This bill introduces new grounds for the termination of tenancy under the landlord and tenant statute by amending RSA 540:2, II. The new subparagraph (j) specifies that a tenant or any occupant of the rented premises may be evicted if they are unlawfully present in the United States, have been convicted of certain serious crimes (including murder, sexual assault, and domestic violence) within three years prior to the eviction notice, or are classified as a "sexual offender" as defined by RSA 651-B:1, IV.

The bill does not allocate funding but anticipates an increase in eviction filings, which may require additional judicial resources, including at least one new judge and several court operations specialists. The Judicial Branch estimates that the increased caseload could lead to General Fund expenditures of over $500,000 but less than $1,000,000 annually. Additionally, the bill is expected to generate increased filing fee revenue, estimated to be more than $10,000 and less than $100,000 per year, due to the anticipated rise in landlord-tenant cases. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 540:2
HB1499 text: 540:2