Ayotte Signs Three Bills To Strengthen Protections For Crime Victims

By Damien Fisher, NH Journal

Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed new protections for victims of abuse into law Monday, both fulfilling a policy priority and reminding voters of her pro-public-safety politics as the November election approaches.

“Every survivor deserves to know that New Hampshire stands with them and that our laws are there to protect them when they need help most,” Ayotte said at the signing, which took place at the offices of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

“These new laws build on the progress we made last year by closing gaps in protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, strengthening support for crime victims, and helping to prevent and stop human trafficking.”

The three new laws, all of which have bipartisan support, align with Ayotte’s focus on tackling crime and protecting victims. She successfully pushed lawmakers to get a bail reform bill on her desk as soon as she took office last year, signing it last March.

HB 1651 gives sexual assault survivors a new option to seek a protective order. HB 1576 strengthens enforcement of court-ordered restitution and requires victims to be notified when payments change or are interrupted. HB 1469 requires certain massage businesses to be licensed, giving state regulators and law enforcement another tool to identify illegal activity, including human trafficking.

“Supporting victims of crime has long been a bipartisan priority in New Hampshire,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, the director of public affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “These new laws build on that strong tradition by removing barriers survivors have faced and making sure our laws better reflect the realities of victimization.”

Perhaps not surprisingly for a governor who once served as the state’s attorney general, Ayotte has made crime and public safety a priority since taking office. She often touts the new bail reform law she worked with GOP legislators to pass last year, for example.

New Hampshire ranks No. 1 in the nation for public safety, according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings. The state also had the nation’s lowest homicide rate and lowest gun-homicide rate in 2024, according to CDC data.

That may explain why her Democratic opponent, former Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, rarely raises the law-and-order issue.

These new laws are another example of leaders like Ayotte doing the right thing for survivors, said Shauna Foster, executive director at New Beginnings – Without Violence and Abuse.

“The work that crisis center advocates in New Hampshire do every day to provide life-saving services for victims would not be possible without the dedication of Gov. Ayotte and the legislature to address domestic and sexual violence in our state. Survivors deserve to feel safe in their communities, and an important part of that is advancing policies that enhance access to justice and improve victims’ rights.”

Rep. Jennifer Rhodes (R-Winchester) said these new laws are the result of survivors going to Concord to tell their stories and lawmakers ensuring those survivors are heard.

“Every new law addressing domestic and sexual violence is born out of a survivor sharing their story and legislators, advocates, and leaders like Gov. Ayotte coming together to find a solution to gaps in our system,” Rhodes said.

Warmington did not respond to a request for comment Monday, and there is no mention of crime or public safety on the “priorities” page of her campaign website.

Warmington does want to stop at least one person from breaking the law, however.

President Donald Trump.

“When Trump breaks the law and hurts Granite Staters, New Hampshire has to fight back. And that means taking him to court when necessary,” according to her website.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.