Bill Text - HB560 (2024)

Establishing a contact person notification program to assist law enforcement personnel who have contact with a person with mental or physical disabilities and making an appropriation therefor.


Revision: Jan. 13, 2023, 10:22 a.m.

HB 560-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2023 SESSION

23-0247

04/10

 

HOUSE BILL 560-FN-A

 

AN ACT establishing a contact person notification program to assist law enforcement personnel who have contact with a person with mental or physical disabilities and making an appropriation therefor.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Trottier, Belk. 8; Rep. Bordes, Belk. 5; Rep. Bogert, Belk. 5; Rep. Coker, Belk. 2; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17

 

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill requires the state police to establish a contact person notification program to assist law enforcement personnel who have contact with a person with mental or physical disabilities and making an appropriation therefor.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

23-0247

04/10

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three

 

AN ACT establishing a contact person notification program to assist law enforcement personnel who have contact with a person with mental or physical disabilities and making an appropriation therefor.

 

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

 

1  New Subdivision; Contact Person Notification Program.  Amend RSA 106-B by inserting after section 34 the following new subdivision:

Contact Person Notification Program

106-B:35  Definitions.  As used in this subdivision:  

I.  "Contact person notification program" or "program" means the program developed and operated pursuant to this subdivision.  

II.  "Law enforcement officer" means any state, county, or municipal law enforcement officer.

III.  "Participating person" means a person:  

(1)  Who voluntarily provides to a law enforcement agency contact information for a person or persons to assist with communications and better assist the person with disabilities by providing law enforcement with vital information on the specific needs to aid the participating person; or  

(2)  Who has a legal guardian under RSA 464-A and for whom the legal guardian provides to a law enforcement agency contact information to assist with communications, and better assist the person with disabilities by providing law enforcement with vital information on the specific needs to aid the participating person.

106-B:36  Contact Person Notification Program.  

I.  The division of state police shall develop and implement a contact person notification program to assist a law enforcement officer with communications with a participating person during an encounter between the participating person and the law enforcement officer.  The program shall provide the law enforcement officer with access to contact information for a person that is voluntarily submitted by a participating person or the legal guardian of a participating person.  The program shall be capable of interfacing with the state police online telecommunications system (SPOTS).

II.  The division of state police shall develop and implement standards of procedure for the operation of the program for law enforcement agencies consistent with policies adopted by the department of safety.  The standards shall address processing the application of a participating person or that person's legal guardian, determining the validity of identity and legal guardianship information, entering contact information into the state police online telecommunications system (SPOTS). procedures for a participating person or that person's legal guardian to withdraw from the program, and procedures for a law enforcement officer to access contact information.  

2  Appropriation.  The sum of $50,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 is hereby appropriated to the department of safety, division of state police for establishment and administration of the contact person notification program under section 1 of this act.  The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.

 

LBA

23-0247

Revised 1/12/23

 

HB 560-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT establishing a contact person notification program to assist law enforcement personnel who have contact with a person with mental or physical disabilities and making an appropriation therefor.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2023

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

   Appropriation

$0

$50,000

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

$0

$50,000

$0

$0

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [    ] Other

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires the Division of State Police to establish a contact person notification program to assist law enforcement personnel who have contact with a person with mental or physical disabilities and makes a $50,000 general fund appropriation in FY 2024 for establishment and administration of the contact person notification program. The Department does not anticipate needing to hire additional personnel, however does state this bill will increase work performed by existing staff.  The Department states it expects the entire $50,000 appropriation to be expended in FY 2024 to make necessary system programming changes to accommodate the additional information required to be captured under this bill.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Safety