HB257 Relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.
Relative to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Mixed
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Fiscal note indicates indeterminate cost impact on prosecution, incarceration, and related judicial/correctional systems with no appropriation authorized.
Your Community
Lowers the legal threshold for protecting children and incompetent persons from harm, potentially increasing prosecutions for reckless endangerment and strengthening child welfare enforcement.
Your Freedom
Expands criminal liability by removing the requirement to prove knowing or purposeful conduct, potentially affecting caregivers whose reckless (rather than intentional) actions endanger children.
Status
Refer to Interim Study, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 04/16/2026; Senate Journal 9
Sponsor
Skip Rollins (R)
The Short Version
This bill changes the mental state requirement for the crime of endangering a child or incompetent person from 'knowingly' and 'purposely' to 'recklessly,' making it easier to prosecute cases where someone carelessly (rather than intentionally) endangers a child or vulnerable adult. The fiscal impact on state and local justice systems is indeterminate.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Children under 18 years of age
- ▲ Incompetent persons
- ▲ Child protective services and law enforcement pursuing endangerment cases
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Caregivers and guardians whose reckless conduct may now be prosecuted more easily
- ▼ State and local judicial and correctional systems (indeterminate cost)
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.