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Lawmakers weigh keeping license‑plate reader law in place as police tout investigatory gains
Summary
The House Transportation Committee heard testimony on HB1059 to stop the scheduled 2027 sunset of RSA 261:75‑b, which regulates license‑plate readers (LPRs). Law‑enforcement witnesses cited drug seizures and arrests; civil‑liberty concerns focused on whether non‑hit data should be retained longer than the statute’s current three‑minute limit.
A House Transportation Committee hearing opened on HB1059, a bill that would prevent the scheduled January 1, 2027, expiration of RSA 261:75‑b, the statute that governs use of license‑plate reader (LPR) systems in New Hampshire.
Prime sponsor Representative Buzz Sher said the measure would "unrepeal" the current law and that he intends to work with stakeholders to amend retention and access provisions. "The bill is…not reflective of UNH or the Portsmouth Police Commission — it is solely in my capacity as a representative," Sher said in opening remarks.
Representatives of law enforcement told the committee that the technology has produced…
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