During an emotional news conference Monday, three-term state Rep. Jennifer Rhodes, R-Winchester, spoke personally to sexual and domestic violence victims, urging them to seize upon three new laws to make this their time to come out of the shadows.
“Please make today the day that you suffer in silence no longer. You are seen, you are heard, you are believed and it is not your fault,” said Rhodes, fighting back tears at the headquarters of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence in Concord.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte saluted the work of legislators, survivors, crisis center workers and volunteers that identified gaps in the system and closed them to protect victims.
And she used the occasion to memorialize Marisol Fuentes, the Berlin woman and restaurant manager shot to death by her estranged husband in July 2025 after cracks in the law enforcement and judicial systems failed to protect her.
“What happened to her should never happen to anyone and also the terror that she experienced. We don’t want anyone to experience that,” Ayotte said.
Lyn Schollett, executive director of the Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said the impact of these laws will outlive all the advocates.
“We are not just helping victims today. These laws will benefit countless victims in the future and will advance their healing and search for justice,” Schollett said.
Ayotte said Rhodes, vice chairman of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, has been a relentless supporter to make meaningful change.
“I get texts from her like every night,” Ayotte said. “I love that because the passion is there.”
A lifeline for survivors
These were the three bills highlighted Monday among a total of eight new laws on this topic:
• Licensing massage companies (HB 1469). Sponsor: Rep. Charles Foote, R-Derry. Effective Date: July 1, 2027.
ThE bill requires all massage businesses to be licensed, closing a loophole that required all practitioners be licensed, but not the owners. Attorney General John Formella’s office helped identify the gap while cracking down on 15 businesses authorities alleged to have turned their massage parlors into sex-trafficking establishments.
• Sexual assault orders (HB 1651). Sponsor: Rep. Rhodes. Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2027.
The bill creates a sexual assault restraining order that allows survivors to seek protection regardless of whether they had a prior relationship with the offender. It also gives survivors more information about the status of their sexual assault evidence kit and extends the time that the kits must be preserved.
• Restitution strengthened (HB 1576). Sponsor: Rep. Kathleen Paquette, R-Manchester. Effective Date: June 1, 2027.
The bill will require annual re-evaluations of an offender’s ability to pay restitution and mandate victims be told if anything changes regarding restitution status. Last spring, the Department of Corrections spent $600,000 for a consultant to review 13,000 restitution cases for crime victims, 60% of which had no payment made in the past 60 days.
Ayotte said in every instance these laws emerged after investigators and victims identified the shortcomings.
“Perpetrators can be quite clever,” said Ayotte, a former AG. “I want them to know we are not going to put up with it. We will be looking to improve our laws and victims need to know we are there for them.”
Shauna Foster is executive director at New Beginnings — Without Violence and Abuse, the crisis center operating in the Lakes Region.
“Domestic and sexual violence are extremely isolating crimes that often make victims feel alone and without hope,” Foster said.
Rhodes said the message must go out far and wide that victims have a lifeline.
“Make no mistake. This is an incredibly large circle of people that listen, learn and commit to making New Hampshire a beacon for survivors to recover,” Rhodes said.
“If you are enduring the pain of assault in silence for the plethora of reasons that you have, the people here are behind you.”
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