STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
SENATE
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
FOR THE CONSENT CALENDAR
Thursday, April 9, 2026
THE COMMITTEE ON Judiciary
to which was referred HB 1240-FN
AN ACT relative to the apparent use of a deadly weapon during the offense of criminal threatening.
Having considered the same, the committee recommends that the Bill
BE REFERRED TO INTERIM STUDY
BY A VOTE OF: 5-0
Senator Daryl Abbas
For the Committee
House Bill 1240-FN makes it a class B felony to commit criminal threatening while using what reasonably appears to be a deadly weapon. The Committee recommends the bill for Interim Study after raising concerns about the breadth and ambiguity of the “appears to be a deadly weapon” standard, the potential for inconsistent application and expanded prosecutorial discretion, and whether existing criminal threatening statutes are sufficient to address the conduct at issue, warranting further review.
Brendan Bunnell 271-4063
FOR THE CONSENT CALENDAR
Judiciary
HB 1240-FN, relative to the apparent use of a deadly weapon during the offense of criminal threatening.
Interim Study, Vote 5-0.
Senator Daryl Abbas for the committee.
House Bill 1240-FN makes it a class B felony to commit criminal threatening while using what reasonably appears to be a deadly weapon. The Committee recommends the bill for Interim Study after raising concerns about the breadth and ambiguity of the “appears to be a deadly weapon” standard, the potential for inconsistent application and expanded prosecutorial discretion, and whether existing criminal threatening statutes are sufficient to address the conduct at issue, warranting further review.