Bill Text: NH HB698 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Criminalizing the act of a person claiming to be a member of law enforcement when the person is not in uniform and cannot produce identification proving the claim.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Public Hearing: 01/31/2025 01:30 pm Legislative Office Building 202-204 [HB698 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB698-Introduced.html

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HB 698-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2025 SESSION

25-0561

11/09

 

HOUSE BILL 698-FN

 

AN ACT criminalizing the act of a person claiming to be a member of law enforcement when the person is not in uniform and cannot produce identification proving the claim.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Corcoran, Hills. 28; Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4; Rep. Granger, Straf. 2; Rep. Tom Mannion, Hills. 1

 

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill creates a felony-level offense for claiming to be law enforcement when not in uniform and being unable to produce identification to prove the claim.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-0561

11/09

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

 

AN ACT criminalizing the act of a person claiming to be a member of law enforcement when the person is not in uniform and cannot produce identification proving the claim.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  New Section; False Claim of Authority.  Amend RSA 104 by inserting after section 104:28-a the following new section:

104:28-b  Unsupported Claim of Authority.

Any person who knowingly claims or holds themselves out to be a law enforcement officer of any state or federal law enforcement agency with the intent to exercise power vested in such officer, while not wearing their official uniform and not providing official proof of membership in that agency upon demand, shall be guilty of a class B felony.  This section shall not apply to law enforcement officers engaged in legitimate pre-approved undercover activity.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.

 

LBA

25-0561

1/3/25

 

HB 698-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT criminalizing the act of a person claiming to be a member of law enforcement when the person is not in uniform and cannot produce identification proving the claim.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:  

Estimated State Impact
		FY 2025	FY 2026		FY 2027	FY 2028
Revenue		$0	$0		$0	$0
Revenue Fund		None
Expenditures*		Indeterminable
Funding Source		General Fund
Appropriations*		$0	$0		$0	$0
Funding Source		None
*Expenditure = Cost of bill            *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact
		FY 2025	FY 2026		FY 2027	FY 2028
County Revenue		$0	$0		$0	$0
County Expenditures		Indeterminable
Local Revenue		$0	$0		$0	$0
Local Expenditures		Indeterminable

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation.  Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association