NH House Protects Victim Privacy by Tabling HB1675

March 11, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Amanda Grady Sexton, [email protected]

Today, the New Hampshire House effectively killed HB1675 by tabling the bill. The legislation would have forced domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers to respond to public requests for confidential records.

The vote marks a significant victory for survivors and the organizations that provide lifesaving services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault across New Hampshire.

HB1675 was originally introduced as an effort to investigate and defund the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. After widespread public opposition, the bill was repeatedly rewritten. But even in its amended form, it continued to target victim service programs in ways no other nonprofit organization in New Hampshire is.

Domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers operate under strict confidentiality protections established in both state and federal law. These protections exist because victims must be able to speak freely with advocates without fear that their personal information could later be exposed.

Forcing crisis centers to disclose sensitive program information or respond to requests for confidential records would undermine the trust that victims rely on when they reach out for help.

“Today’s vote affirms what survivors and advocates have said from the beginning: confidentiality is not optional when it comes to victim services,” said Lyn Schollett, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “Crisis centers must remain safe places where victims can seek help without fear that their personal information could be exposed, or worse yet, used to find and further harm them.”

“Victims come forward because they believe their conversations will remain private,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “If that trust is broken, many survivors will decide it is safer not to seek help. Today’s decision ensures that victims in New Hampshire can continue to access services without fear.”

“For more than four decades, the Coalition’s crisis centers have helped victims find safety, rebuild their lives, and hold offenders accountable,” Grady Sexton said. “This bill was never about improving services for victims. It was a vendetta driven by conspiracy theories and personal attacks.”

“We are grateful to Governor Kelly Ayotte for making clear that she would veto this bill if it reached her desk,” Grady Sexton said. “Her commitment sent a powerful message that the safety and privacy of victims must always be protected.”

The Coalition is grateful to the many survivors, advocates, community leaders, and legislators who spoke out against the bill and helped ensure that the safety and privacy of victims remained the top priority.
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“Our focus is where it has always been,” Schollett said. “Supporting victims, strengthening communities, and continuing the work of ending domestic and sexual violence in New Hampshire.”