← Back to All Bills

HB697 Relative to witness fees in criminal cases.

Criminal Justice Dead Auto-scored

Relative to witness fees in criminal cases.

Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?

6

Overall Impact Score

Mixed

Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)

6
💰

Your Wallet

Better witness compensation ensures people aren't financially penalized for participating in the justice system.

6
🏘️

Your Community

Adequate witness fees improve court participation and help ensure justice is served in criminal cases.

5
⚖️

Your Freedom

Addresses fairness in the justice system but has no direct freedom implications.

Status

Refer to Interim Study, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 01/07/2026; Senate Journal 1

Sponsor

Kelley Potenza (R)

The Short Version

Addresses compensation for witnesses in criminal cases. Current witness fees in NH are extremely low and may not even cover travel costs, discouraging cooperation with the justice system.

Who's Behind This Bill?

Who Benefits

  • Witnesses called to testify in criminal cases
  • The justice system

Who Pays the Price

  • Court system budgets

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.