This bill amends the crime of interference with custody by introducing new legal provisions that define specific actions as felonies or offenses when they are intended to disrupt a lawful custody order or evade court jurisdiction. The bill adds new paragraphs to RSA 633:4, establishing that a person can be charged with a class B felony if they knowingly interfere with a court-ordered parenting time arrangement for a child under 18 years old, either by obstructing contact or by taking the child in violation of the court order. Additionally, it creates a new offense for individuals who take a child out of the jurisdiction without court permission when a custody suit is pending, with penalties ranging from fines for first or second offenses to a class B felony for subsequent violations.

Furthermore, the bill provides an affirmative defense for individuals charged under these new provisions if they can demonstrate that they were entitled to parenting time or were acting in good faith to protect the child from imminent danger or domestic violence. The act is set to take effect upon its passage, and while it is expected to have indeterminable fiscal impacts on state and local judicial and correctional systems, no specific revenue changes are anticipated.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 633:4