HB1737 Relative to reinstating the death penalty for certain offenses against minors under 13 years of age.
Relative to reinstating the death penalty for certain offenses against minors under 13 years of age.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Concerning
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Death penalty cases are far more expensive than life imprisonment due to lengthy appeals, costing taxpayers significantly more.
Your Community
While targeting heinous crimes, reinstating capital punishment reverses NH's 2019 bipartisan decision to abolish it and does not demonstrably deter crime.
Your Freedom
Reinstating government power to execute citizens is a significant expansion of state authority over individual life.
Status
Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/19/2026 House Journal 5 P. 10
Sponsor
Mike Belcher (R)
The Short Version
Would reinstate the death penalty specifically for crimes against children under 13. NH abolished the death penalty in 2019. Killed via Inexpedient to Legislate voice vote.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Those who believe capital punishment deters child predators
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Taxpayers funding expensive death penalty prosecutions
- ▼ Those who value NH's abolition of capital punishment
- ▼ Wrongful conviction risk
Bill statuses as of May 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.