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 the elements of first and second-degree assault, respectively. The new language specifies that knowingly causing serious bodily injury or bodily injury to these professionals while they are acting in the line of duty, or targeting them because of their employment, constitutes a felony offense.

Additionally, the bill modifies RSA 651:6 regarding extended terms of imprisonment for crimes committed against these professionals. It includes a new provision that excludes violations of the newly inserted offenses from certain extended sentencing criteria. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage and is expected to have indeterminable impacts on state and local expenditures related to the judicial and correctional systems due to the changes in criminal penalties.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 631:1, 631:2, 651:6
As Amended by the Senate: 631:1, 631:2, 651:6