This bill establishes reporting requirements for hate-based crimes. It directs local law enforcement agencies to report information on hate-based crimes to the Department of Justice, which will then update the Attorney General's website with the information obtained. The website posting will include details such as the incident number, date and location of the crime, number of victims and suspects, race of the suspects, and the bias motivation for the crime. The Department of Justice will also submit an analysis of this information to the governor, senate president, and speaker of the house of representatives. Local law enforcement agencies will also be required to post this information on their websites on a monthly basis. The bill defines "hate-based crime" as described in RSA 651:6, I(f). The bill will take effect on July 1, 2024.
According to the fiscal note, this bill will have no impact on state revenues. However, it will increase demands placed upon the Attorney General's Office and its Civil Rights Unit. The Department of Justice estimates that it will need at least one additional staff person to analyze the data and produce conclusions and recommendations regarding instances of hate crimes in the state. The estimated cost of this position is $93,000 for FY2025, $90,000 for FY2026, and $93,000 for FY2027. The bill may also require some municipalities to build websites in order to comply with the reporting requirements. The cost of website development varies, and it is unclear if publication of the police arrest log on the municipal website would satisfy the requirements of the bill or if an additional, separate log specifically for hate crimes would be necessary.