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Contentious hearing on bill to restrict PRC nationals from owning certain New Hampshire property

House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee · January 15, 2026

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Summary

Representative Beltre proposed HB 16‑06 to restrict real property ownership by certain PRC nationals and to authorize civil penalties and forfeiture without criminal conviction in some cases; the measure drew intense constitutional, practical and fairness objections from lawmakers and the Association of Realtors.

Representative Beltre presented HB 16‑06, a proposal that would broaden last year’s restrictions on certain foreign ownership and add facilitation prohibitions, civil penalties, and civil forfeiture mechanisms with incentives for local reporting. Beltre framed the bill as a national‑security response to what he described as an extended strategy of influence and asymmetric warfare by the People’s Republic of China.

He said the bill would permit earlier civil forfeiture actions and provide financial shares of penalties to local governments as incentives to cooperate in enforcement. "We need the power to initiate civil forfeiture proceedings on these non‑citizen owned properties before there is a criminal conviction," the sponsor said, arguing this would prevent transfers and flight of assets.

Members raised strongly worded constitutional objections, calling the proposal a presumption of guilt and noting due‑process protections for persons on U.S. soil. Questions focused on how the bill would treat green‑card holders, dual‑citizenship cases, long‑standing family businesses and potential conflicts with fair‑housing and anti‑discrimination law. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors warned that the measure could expose realtors to civil and criminal liability and create fair‑housing problems by prompting discriminatory disclosures about national origin.

Committee members requested additional legal review on due process, civil asset forfeiture, and operational consequences; the hearing closed with no vote and requests for more information.