Amy Vorenberg

HB1651 closes a harmful gap in state law, allowing sexual assault survivors to access a civil protection order when they fear for their safety because it establishes a civil sexual assault protection order in New Hampshire, which will allow survivors to access relief from the courts even when the offender isn't a partner or a stalker. The bill will help ensure these protections extend to all sexual assault survivors in New Hampshire, regardless of their relationship to the offender. Currently, survivors of sexual assault may not be able to access civil domestic violence or stalking orders if they are not in a relationship with the offender, or their experiences don't rise to the level of stalking. HB1651 will strengthen survivors' rights by informing them about the status and location of their rape kit and how long it will be stored. This will give survivors greater control over their kit by allowing them to track its location in the system. This bill also fixes a shortfall in current law by ensuring rape kits are preserved for either the full statute of limitations or 20 years—whichever is longer. This protects access to evidence, especially for child survivors.