HB1001 Allowing for appointment by county attorneys of investigators with law enforcement powers.
Allowing for appointment by county attorneys of investigators with law enforcement powers.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Concerning
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Counties must appropriate funds for new investigator positions and training/certification, creating an uncertain new expense dependent on local budget capacity.
Your Community
Creates a new law enforcement authority structure under prosecutorial control rather than traditional police or sheriff oversight, with unclear accountability mechanisms and potential duplication of existing investigative services.
Your Freedom
Expands law enforcement authority outside traditional police chains of command, concentrating power in county attorneys with less established oversight standards for investigator conduct and use of police powers.
Status
Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 03/05/2026 House Journal 6 P. 20
Sponsor
Bob Lynn (R)
The Short Version
This bill authorizes county attorneys to appoint certified law enforcement investigators who report directly to them and have statewide police powers, subject to county budget approval and county commissioner sign-off. It expands prosecutorial control over a new category of peace officers while maintaining an option for non-certified investigators.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ County attorneys seeking expanded investigative resources
- ▲ Counties with adequate budgets to fund new positions
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Taxpayers in counties that appropriate funds for these positions
- ▼ Residents subject to enforcement actions by investigators outside traditional police accountability structures
- ▼ Existing law enforcement agencies potentially duplicating investigative efforts
Bill statuses as of October 7, 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.