By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – An act establishing consumer protections for digital asset transaction kiosks is headed now to the House after SB 482-FN was approved by the Senate Thursday on a voice vote.

The bill says such kiosks, found in stores, are “used by scammers to induce consumers, particularly older adults to convert cash into digital assets and transfer the value of those assets, irreversibly, to criminals.”
Digital assets include cryptocurrency.

“It is the intent of the general court that this subdivision establish reasonable and uniform consumer protections while permitting lawful and responsible…operations.”

If passed in the House and signed into law, the first transaction for a new customer would require an operator to hold the first digital financial asset for 48 hours.

Prior to accepting payment from a user at a virtual currency kiosk, the kiosk operator, or its authorized delegate, shall verify the identity of the individual in a manner consistent with applicable state and federal laws, it says.

“Operators shall not permit transactions under any false, fictitious, or assumed identity.
All transactions shall be conducted under a user’s true and verifiable identity,” it states.

It also limits the first transaction to $5,000 per day across all kiosks under common control within the
United States.

For existing customers, an operator shall not accept or dispense, in the aggregate, more
than $15,000 per customer per calendar day across all kiosks under common control within the
United States.

The bill also calls for display of warnings, including that no government agency, law enforcement, court, utility, bank, tech support, employer, or retailer will ever demand payment by crypto ATM.
The kiosk shall require the customer to answer fraud screening prompts, including whether they are being coached by another person.

If the customer indicates a risk of fraud, the kiosk shall block the transaction and display law enforcement and consumer protection and antitrust bureau contact information.

The effective date for the bill, if passed in the House and signed by the governor, will be Jan. 1, 2027.

Sen. Tim McGough, R-Merrimack, who sponsored SB 482 urged the body to “support our elderly” with passage of the bill.

He said often thieves use this means to rob people and the money goes off to another country. He said just as parents protected their children, the state should protect from financial predators.

Senate Bill 482 will help protect the public, said Senate Majority Leader Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead.

“Cryptocurrency ATMs serve a legitimate purpose, but they’ve also been used to target vulnerable individuals”, said Birdsell.  She continued, “This bill adds common-sense safeguards—like identity verification, waiting periods, and reasonable limits—to prevent fraud while preserving access,” she said in a statement following the vote.

Sen. McGough added: “It strikes a careful balance: protecting people and stopping scams without pushing responsible businesses out of New Hampshire.”

EXPUNGEMENT OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Another bill which is now headed to the House is Senate Bill 470-FN which passed the Senate Thursday on a voice vote.
It allows for expungement of records for those who are state licensed and subject to certain disciplinary matters that did not involve criminal acts, fraud, deceit, patient safety, public safety, or acts impacting the integrity of the profession.

The licensee also would qualify if they did not receive suspension or permanent revocation of their license. They would have to petition to have the disciplinary records expunged under the act.

This would apply to barbers, tattoo artists, doctors and all others who are licensed under the state Office of Professional Licensure and Certification.

It would amend RSA 310 and to qualify the application is submitted to that office more than seven years after the subject disciplinary action occurred; the disciplinary action did not include post-adjudicative suspension or permanent revocation of license; the licensee has had no further disciplinary action against their license since the disciplinary action identified in the application occurred; the licensee has completed all requirements of the disciplinary action; the office has no pending investigations against the licensee; and if the licensee’s license is currently in good standing.

Petitions that involve disciplinary action that only included a reprimand, administrative fine, reasonable cost of investigation and prosecution, or a combination thereof shall be granted if they meet the requirements, the act reads.

Any licensee who has their petition denied shall have the right to a hearing before the appropriate board or, if no such board exists, the office in accordance with RSA 310, according to the bill. If signed into law, it would take effect 60 days after its passage.

SENATE RETURNS THREE BILLS TO THE HOUSE

Senate President Carson, R-Londonderry, announced at the outset of the meeting that she would be returning three bills to the House without a vote because there are rules that the Senate cannot take up the same bills in the second year of the term.

They are HB 1048, which would repeal the prohibition on the purchase and sale of black jacks, sling shots and metal knuckles except to minors; HB 1216, which would expand the statute governing informed consent for warrantless searches of motor vehicles and real property; and House Bill 1562, which would establish a patients bill of rights for direct-pay health centers, like licensed nursing homes, require certain licensing requirements and orders state Health and Human Services to study direct-pay models.