start=2558&end=2833","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c/thumbnail_2558000.jpg","/articles/6366186/New-Hampshire/Committee-hears-bill-to-increase-license-suspension-penalties-for-chemical-test-refusal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366186-21d43f3c4d229a4b2eac515d988290ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1777632387&Signature=N8ntiKAgpMzswNWKhwIzrwp42-2rVU32owONZ8oFbDvlhLQzcxJM47K44VlTcl9kfWq9hTEK0-W9Q5jMMRRYgaGj1c3XOxlNdPpFxxULNyEwy4RHQ5lHF4iGUsVHkXRmk2s8gVO-gj09wPQGb-If4c-zqb6aVqhpVknk-rD8ra8q0-abLsGAnPdIjZ4t1GVA72836MWSzgf42HJTMs22mukiyjs7O0xGy1grSRaodW04sB69~wgiiouJKH2dVM71wN0CnGKssG3DCFNsHLuRSnA1-NmXsIFQkONjqFvtQ7Lg-wPYz~JXqaMekcwnu6qsZ-KuKQVw6VLRoEHtvd1d0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. William Gannon introduced Senate Bill 54, which would increase administrative license-suspension periods tied to refusals of chemical testing and allow out-of-state convictions and administrative refusals to count as prior offenses in New Hampshire.

Ryan McFarland of the Department of Safety’s Bureau of Hearings told the committee New Hampshire has one of the nation’s highest chemical-test refusal rates (citing roughly 68–70% in recent years) and outlined the bill’s four main elements: raise the first-refusal administrative suspension from 180 days to one year; raise subsequent-refusal suspension from two years to three years; permit out-of-state convictions and administrative refusals to be used as priors for New Hampshire administrative action; and provide a six-month reduction in the administrative suspension for a driver who pleads guilty to a DWI to encourage cooperation and treatment.

Trooper Sam Provenza of the New Hampshire State Police testified in support, describing the dangers associated with refusals and urging stronger administrative consequences to deter refusals. “We are looking to add some equity to the statute by saying we are asking to increase the penalties for refusals but if you do the right thing we want to also add some equity by suspending that jail time,” Trooper Provenza said, referencing proposed discretion for judges when an impaired driver cooperates and submits to testing.

Defense counsel argued against significant increases in administrative penalties and raised constitutional and due-process concerns. Attorney Robert Moses, representing the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, told the committee that longer administrative suspensions risk becoming punitive rather than remedial, noted problems with the information provided to arrestees on the ALS/DSM form, and warned of disparate impacts for commercial drivers whose consequences differ on a commercial license.

The committee did not take a committee vote at the hearing. Committee members sought clarification on administrative versus criminal consequences and on interstate reporting of convictions; witnesses said state DMVs already exchange conviction and administrative-suspension data.

Ending: No committee vote was taken; sponsors and law-enforcement witnesses signaled support while defense counsel urged caution on constitutional and due-process implications.","Senate Bill 54 would lengthen administrative license suspensions for drivers who refuse chemical tests and broaden use of out-of-state convictions and refusals in New Hampshire’s administrative process; the Department of Safety and state police testified in support while defense attorneys opposed some provisions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366191,"Panel considers adding wrong-way driving as aggravating factor for DWI",151,2296000,2447000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c&start=2296&end=2447","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c/thumbnail_2296000.jpg","/articles/6366191/New-Hampshire/Panel-considers-adding-wrong-way-driving-as-aggravating-factor-for-DWI","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366191-927e55927d03e0c16c26d34d952c117a/orig.mp4?Expires=1777632387&Signature=SQLzA2SDr98dLyg11hA~4xTGsvV4k65khq-rv-A9YIjIFcRrkcmIaYn9AqVwAXPhtswNt83ToLSell6~XP2lrBSUHwfCdNLsdgqdvi3XY2P4w3OrqMIICo2dSD6u8En6L97c-WGjM8GEa~qKjss0qbYLyAqP~~OwNSCG6hzlEV2TgHNnSPzIV3Ac1Yc5er3GOca7RS44XBeo7eOR9O2VXhpl0lsT18Q~lgxBWk4-teg3IXGxva2CuUFJyJQfYristQGwZTeNd-WEBG3bppiKppgXZoZZqDx2kvnXvK-A-6D2n71CwBu-oyoA1VUviKUWa1i981AzdmcIDbcqosV1AA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 149, introduced by Sen. Regina Buritzel as a request from the Department of Safety, would add driving the wrong way on the road (a violation of RSA 265:26 I) to the list of aggravating factors that can elevate a DWI to aggravated DWI.

Trooper Sam Provenza, commander of the New Hampshire State Police drug recognition expert unit, told the committee that wrong-way driving on highways has produced severe, frequently fatal crashes and that many wrong-way incidents are linked to alcohol or drug impairment. “We have a problem in the state of New Hampshire with people driving the wrong way on our highways,” Provenza said, citing 629 wrong-way driver calls to State Police from June 2021 to February 2024.

