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Committee reviews bill to stiffen penalties for breath/blood-test refusals after high state refusal rate
Summary
Law-enforcement officials urged changes to New Hampshire's implied-consent refusal penalties, citing a 70–75% refusal rate; supporters said stiffer administrative license suspensions would reduce impaired driving, while civil-liberties advocates and some legislators questioned constitutional and implementation issues.
A New Hampshire Senate committee held a public hearing on SB 54, which would increase administrative penalties for drivers who refuse breath or blood testing after being stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Sponsor testimony and law-enforcement witnesses urged the committee to address what they described as an unusually high refusal rate in New Hampshire — "about a 70 to 75 percent refusal rate," the sponsor said — compared with a typical national rate of about 20–25 percent. Department of Safety witnesses said…
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