This bill establishes felony-level offenses for assaults against firefighters, emergency medical care providers, and law enforcement officers, specifically targeting those who assault law enforcement officers due to their employment. It amends the Criminal Code by adding new subparagraphs to RSA 631:1 and RSA 631:2, which define first and second-degree assaults that result in serious bodily injury or bodily injury to these professionals while they are acting in the line of duty. The bill also clarifies that such assaults can be committed regardless of whether the officer is on duty, as long as the intent is to harm them because of their role as law enforcement officers.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing language in RSA 651:6 regarding extended terms of imprisonment for crimes against these professionals, specifying that certain offenses will not apply if the victim is a law enforcement officer. It also makes minor deletions and insertions in the definitions of first and second-degree assault, removing references to specific age and strangulation criteria. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage and is expected to have indeterminable fiscal impacts on state and local expenditures related to the judicial and correctional systems.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 631:1, 631:2, 651:6
As Amended by the Senate: 631:1, 631:2, 651:6
Version adopted by both bodies: 631:1, 631:2, 651:6