Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Expand 911 Immunity for Victims of Violent Crime
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3207
CONCORD - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted Ought to Pass on HB 546, which expands upon existing immunity laws for individuals reporting certain emergencies or crimes to law enforcement.
After the vote, Senator Becky Whitley (D-Hopkinton) issued the following statement:
“Existing NH law provides immunity from prosecution for possession or control of a controlled drug for individuals who, in good faith and in a timely manner, report a drug overdose to law enforcement. Since this immunity law has been enacted, the rate of drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire has been steadily decreasing. This bill will extend immunity from those charges to instances where an individual, in good faith and in a timely manner, reports to law enforcement that they or someone else has been a victim of a violent crime. Passage of this bill will save lives, and will further allow us to build upon the community cooperation we’ve been able to achieve in our current immunity law. HB 546 will enhance public safety by removing a barrier some folks experience when reporting violent crime in New Hampshire, making the state a safer place for us all.”
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