HB 1576 — relative to the enforcement of criminal restitution obligations.

CHAPTER 233 HB 1576-FN - VERSIONFINAL ADOPTEDVERSION BY BOTH BODIES 19Feb2026...

CHAPTER 233 HB 1576-FN - VERSIONFINAL ADOPTEDVERSION BY BOTH BODIES 19Feb2026...

1233:1 Legislative Findings and Purpose.

2233:2 Restitution;

Restitution shall be made to any collateral source or subrogee, if authorized by that source and after restitution to the victim, and to the victims' assistance fund, if applicable, has been satisfied.satisfieRestitution shall be a continuing obligation of the offender's estate and shall inure to the benefit of the victim's estate, provided that no indebtedness shall pass to any heir of the offender's estate.

Restitution233:3 shallRestitution; be a continuing obligation of the offender's estate and shall inure to the benefit of the victim's estate, provided that no indebtedness shall pass to any heir of the offender's estate.

3 Restitution;

(b) If a reevaluation determines that the offender’s ability to pay has substantially increased, including but not limited to salary increases, lump sum payments, inheritance, HB 1576-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 2 - settlement, or other financial gain, the department shall adjust the payment schedule upward within 30 days.

CHAPTER 233 HB 1576-FN - FINAL VERSION - Page 2 - (e) Each reevaluation shall also include a review of the offender’s payment history.

HB 1576-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES - Page 3 - VIII.

4233:4 Application.

5233:5 Effective Date.

LBAApproved: 26-2889 2/20/26 HB 1576-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT # 2026-0366h) AN ACT relative to the enforcement of criminal restitution obligations.

FISCALJuly IMPACT:02, 2026 Effective Date:

ThisJune bill01, does2027 not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.

Estimated State Impact FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 Revenue Fund(s) None Indeterminable Indeterminable Indeterminable Expenditures* $0 Increase Increase Increase $36,000+ $328,000+ $344,000+ Funding Source(s) General Fund Appropriations* $0 $0 $0 $0 Funding Source(s) None *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill Estimated Political Subdivision Impact FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 County Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 County Expenditures Indeterminable Local Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 Local Expenditures Indeterminable METHODOLOGY:

This bill modernizes the enforcement of criminal restitution obligations by requiring annual mandatory financial reevaluations of all offenders owing restitution, authorizing upward adjustments to payment schedules, providing additional enforcement mechanisms for noncompliance, expanding required victim notifications, requiring restitution payments to be disbursed within 45 days, and creating a new class A misdemeanor for the purposeful failure to make restitution payments.

These provisions apply to both existing and future restitution orders.

The Department of Corrections currently manages more than 13,000 restitution cases and would assume responsibility for all reevaluations, notices, enforcement actions, administrative processing, and victim communications created under the bill.

The Department of Corrections states the bill would significantly expand its workload.

To meet the statutory requirements, the Department anticipates the need for three new case managers (compliance officers I SOC13-04) to conduct mandatory annual financial reevaluations, perform compliance monitoring, and issue notices, as well as one Accountant II (Auditor II SOC13-04) to process increased payment activity, apply payments to victim accounts, and ensure timely disbursement.

In FY 2027, the partial-year cost for the four positions beginning June 1, 2027 is $36,000, increasing to $328,000 in FY 2028 and $344,000 in FY 2029 for full-year salary, benefits, and related operating expenses.

Based on the bill’s stated effective date of June 1, 2027, DOC calculated a one-month impact in FY 2027;

however, it is unclear whether the June 1, 2027 effective date is intentional, as it results in only one month of fiscal year 2027 being affected.

If the intent was to begin costs at the start of a new fiscal year, an effective date of July 1, 2027 would align with the FY 2028 and FY 2029 budget.

FY 2027 Position (One Month of FY 2028 FY 2029 Expenses) Case Manager #1 (SOC13-04) $9,000 $82,000 $86,000 Case Manager #2 (SOC13-04) $9,000 $82,000 $86,000 Case Manager #3 (SOC13-04) $9,000 $82,000 $86,000 Accountant II (SOC13-04) $9,000 $82,000 $86,000 Total All Positions $36,000 $328,000 $344,000 In addition, several provisions of the bill such as automatic deduction of restitution from inmate accounts, expanded enforcement authority, and enhanced victim notification requirements are not currently supported by the Department’s offender management software.

System modifications would be required.

The Department indicates this work would require outside programming or vendor support, but the cost is unknown and therefore indeterminable at this time.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Corrections, Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association