HB1749 Reinstating the death penalty for murder offenses.
Reinstating the death penalty for murder offenses.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Concerning
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Death penalty cases cost significantly more than life imprisonment due to mandatory extensive appeals processes.
Your Community
Reverses NH's bipartisan 2019 decision; capital punishment has not been shown to deter murder more effectively than life sentences.
Your Freedom
Restoring government authority to execute citizens is a major expansion of state power over individual life.
Status
Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/19/2026 House Journal 5 P. 11
Sponsor
Seth King (R)
The Short Version
Would reinstate the death penalty for murder in NH, reversing the 2019 bipartisan abolition. Killed via Inexpedient to Legislate voice vote.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Proponents of capital punishment as deterrent
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Taxpayers funding expensive capital cases
- ▼ Risk of executing wrongfully convicted individuals
- ▼ NH's stance against capital punishment
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.