CONCORD – Today, HB 687, a bill establishing a procedure for issuing extreme risk protection orders to protect against persons who pose an immediate risk of harm to themselves or others, was signed by the Senate President. It will next be delivered to the Secretary of State before heading to the governor’s desk where he will have five business days to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

Senator Martha Hennessey (D-Hanover) issued the following statement in response:

“Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) laws are a public health and safety measure. In 2018, a CDC report identified New Hampshire as having the third highest increase in suicide deaths nationwide. It is the second leading cause of death in people under the age of 24 and accounts for 90% of gun deaths here in New Hampshire. This cannot continue.

HB 687 creates due process that gives concerned family members and law enforcement the tools to request assistance from our courts in protecting someone who may be a danger to themselves and others. I urge Governor Sununu to lend his support to this life saving legislation and sign HB 687 into law.”

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