Proponents said the proposed addition would help deter dangerous behavior and hold impaired drivers more accountable. The Department of Safety testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked for clarification and details; there were no committee votes recorded at the hearing. The committee adjourned the hearing on SP 149 after testimony from the State Police and the bill’s sponsor.

Ending: No committee action was taken at this hearing; sponsors and law enforcement indicated support for the measure.","Senate Bill 149 would make driving the wrong way on a highway an aggravating factor that can elevate a driving-while-intoxicated offense to an aggravated DWI. Law enforcement testified the change addresses a spike of wrong-way incidents tied to impaired drivers.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366196,"Senate committee hears bill to criminalize unsafe drone use near emergency operations",1233,969000,2202000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c&start=969&end=2202","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159615-2a6cf4235045941b966e34c4c349db8c/thumbnail_969000.jpg","/articles/6366196/New-Hampshire/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-criminalize-unsafe-drone-use-near-emergency-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366196-c874a3dc810c72ffd69b8bda0bc777ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1777632387&Signature=J5X7zamolz9sfCuF01cgGQAdQoTazeX43~CNS~NfHIb~XeN3YQo7Vcvc532JBq~zO3WrlGMg5qvNWSI51hoRrbw9WjolUwdjF70qnS6ff0HZLsIIJY2wvMlLhLQHZiN1dgCuYq2pMYOgAMlgPwDl7JXq639l7r7TzmQCTI-rSs~5NOdfYU-G5eLGlCLRSQqTQeV69FKYCh5W6L-tIrBTKVT0uUHNM4ZGa8sLZYEkvoTAqC0EjKjFBb2SRDCGMC9DHgcJnBUyHYY-xsrOWTpifObpIs9PkRbZv7FQYy0hmG1YCPs4RFQBfe0Cwvmcv5WMIsgvHzGVpxvi0-JFiF03fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Regina Buritzel, prime sponsor of Senate Bill 49, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Department of Safety requested the bill to create crimes and penalties for unlawful use of small unmanned aircraft systems.

The bill would make it a misdemeanor to operate a small UAS that interferes with law enforcement, firefighting or other emergency response operations, Sen. Regina Buritzel said. It also would create an array of tougher penalties: a misdemeanor for operating a small UAS in FAA-restricted airspace over a correctional facility, a class B felony if the operation was intended to deliver contraband or aid an escape, and felony charges when a UAS operation causes damage to a manned aircraft or injuries.

The measure directs courts to look to Federal Aviation Administration rules in defining some conduct and, in an amendment the Department of Safety indicated it would submit, cross-references the state Aeronautics Act (RSA 422), Christopher Ball of the Department of Safety said. “This is a very important issue regarding the use of drones in New Hampshire,” Ball said, calling the technology both popular and “emerging.”

Representatives of state and federal installations and agencies told the committee they support stronger rules. Tricia Lambert, administrator of the Bureau of Aeronautics, said the bureau’s work under RSA 422 informed the bill and that the state seeks to balance promoting safe drone use while targeting nefarious actors. “The intent here is to simply find those that are nefarious and/or repeat offenders,” Lambert said.

Officials from New Boston Space Force Station urged stiffer penalties near military installations. Thaddeus Dickinson, the station’s counterterrorism program manager, said the installation supports the bill and asked the committee to consider increasing penalties for flights over military property so repeated minor violations would not amount to “free flights” that could be used to collect sensitive data. “Failure is not an option for what we do,” another station witness said, describing routine mission traffic.

Helen Hanks, commissioner of the Department of Corrections, told the committee that drones used to drop contraband have “truly destructive” consequences in correctional settings, citing incidents elsewhere in the country. Chief Jay Dara, chief of investigations for the Department of Corrections, described a 90-day pilot of drone-detection equipment that identified several “careless” flights over a facility; the pilot did not detect criminal contraband drops during the test period.

Committee members asked about definitions and public education. Ball and Lambert said New Hampshire already has an RSA-aligned definition of small UAS and that manufacturers and FAA tools often warn recreational users when they approach airports. Committee members pressed whether the bill would chill hobbyist use; testimony repeatedly emphasized the bill’s stated intent to promote lawful drone use while enabling enforcement against dangerous misuse.

The committee concluded public testimony and adjourned the hearing on SP 49 without taking a committee vote. The bill will return to committee for further markup if sponsors or staff submit formal amendments.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action on SP 49 at this hearing; staff indicated the Department of Safety planned a technical amendment to reference federal rules and RSA 422.","The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 49, a Department of Safety–backed measure that would create criminal penalties for misuse of small unmanned aircraft systems (drones), targeting interference with emergency responders, airport operations and deliveries to correctional facilities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sponsor seeks to tighten impaired-driver education and allow out-of-state completion

Committee hears bill to increase license-suspension penalties for chemical-test refusal

Panel considers adding wrong-way driving as aggravating factor for DWI

Senate committee hears bill to criminalize unsafe drone use near emergency operations