Carson commends Senate passage of stronger DCYF reporting requirements

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Today, Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) issued the following statement on the passage of SB 63, which would extend the timeline for retaining abuse and neglect reports.

“This legislation serves to strengthen the screening process for abuse or neglect reports and would allow for those reports, to be kept on file for much longer than the one year limit previously in place in certain cases. It also requires founded abuse or neglect reporter be kept indefinitely.

“Keeping these reports for seven years is critical to DCYF’s case manager’s ability to determine if a pattern of behaviors over a longer period of time.

“Passing this legislation is an important step in our ongoing efforts to ensure that children in the DCYF system are protected from abuse and neglect.

Carson applauds step towards strengthening NH laws against perpetrators of sex trafficking

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CarsonConcord, NH -Today, HB 1628 was signed, which will make it a crime for a person who agrees to pay for sexual encounters with a person under the age of 18 in New Hampshire. This bill takes an important step to protect children who have been subjected to sex trafficking by establishing felony convictions for individuals who pay for sexual activities with underage persons in New Hampshire.

Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) issued a statement following the bill being signed.

“While it may seem that human trafficking is a problem felt in big cities alone, we know it happens everywhere, including right here in New Hampshire. This new law is a critical tool that will help put an end to this heinous crime and lets perpetrators and participants alike know that we have zero tolerance for crimes against our children. Prior to this legislation, there was no statute in place by which to prosecute these offenders. This bill will establish the necessary recourse to hold these criminals accountable for perpetuating this horrific practice and hopefully serve to eliminate sex trafficking of underage children from taking place in this state altogether.”

“As legislators, it is our duty to take common sense steps, like this bill, to protect our children. I appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into this measure by both the House and the Senate. This important law will ensure anyone involved in sex trafficking with underage children will be held accountable for their actions.”

Carson praises increased penalties for distribution private images or ‘revenge porn’

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Sharon_atsenatedeskConcord, NH – Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) issued the following statement upon the passage of SB 465 into law, creating penalties for the dissemination of private sexual images without prior consent.

“With the advent of instantaneous communication and social media, sharing of private information or images that without prior consent to intentionally cause harm has become a greater problem for our state,” said Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry).

“With the passage of SB 465 into law, we’ve attached penalties to posting, sharing, or distributing explicit images with the intent to cause harm or without prior permission, providing law enforcement with the necessary standards by which they can prosecute these offenders who engage in what’s known as ‘revenge porn’. By increasing penalties for this practice, we hope to protect individual privacy and deter the improper distribution of any private images,” Carson added.

Carson commends responsible move to study needle exchange programs

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CarsonConcord, NH – Today, the Senate passed a bill, HB 1681, which would establish a commission to study the disposal and exchange of hypodermic needles containing residual amounts of controlled substances.

Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) issued a statement following the vote.

“The heroin crisis continues to be a major concern for the state and we are working to combat this issue from every angle possible. The bill we passed today is a responsible step towards finding a solution to lessen the occurrence of addicts sharing or using dirty needles, and also addresses the concerns raised of there being few parameters or guidelines established for proper disposal of left-over drugs in used needles.”

“Today’s compromise is important because it bring all the stakeholders together so future legislation avoids unintended consequences. This bill creates a forum where all parties involved can work to include necessary guidelines, but also protects those collecting needles with small amounts of illegal substances and protecting users from contracting serious diseases.”

Carson, Forrester praise solution increasing law enforcement protections in NH North Country

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sharon_bill_hartConcord, NH – The Senate will take up legislation tomorrow that would provide legal protections to border patrol agents when assisting state troopers and local law enforcement in New Hampshire.

Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) and Senator Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith) issued statements in advance of the Senate’s vote.

“With the hard work and dedication of my colleague, Senator Jeanie Forrester, we found a workable solution allowing border patrol agents to provide much needed assistance to local law enforcement in the North Country,” said Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry). “The amendment we will take up tomorrow on the Senate floor came together because Senator Forrester and I recognized that when a citizen needs help from law enforcement, they don’t care which agency answers the call, they simply need help, but should be protected under our state law.”

“Having had first-hand experience in a North Country ride along with law enforcement, I understand the need for this critical assistance in the northernmost part of the state. We took concerted steps to make sure this bill would make law enforcement professionals available, regardless of agency, to address emergencies across the expansive New Hampshire North Country while significantly cutting response times which regularly take more than an hour,” said Senator Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith)

“This bill gives border patrol officers the same legal protections as New Hampshire officers, equipping them to assist state troopers and local law enforcement when making arrests and carrying out other enforcement duties. This bill represents the right way to address this issue and through focused consideration of our options, we will provide long-needed support to law enforcement in the North Country,” added Forrester. “I thank Senator Carson for her hard work and leadership on this important issue.”