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In New Hampshire, pulling a fire alarm falsely or filing a fraudulent police report can land you in legal hot water—and rightly so. These actions waste resources, sow confusion, and put lives at risk. Yet, under current law, there’s no penalty for knowingly filing a false report of child abuse or neglect with Child Protective Services, even when the intent is to harm someone. This glaring loophole undermines justice, strains families, and jeopardizes the safety of our children. It’s time to close it with HB243-FN, a bill I’ve introduced to impose penalties on those who weaponize false accusations against innocent Granite Staters.

Across the country, states like Texas, Arizona, and Michigan have already recognized the need to address this issue. Their laws penalize intentional false reporting to child protective agencies, and the results are telling: not one of these states has seen a drop in legitimate reports of abuse or neglect. Even more striking, no state has repealed such a law once enacted. This isn’t speculation—it’s evidence. For example, Texas, which has enforced penalties under Section 261.107 of its Family Code for years, continues to see robust reporting of genuine cases, with over 200,000 investigations annually, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The data is clear: holding bad-faith actors accountable doesn’t deter those who seek to protect children in good faith. It simply ensures the system isn’t abused.

Here in New Hampshire, the lack of consequences has left families vulnerable. False accusations, especially when made with malicious intent, inflict profound harm—mental anguish, unrelenting stress, and financial strain from legal battles or lost work. Worse still, they drag children into the center of investigations that never should have started. Imagine a parent facing a baseless probe, their kids questioned by strangers, all because someone sought to settle a score. This isn’t just a personal attack; it’s emotional abuse, enabled by a system that is unable to deter such cruelty. HB243-FN would change that by making it a misdemeanor to knowingly submit a false report with intent to harm, sending a clear message: families are not pawns in vindictive games.

In today’s divided society, we’ve seen a troubling rise in weaponized false reports—whether in custody disputes, neighborhood feuds, or personal vendettas. The state has a duty to shield its citizens from this growing threat. Without accountability, these actions erode trust and stability, leaving families to pick up the pieces. HB243-FN isn’t about silencing whistleblowers; it’s about protecting the innocent from those who exploit a system meant to safeguard our most vulnerable.

Beyond the human toll, false reports strain the limited resources of our Division for Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Every baseless call diverts time, money, and attention from children who genuinely need help. Social workers, already stretched thin, must chase shadows instead of focusing on real cases of abuse or neglect. In a state where DCYF handles thousands of reports each year, this inefficiency can have devastating consequences—delays that leave at-risk kids in danger while innocent families suffer needlessly. By deterring frivolous accusations, HB243-FN would sharpen our focus where it belongs: on the children who truly need protection.

Critics will argue that penalties could scare off good-faith reporters; the evidence from other states disproves this. Laws like these target only those who act with malice, while protecting those who file a report out of genuine concern. New Hampshire’s mandated reporters and concerned citizens will still step forward—unafraid—because HB243-FN is narrowly tailored to punish intent, not honest mistakes. The bill’s language ensures that only those who “knowingly” lie to harm others face consequences, preserving the integrity of our reporting system.

New Hampshire prides itself on fairness and community. Letting false accusers off the hook contradicts those values. HB243-FN is a commonsense fix—aligning us with states that have proven it works, safeguarding families from abuse masquerading as concern, and freeing up resources to protect kids who need it most. It’s not just a bill; it’s a stand for justice. I urge my fellow Granite Staters to contact their state senators and Gov. Ayotte to let them know they support HB243-FN. The New Hampshire House was bipartisan in overturning the recommendation against this bill on the House floor, and passed it with broad bipartisan support. Children and innocent families should not be pawns and victims.

Representative James Spillane

Also signed by:

Representative Steven Smith
Representative Debra DeSimone
Representative Jeanine Notter
Representative Jodi Nelson
Representative Lisa Freeman
Representative Bob Wherry
Representative Yury Polozov
Representative Matt Sabourin dit Choiniere
Representative Jeremy Slottje
Representative Shane Sirois
Representative Diane Kelley
Representative Erica Layon
Representative Cindy Bennett
Representative James Thibault
Representative Donald McFarlane
Representative Jonathan Smith
Representative Sheila Seidel
Representative Jordan Ulery
Representative Kelly Potenza