NH HB1605

Establishes the State Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence Office within the Department of Safety, staffed with 3-5 analysts, 2-5 investigators, and support staff with military or equivalent intelligence training

Authorizes the office to identify, investigate, and counter threats from foreign intelligence operations by China, Russia, cartels, terrorist organizations, and their proxies, with focus on elite-capture operations and attacks on critical infrastructure

Grants subpoena power for records, authority to recommend prosecutions to the attorney general or federal authorities, and requires quarterly briefings and annual public reports to the legislature

Mandates independent state-level intelligence capabilities to verify and assess reliability of shared federal intelligence, with information sharing to federal fusion centers limited to verified data meeting reasonable suspicion criteria

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the general fund for the 2026-2027 biennium to cover salaries, equipment (including surveillance vehicles, aerial platforms, and night vision/thermal imaging devices), training, and operational costs, effective July 1, 2026