Donna Peterson

Dear members of the House Children and Family Law Committee: I want to strongly urge you to vote ITL (inexpedient to legislate) on HB553-FN for the following reasons: Part 1, Article 15 of the NH Constitution provides that no one shall be deprived of their rights until afforded due process of law. A rebuttable presumption of harm flips the due process principle of innocence until proven guilty on its head in the absence of a triggering criminal conviction, and makes it so a parent is presumed unfit and must meet a series of subjective and poorly defined standards to continue caring for their child. The bill allows family court to proceed with parental fitness tests without a conviction, bypassing due process guarantees under both the N.H. and U.S. Constitutions by not requiring a legal finding of guilt. "Physical, emotional, and psychological well-being" replaces both "safety" and life, health, and welfare, and is vague and not clearly defined allowing potential judicial overreach into parental rights, even without criminal charges. I urge you to Please vote ITL on HB 553-FN! Respectively, Donna Peterson