Introduction - Jessica's Law (NH) - NH Law Library - LibGuides

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Search this Guide Search Jessica's Law (NH) (RSA 265:79-b) Reviewed 12/21/2023

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Introduction

We were asked to find the law in New Hampshire that requires motorists to remove snow and ice from their vehicles. That law is RSA 265:79-b: Negligent Driving, sometimes called "Jessica's Law." As we describe in our blog, this proved to be much more difficult than we expected and provides several lessons about legal research.

• Revised Statutes Online. RSA 265. Rules of the Road
• Finding Jessica's Law Our blog post on finding Jessica's Law.
• Popular Names A link to our blog post about finding statutes by popular name.

Online

House and Senate committee files (see below) can be very helpful sources of information when you're trying to learn about a law. Committee files are being digitized and posted online at the General Court's website. To find them, search for a bill or chapter law and click on the Bill History link in the search results.

• New Hampshire House of Representatives. Committee Records for 2001 House Bill 652
• New Hampshire Senate. Committee Records for 2001 House Bill 652
• New Hampshire House of Representatives. Committee Records for 2005 House Bill 357
• New Hampshire Senate. Committee Records for 2005 House Bill 357
• Cornell Legal Information Institute. Negligence "Negligence is the failure to behave with the level of care that a reasonable person would have exercised under the same circumstances. Either a person’s actions or omissions of actions can be found negligent. The omission of actions is considered negligent only when the person had a duty to act (e.g., a duty to help someone because of one’s own previous conduct)."

Print

• Personal Injury, Tort, and Insurance Practice by Richard B. McNamara Call Number: KFN1280 .N48 v.8-9. 2024 Publication Date: 2024 To learn more about negligence, see Chapter 4.
• Restatement of the Law Third, Torts, Liability for Physical and Emotional Harm by American Law Institute Call Number: KF395.T6413 A7 2010 ISBN: 9780314917904 Publication Date: 2010

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• Last Updated: Dec 2, 2025 10:28 AM
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Login to LibApps Report a problem Subjects: Motor Vehicles, Negligence Tags: 265, Popular names, Winter This website is created and maintained by a team that includes both non-lawyers and licensed attorneys. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the role of an attorney or to act as legal advice. The application of law to the specific facts of your case can be complex. You should consult with qualified local legal counsel who practices in the relevant field of law for advice regarding any legal matters or questions related to your specific situation.