​Amanda Grady Sexton of the coalition said crisis centers rely on federal funding to help survivors access emergency housing, to ensure that sexual assault victims have support when going to the hospital for a rape it, and to help victims of stalking develop a safety plan.

Seven states have already passed similar legislation, Massimilla said. New Hampshire was one of the first states to criminalize human trafficking in 2009, said Jessica Eskeland, public policy specialist with the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence.

It’s still an issue here, Eskeland said.

“A lot of folks think that trafficking is much more of an urban problem and that maybe it isn’t here in New Hampshire, which is, unfortunately, very much untrue,” Eskeland said. “By virtue of being on the I-95 corridor, connecting Maine all the way down to Miami, we are very much at risk for this activity.”
​
Eskeland said it can be hard to get sex trafficking data – partly because many victims are afraid to come forward and risk being charged with other crimes.

The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which trains nurses to examine victims, estimates that 250-300 kits are collected statewide each year. Amanda Grady Sexton, the coalition’s public affairs director, called the backlog unacceptable and said the state must provide law enforcement and the crime lab with additional resources to modernize its system.
​
“When a victim of sexual assault decides to undergo an exam for evidence collection, it’s critical that their rape kit is processed quickly and that the evidence is properly tracked and stored. No victim of sexual assault should ever be left wondering when or if their rape kit will be analyzed,” she said.

“The first time we were made aware of (the untested kits), and the first time there was actually an analysis done of it, was just prior to the grant application by the Department of Justice,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
​
“We’re living in a world where you can track your pizza online but you can’t track your rape kit in New Hampshire. It’s ridiculous,” she said.

In a statement, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault described Maher as an “innovative leader” in the field of combating campus-based violence.
​
“Jeff has a demonstrated history of partnering with students to make campuses safer and improve institutional responses to violence and harassment. His willingness to truly listen to the difficult reality of sexual assault is our best hope of making St. Paul’s a safer campus,” said Lyn Schollett, the coalition’s executive director.

A spokesman for the state’s leading anti-domestic violence group praised Smukler’s ruling.
​
“We’re pleased to see that Owen Labrie’s attempt to avoid accountability for sexually assaulting a minor was denied,” said Amanda Grady Sexton with the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “Labrie’s continuous efforts to evade jail time demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of the seriousness of sexual assault, and has further shown the incredible lengths that predators will go to when refusing to accept ‘no’ for an answer.”

But the proposed bill — still in draft stages — drew swift criticism from the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which said the law already is used judiciously and called it a backstop against inappropriate sexual advances at any age level.
​
“We oppose any legislation that would prohibit prosecutors from being able to make these vital distinctions,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.