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HB 614 · 2025 · House · Judiciary Committee

Relief for constitutional rights violations

AI-generated

relative to litigation alleging constitutional rights violations.

Provides that a person who proves a violation of rights under the state constitution is entitled to relief even without proof of monetary damages.AI-generated

Status

Died on the table in the House · March 26, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✕House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill states that a person who successfully proves that his or her rights under the state constitution were violated is entitled to relief even if no monetary damages are proven.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as introduced. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“Any New Hampshire court shall remedy a completed violation of a person’s state constitutional rights with relief including, but not limited to, declaratory judgment, nominal damages, and any other appropriate equitable relief.”
RSA 354-C:1
“If any provision of this chapter or any application of such provision to any particular person or circumstance is held to be invalid by any court of law, the remainder of this chapter and any remaining application of its provisions to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.”
RSA 354-C:2
“This remedy may be awarded under the state constitution itself, under the grant of authority in this statute, under the court’s common law equitable jurisdiction, or any combination thereof.”
RSA 354-C:1
“Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as a legislative finding that the New Hampshire constitution does not entail retrospective remedies.”
RSA 354-C:1

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Glenn CordelliRPrime
  • Rep. Keith AmmonRMajority Floor Leader
  • Rep. Lex BerezhnyRAssistant Majority Leader
  • Rep. Juliet Harvey-BoliaRDeputy Majority Floor Leader
  • Rep. Gregory HillRChair· Legislative Administration
  • Rep. Dan McGuireRVice Chair· Finance
  • Rep. Jennifer RhodesRVice Chair· Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Also: Rep. Kristine PerezR, Rep. Kevin VervilleR, Rep. Paul TerryR

Public testimony

36 signed in online · 12 wrote testimony

78% support22% oppose0% neutral

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“I support HB 614 as it asserts that if a person's constitutional rights were violated in the past, they still have recourse to a remedy.…”
— Barbara Harwood, MEREDITHsupports
“God gives life. People who are suicidal need help. Give them the support and help they need.”
— Gloria St Martin, Wolfeborosupports
“HB-614 is remedial legislation to enable retroactive due process when constitutional rights have been violated in the past. Please vote OTP to fix this gap in the law to provide remedy to those who have had their rights so abridged in the past.”
— Walter Stapleton, Claremontsupports
“I am an independent voter in NH. This bill seems to be unnecessary at best, and at worst creates an opportunity for frivolous lawsuits that tax our overburdened courts and increase costs for NH taxpayers.”
— Debora Hatcher, Doveropposes
“It seems to me this law would put undue burden on the state and require state responsibility for constitutional rights violations that do not involve the state. This law burdens the state with unknown, thus unrestricted, damages.”
— Leigh Hutchinson, Derryopposes

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Mar 10, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Inexpedient to Legislate14–4
    Overall
    78% yea
  • Mar 26, 2025HouseDivisionLay HB614 on Table (Rep. Lynn)Adopted177–167
    Overall
    51% yea
  • Mar 27, 2025HouseRoll callRemove from Table (Rep. McFarlane)Failed76–287How they voted
    Overall
    21% yea
    Republicans
    72–12936% yea
    Democrats
    4–1582% yea

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 12, 2025Public hearingHouse Judiciary6:09:34–6:10:511m 17slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Mar 10, 2025Public hearingHouse JudiciaryWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamMajority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate — roll call; Executive Session
  • Mar 26, 2025Floor debateHouse floor2:55:01–3:00:275m 26slocated in the stream transcriptLay HB614 on Table (Rep. Lynn) — adopted, division 177-167
  • Mar 27, 2025Floor debateHouse floor6:10:53–6:16:495m 56slocated in the stream transcriptRemove from Table (Rep. McFarlane) — failed, roll call 76-287
  • Dec 17, 2025Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamDied on Table, Session ended

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 9, 2025HouseIntroduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Judiciary HJ 3 P. 19
  2. Feb 12, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/12/2025 03:15 pm LOB 206-208
  3. Mar 7, 2025House==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 03/07/2025 10:00 am LOB 206-208
  4. Mar 10, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/10/2025 01:00 pm LOB 206-208
  5. Mar 10, 2025HouseMajority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 03/10/2025 (Vote 14-4; RC) HC 17 P. 35
  6. Mar 14, 2025HouseMinority Committee Report: Ought to Pass
  7. Mar 26, 2025HouseLay HB614 on Table (Rep. Lynn): MA DV 177-167 03/26/2025 HJ 10 P. 79
  8. Mar 27, 2025HouseRemove from Table (Rep. McFarlane): MF RC 76-287 03/27/2025 HJ 11 P. 69
  9. Dec 17, 2025HouseDied on Table, Session ended 12/17/2025 HJ 18

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.