This bill proposes significant reforms to the New Hampshire Judicial Branch's Family Division, now designated as the circuit court, family division. Key changes include the replacement of marital masters with twelve administrative law judges (ALJs), who will be tasked with ensuring respectful treatment of all citizens and adherence to relevant policies and statutes. The bill mandates full judicial and constitutional review of all recommendations made by these judges, thereby safeguarding the rights and liberties of New Hampshire children and parents. Additionally, it allows for alternative dispute resolution methods to reduce adversarial proceedings while ensuring judicial oversight. The jurisdiction of the family division will be expanded to exclusively handle matters previously addressed by superior, district, and probate courts, with a new provision for full judicial review to uphold established rights.

The bill also sets forth new qualifications for the ALJs, requiring a minimum of ten years of professional experience in family law and training in court processes, mediation, negotiation, and psychological maltreatment. It emphasizes the importance of compliance with established rights and liberties, with the administrative judge of the family division responsible for ensuring that litigants have access to necessary information regarding court processes and complaint procedures. Furthermore, recommendations made by the ALJs must be certified by a constitutional judge to protect fundamental rights. The effective date for these changes is January 1, 2027, and the bill is projected to incur increased state expenditures, estimated at $1.67 million in FY 2027 and $3.13 million in FY 2028 and beyond, primarily due to the establishment of new positions and training for the ALJs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 490-D:2, 490-D:7
HB1717 text: 490-D:2, 490-D:7